How to Childproof Cabinets: 4 Solutions for a Baby-Friendly Home

Entering a new season of life is always an exciting time — especially when it means you’ll be welcoming a new baby into your home. As a new parent, you’re likely cuddling up in bed at night with book after book about raising children. One thing you’ll likely see time and time again is the importance of childproofing the cabinets in your home. Childproofing your kitchen helps ensure your baby has a safe place to play and explore by reducing the risk of injury, poisoning, and death.

Your Google search history is probably full of first-time parent questions like how long will I be in the hospital, why do babies cry, and what are the best baby proof cabinet locks. Luckily, the team at Kitchen Cabinet Kings know a thing or two about cabinets and can provide you with the best advice for selecting the ideal cabinet locks to baby proof cabinets.

4 Ways to Babyproof Your Cabinets

Even though your newborn won’t be crawling just yet, it’s important to have a plan in place for when you’ll child proof your cabinets (and how!). You may find yourself getting limited sleep over the next few months so it’s best to prepare your home early rather than later on.

Adding cabinet locks is an essential step in maintaining a safe household so you can have peace of mind. Here are four solutions for effectively childproofing your kitchen cabinets and helping you secure space for your child to grow up.

1. Spring-Loaded Cabinet Locks

Spring-loaded cabinet locks are one of the most popular types of childproof cabinet and drawer locks. The cabinet lock gets installed on the backside of the cabinet or drawer and prevents the door from being opened all of the way until the spring mechanism is released. They work on various types of cabinets and drawers making them an extremely versatile option, which is why they are commonly found in the homes of new parents.

2. Magnetic Cabinet Locks

We’ve all seen the comedy movies where parents install childproof locks to keep their kids safe but then find themselves unable to get into the cabinets themselves. You don’t want that to happen to you, especially if you’re trying to grab something important in a hurry. Instead of a traditional cabinet lock, consider installing a magnetic cabinet lock. These locks require you to adhere one part of the magnet on the door and the other on the frame. The magnet will keep the cabinet door closed until you place a key outside of the door which will disengage the lock. Magnetic locks are one of our favorite options due to how discreet they are — allowing you to maintain the aesthetic of your kitchen.

3. Sliding Cabinet Locks

Sliding cabinet locks are a tried-and-true option that have been around for generations (and for a good reason!). The U-shaped design of the sliding lock slips around two cabinet handles or knobs, keeping the cabinet doors fixed in place while the lock is enabled. They may not be the most attractive of the bunch but they are effective at keeping children out of cabinets they should not have access to — without being too difficult for the parent to operate as well. You can have peace of mind while spending quality time with your kids cooking dinner.

4. Adhesive Strap Cabinet Locks

Depending on your needs, adhesive strap locks may be the perfect choice for your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers. With this option, there is an adhesive strap with both an end piece and a locking mechanism on either side of the strap. Both of the end pieces are attached to the cabinet (or multiple cabinet doors depending on the kitchen layout) which prevents the doors from opening unless the locking mechanism is released. Plus, we love the fact that these are effective childproof cabinets without drilling! Have no fear that your children will get into cleaning supplies or other dangerous items they shouldn’t access while unsupervised.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there alternative solutions to cabinet locks?

Although cabinet locks are going to be the most effective way to keep your children from accessing it, there is an alternative option. If you are in a pinch and don’t have time to pick up cabinet locks from the store, use an elastic band and secure the knobs or handles from two doors together to prevent them from being opened. However, we would not recommend using an elastic band long-term as they may not be effective against curious children.

Do I need to childproof my bathroom and kitchen cabinets?

As a parent, your top priority is the safety and wellbeing of your children — and that includes keeping them safe from toxic chemicals, medications, and sharp objects that are often found in kitchens and bathrooms. By childproofing your home and installing cabinet locks, you can have peace of mind knowing your children won’t be able to access the content of your cabinets. And even if they somehow master your locks and get it open every once in a while, the cabinet locks will slow them down so you can catch them before it’s too late.

How should I organize my cabinets for safety?

Cabinet locks are only one part of prevention. Along with making it more difficult for children to access the contents of your cabinets, we recommend organizing your cabinets to keep any toxic chemicals, medications, or sharp objects in the back so they are more difficult for your kids to reach. Instead, keep the items you use most, as well as “safe” items, towards the front so if your child does get in the cabinet, they reach for those items instead.

At what ages should cabinet locks be used?

There’s no right or wrong answer here as it will depend greatly on your child. However, we recommend having your cabinet locks installed no later than your child reaching six months because this is when they often become a bit more mobile. At the absolute latest, they should be installed when your child is crawling or walking and on the move. In most cases, you should leave the cabinet locks installed until your child reaches ages two or three.