Once a baby starts to crawl, they're always on the move! After you've baby-proofed your outlets and stairs, it's worth considering how to keep your little one safe from harmful chemicals as well. Since babies are low to the ground when moving about and are constantly putting their hands in their mouth, they're especially at risk of exposure. Check out our top three tips on how to keep your baby safe while they're crawling and exploring!
1. Leave Shoes at the Door
Wearing shoes around the house can bring in a lot of nasty chemicals and other contaminants from the outdoors. Picture where you walk in a typical day: busy city streets, public restrooms, the back of a ride share car. Do you really want whatever is on the bottom of your shoes ending up on your carpets? As soon as you get home, take your shoes off at the door! You can even have a cute shoe storage container in your foyer so you don't forget to take them off. Leaving your shoes at the door is also a great excuse to invest in a pair of cute new slippers.
2. Vacuum More Frequently
Household dust can contain all sorts of things. Along with the usual suspects of pet hair and crumbs from breakfast, dust can contain harmful chemicals like flame retardants. Flame retardants are serious chemicals that can cause cancer and mess with our immune system. These toxic chemicals migrate out of electronics and furniture and end up around your house. Vacuuming more frequently will keep your baby safe from dust accumulating on the floor. If you're in the market for a new vacuum, we have some recommendations!
3. More Hand Washing
Washing your hands and your baby's hands is super important, even if neither of you have left the house! Babies put their hands in their mouth a LOT, especially when they're eating. And as we mentioned above, there could be a lot of gross stuff on your floor you weren't aware of. Before each meal and snack, make sure to make a pitstop at the sink to wash hands! We recommend washing hands for at least 20 seconds. Or, if you're on the go and the nearest bathroom is miles away, we have some awesome hand sanitizer recs.
