On a more serious note, bathrooms could become an area of safety concern for the more vulnerable members of our family – the young and the old.
The most danger comes from slips due to wet flooring. There is also risk of young ones reaching out for chemicals like our eye solutions and consuming them if we are careless about where we leave them. Certainly we don't want strong solutions like nail polish removers getting into their eyes either!
What are some of the good practices that we could have to help keep our loved ones safe?
Firstly, it's always a good idea therefore to separate the bathroom into wet zones and dry zones where possible.
Wet zones:
- bathtub area
- shower areas
Dry zones:
- toilet bowl area
- basin area
- dressing area
This minimizes the risk areas and is a big help to prevent accidents.
Secondly, try to keep the bathroom well-ventilated. This encourages evaporation of water from the wet areas and reduces the exposure of risk time period.
Thirdly, always wash down the shower and bath areas after use. This is because the soaps we use can make the floor more slippery. An unsuspecting next user may be the next victim.
Also consider placing small hand towels near the basin area. Encourage all users to wipe their hands on the towel instead of flicking them all over the bathroom floor and endangering the next user.
To keep potentially harmful solutions out of reach of the young ones, ensure to keep all of them away in high places instead of leaving them on counters or in lower vanity units.
There are many creative and simple solutions but the most important thing is to practice some discipline in the most basic of activities described above. They really don't cost you anything after all!
If you do require more advanced solutions. Here are some of our ideas:
Place a simple stool or install grab bars and shower seats to ensure all users have a strong, reliable surface to grip on to prevent falling.
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Tall, wall mounted cabinets are a great place to keep chemicals out of children's reach. Just place them on the higher shelves.
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A beautiful hand towel means there isn't a need to compromise looks for safety...
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