September is Baby Safety Month and whether you have a baby or are planning to have one, safety is always a top priority, especially when it comes to your little ones!

Because it is Baby Safety Month, we want to share a few of our favorite tips that you can follow in your home to help make sure the babies in your life are kept as safe as possible.  Please feel free to share your baby safety tips in the comments below.

Research which baby gear you should or should not buy used

When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I thought we would beat the baby store system (and prices) by shopping for used baby gear.   Being the avid researcher I am, I quickly learned that while used baby gear can help financially, buying used is not always the best for your baby.   For example, car seats are a baby product that you should always buy new, not used.  Certainly, it is good to save money wherever you can, but not when that money compromises the safety of your child. Be aware that when purchasing used cribs, strollers, car seats, high chairs, and play activity stations, there is potential for an item to be broken or for pieces to be missing. Baby equipment goes through a lot of wear and tear with each child, and secondhand products can sometimes be dangerous.  Check for recalls on products and look for pieces that appear cracked or missing. The safest alternative is to buy new products, but if you have to buy used, do your homework and keep your child safe.

Have your baby’s car seat checked for proper installation

Child safety seats can greatly reduce the risk of infant and toddler fatality in motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, although many people buy safety seats for their child, often times they are installed improperly. Take precautions to make sure your seat is properly installed by securing all straps, making sure the harness fits snugly, and that the seat is facing the correct direction in your vehicle. To confirm that your seat is installed correctly, check the NHTSA website and find the baby seat inspection location nearest you!

Baby-proof your house

One of the easiest ways to keep your child safe is eliminating dangerous areas inside of your house by installing baby gates and padding furniture.  I did plenty of that when my kids were babies…maybe too much. Make sure that all cleaning products, including laundry room items such as single-load liquid laundry packets, are out of reach and sight of children.  In fact, it would be a good idea to close off your laundry room entirely to prevent accidents from occurring.  The laundry room is not a playroom…   Since single-load liquid laundry packets hit store shelves, more and more parents have been using them for their convenience and ease of use.  However, people may not realize each packet contains highly concentrated detergent and should be treated like any other household cleaning product – store them out of reach and sight.  If not safely stored, the laundry packets can pose potential hazards attracting dangerous interest from young children leading to injury from ingestion or exposure to the eyes.

This is so important that the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) launched the KEY Pledge campaign to spread awareness and education for single-load liquid laundry packet safety.

Take the KEY Pledge at KeyPledge.com and follow ACI’s simple steps to a safe laundry room and routine:

Keep single-load liquid laundry packets out of the reach of children

Educate your family and friends about the safe use and storage of these new laundry products

You serve a key role in laundry safety

Once you take the KEY Pledge you will see a heat map where you can track pledges and follow progress across the nation and in your home town on a heat map.  Georgia is doing pretty well but it looks like California, Florida and may be beating us!  Show your state pride and get (or keep) your state on the KEY Pledge leaderboard!

Since September is Baby Safety Month, use this time and these tips to properly educate yourself, family, and friends about ways to improve baby safety this month and always!

I am working with the American Cleaning Institute on their KEY Pledge campaign because it is important to me to help spread the word about how to safely use, store and handle single-load liquid laundry packets.