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Toddler playfully stuck in the toilet, looking towards the camera for blog "Bathroom Safety for Children"

Bathroom Safety for Children

August 17, 2016

Toddler playfully stuck in the toilet, looking towards the camera for blog "Bathroom Safety for Children"
There are lots of articles out there on how to keep your kids safe but what about keeping your plumbing safe from your children?  It happens to almost every parent, your child, that you love and adore flushes something down the toilet and inevitably you have to call the plumber.  As a mom myself, I can completely relate!  My child is 21 now and boy do I remember all of the fun and creative ways he would find to destroy things in our home.  I just love when an article says “Children need constant supervision” Really? Do these people even have children?  No one can keep their eyes on their children 24 hours a day, but here are some helpful tips to keep your bathroom safe from your children.


Tips for keeping your plumbing safe from your kids:

  1. Keep the Toilet Paper Out of Reach

    One of the biggest culprits of plumbing sabotage by children is the toilet paper. We’ve seen children flush the springy toilet paper holder, we’ve seen them unroll the entire roll and try to flush it, we’ve seen them take the cardboard center and flush that as well. None of these are fun to deal with and with a little planning can be avoided. Many times when the spring-loaded holder is flushed the toilet actually has to be replaced because the spring expands inside the toilet trap way and cannot be removed. Raising the height of where your toilet paper is stored can save you a lot of headaches in the future.

  2. Toothbrushes Out of Reach

    Another great tip to protect your toilet from your children is to keep toothbrushes out of reach. I have never understood a child’s desire to flush their toothbrush rather than use it. As parents we innocently send our kids to the bathroom to brush their teeth before bed and the next thing we hear is evil laughter from the bathroom as the toilet overflows and the toothbrush is nowhere to be found. At this moment you’re reminded why our children are so dang cute, it is so we won’t kill them! During the toddler years it is pretty important to keep toothbrushes out of reach and to supervise the process. I found it helpful to just make that time we spend together and I would brush my teeth at the same time as my little one.

  3. Toilet Seat Lock

    If your little one is too small to use the adult potty a toilet seat lock is awesome, as long as we can get the gentleman in our homes to cooperate. This nifty little device will keep the toilet lid closed detouring your child from putting Barbie’s head down the toilet or even those expensive little HotWheels! Of course the lid lock won’t work if the lid doesn’t get put down and the lock set. Getting the men in our homes to comply is another topic all together.

  4. Objects

    Kids love to stick objects in holes, it is just a fact of life. Their ears, nose – other kids’ ears and nose, and your tub drain. We always recommend to parents of young children that they upgrade their tub drain from an open drain with a removable plug to a tub drain with either a push pull option or a twist and turn option. This stops your children from being able to put anything down the drain that is too large for it to handle, ultimately putting you in the situation of needing a plumber for a clogged drain.

  5. Self-Closing Hinges

    Self-closing hinges for your door can be a simple solution as well if your children are small enough that they don’t know how to open the door. This is a quick and affordable solution that you can do yourself or have a reputable handyman take care of.

What have your children done to your plumbing? We’d love to hear your stories! Do you have solutions to keep your plumbing safe that we didn’t share?  Please comment with your helpful tip!

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When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including: drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!

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