Are Your Window Treatments Childproof? Learn How to Make Sure They Are

January 13, 2017

Everyone wants to ensure that their children are safe in their own homes, but not all parents realize that window treatments can be a serious health risk. In fact, according to one study, almost 300 children were either killed or catastrophically injured by window cords in the timespan between 1996 to 2012. Though newer window treatments don’t typically include cords, there are still plenty of homes with older corded window coverings. Here are some ideas on how you can keep kids safe.

Prevent kids from getting to the cords

Obviously the simplest way to keep them safe is to move the cords out of the reach of children while also pulling the cords to be as short as possible. If you have a continuous loop cord, you can anchor it to the floor and keep all furniture and your child’s crib far away from the windows. This may be the easiest option but it’s not foolproof and it requires constant diligence.

Childproof your cords

You can also cut off the loop you have on any blind cords and add a safety tassel to each strand to significantly lower the chance of strangulation. You’ll find a number of blind cord wraps available online as well. Generally they’re pretty inexpensive but they don’t fit on all window coverings and, once again, they’re not foolproof.

Replace your window treatments with child-friendly options

For optimal safety, the experts recommend replacing corded window treatments with more kid-friendly options. One study found that the best window childproof window treatments include cellular shades and Roman shades. These types of shades are incredibly easy to use, safe around kids, and are even extra energy efficient. Additionally, parents who are dealing with sleepless nights may appreciate that many of these newer window coverings include blackout linings that keep it dark and help prevent insomnia.

There are actually numerous reasons to upgrade

In fact, upgrading window treatments would ideally be on the checklist of every new parent or parent to be. Older curtains can be the perfect habitat for dust mites and other allergens. Why bring a baby into a home that’s not clean and could affect their respiration? If you’re ready to upgrade then you’ll appreciate the thousands of options available from Half Price Drapes. We have a solution for every parent’s window treatment problem.

Back to blog