13 Bathroom Safety Tips

For the superstitious, Friday the 13th is one of the most unlucky days of the year. But whether or not you believe in superstitions, we recommend that you take your luck into your own hands today. Here are 13 bathroom safety tips to keep in mind today — and every day.

13 Bathroom Safety Tips:

1. Install a Grab Bar – Install grab bars around your toilet, shower, and bathtub. This will help ensure you have something to hold on to in the unfortunate event that you slip in the bathroom.
2. Make Sure You Have Nonslip Mats – Another great way to prevent slip and falls is to put nonslip mats in your tub and shower.
3. Install An Adjustable Shower Head – Reduce slip and falls by installing a handheld or adjustable shower head. This will help you maneuver the water stream wherever you need it — so you can minimize movement in the shower.
4. Supervise Young Children – Make sure that young children are always supervised in the bathroom. Never leave your child alone, unattended in a bath.
5. Keep electrical appliances unplugged – You never want to have electrical appliances like hair dryers and electric razors plugged in around water. Make sure they are always unplugged and safely stored when not in use.
6. Make sure all medicine has safety caps – All medicines left in your medicine cabinet should be stored out of reach from kids and pets. Make sure that they have childproof caps and keep them in a hard to reach place.
7. Check your water heater – Make sure that your water heater is set to 120 degrees F. This will ensure that your water heater is working efficiently and that the bathroom in your shower is sufficiently warm, without being scalding.
8. Install adequate lighting – Do you have enough lighting in your bathroom? Make sure that you have plenty of night lights and overhead lighting to find your way to the toilet in the middle of the night.
9. Remove clutter – Keep the path in your bathroom clear. Remove clutter to reduce your risk of hitting into objects in the bathroom or tripping and falling over something that fell to the floor.
10. Install a shower seat – Whether you are looking to age in place or you’re looking to add some luxury to your bathroom, consider installing a shower seat. Not only is this a more comfortable way to shower, it also greatly reduces your risk of slip and fall.
11. Keep shampoo within reach – Make sure that all of your soaps, shampoos, and conditioners are within easy reach before you turn the water on in the shower. This will help reduce the amount that you need to move on a slippery surface.
12. Avoid using bath oils – Although they smell wonderful, oils can make your bathtub slippery!
13. Take your time! – Most importantly, take your time in the bathroom. We know that life can get busy — but taking your time in the bathroom reduces the risk that you are going to slip and fall.

If you do run into any problems with your home plumbing or you’re looking to update your bathroom this fall, reach out to our professional plumbing technicians here at Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling! We are here to help you with all of your home plumbing needs.