Before bringing a baby into your home, it’s important to make sure that your space is set up for young kids. Newborns might not be cruising around much at first but adorable babies quickly grow into curious toddlers who like to grab and explore everything they can. But they don’t know what is safe and what isn’t, so it’s up to you to babyproof.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great tools out there to make the process easy. You can find everything from latches and locks meant to keep out prying hands to alerts that will let you know of unsafe conditions in your home. Many of these tips and tricks work for pets, too, so fur parents can use some of the same tools to keep the four-legged family members safe.

Find out the best ways to childproof your home to keep your family safe and healthy.

Childproofing Cabinets and Rooms

Make sure that chemicals are out of reach of little hands and that young kids can’t get into places that aren’t safe.

1. Childproof latches - Closed spaces can be a treasure trove for curious kids. They love to open cabinets, pull open drawers, and get into places they shouldn’t. At best, you’ll end up with a mess to clean up, but there are plenty of hazards in these spots as well. Chemical cleaners, sharp objects, and batteries are three common dangers that kids might find behind closed cabinet doors and drawers. Make sure to secure them with latches that kids can’t open. The Munchkin® Xtraguard™ child safety cabinet locks work on cabinets, toilets, and more. They double lock, making them extra secure as well as versatile. In order to unlock them both buttons must be pressed simultaneously, which is a bit harder for babies and toddlers. They are easy to install and remove, without damaging furniture or appliances. Their flexible strap is designed to securely fasten around corners.

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1. Door handles - The last thing that you want is to find out that your precious child has gotten into a room (or out of the house) when they shouldn’t. A door handle cover is a helpful tool that will keep these areas off limits to little kids. Make sure to match the cover with the door style. The Safety 1st Parent Grip door knob covers work for round knobs. Adults can squeeze the cover to make it connect with the knob for turning, while kids won’t be able to get it to spin.These covers are easy to set up and can fit most standard door knobs.They are made of white plastic, designed to complement your home decor.

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1. Cover outlets - Keep prying fingers away from electrical outlets. By covering them, you’ll also prevent your child from sticking things into the outlets. Metal, plastic, and other items can pose a hazard, conduct electricity, or even start fires. These simple outlet covers work great to cover the outlet completely. The best part about these covers is that you get 50 in a single pack—far more than the 1–10 pieces offered by similar products. This allows you to babyproof your entire home and office, with extras to spare in case your little one figures out how to remove them.

Keep Furniture Secure

Make sure that your furniture is ready for young toddlers to start grabbing as they learn to walk.

1. Securing straps - Anchor furniture to the wall to keep it from toppling onto small children. Even though you think that it’s too heavy to move, when toddlers start to pull themselves up, the center of gravity of the furniture can change. If it’s kept connected to the wall by a furniture anchor, it won’t come crashing down, causing injury. The 4Our Kiddies furniture straps come in a set of 10 or 6. The straps are adjustable to fit various types of furniture, including dressers, cabinets, and bookshelves. Since they are made out of high-quality metal and durable ABS plastic they can provide extra protection during earthquakes.

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1. Pad sharp corners - As babies learn to walk, they begin to pull up on items like coffee tables. But if there are sharp corners, these can cause injuries as kids go up and down, learning to walk. Cover the corners of items at your child’s level to prevent harsh injuries during a fall. You can use a clear corner protector to keep the same look to your furniture while also keeping things babyproof. CalMyotis corner protector is soft and stylish, blending in with materials like wood, glass, aluminum alloy, tile, marble, and metal. For fireplaces, consider a longer bumper that you can cut to size.

General home safety

Don’t forget to keep up with your routine safety checks and maintenance around the house.

1. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors - Make sure that you have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, since fire and carbon monoxide are serious hazards for your family. Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector notifies you about presence of carbon monoxide through led indicators, and when the device has reached the end of its operational life and needs replacement. You can place it on the wall or leave it standing free on a table or shelf. First Alert SMI100 smoke alarm runs on battery so it is easy to set up and use. Includes alerts to notify you when it's time to replace the battery or the entire unit, ensuring continuous protection. Place smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as recommended by the manufacturer. Test them periodically to make sure that they are working and change batteries twice per year. You should also familiarize yourself with the alerts and warnings, as well as have a plan to evacuate safely with your family if needed.

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1. Test for lead - If you live in an older home, test paint for lead. Lead can cause poisoning if it builds up in the system over time. Children are especially vulnerable to brain and neurological effects and can be exposed through dust and chipping paint. Use a lead detection kit to swab surfaces. It is suitable for testing painted surfaces, dishes, toys, jewelry, ceramics, wood, and more. If you find a lead, work with a professional to cover or otherwise mitigate the lead risk based on their recommendations for your setup.

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1. Swimming pools - If you have a swimming pool, it’s critical to keep kids safe in and around the water. Always have a gate or other way to keep young children from venturing near the pool by accident. When kids are around the pool, always have an adult supervising. You can also teach kids to swim and keep themselves safe in the water during an emergency, even from a young age. While that doesn’t eliminate the need for adult supervision, it can save a child’s life if they fall in.

Keep kids safe with these childproofing techniques for your home. Making sure that cabinets, doors, and drawers are kept off limits and that doors, outlets, and furniture are secured safely. It’s also important to keep up with general home maintenance, including checking your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, testing for lead, and staying safe around the pool.