Happy fall, y’all! October is National Window Covering Safety Month, so we wanted to take this opportunity to expand on our previous article (Why All Blinds Are Cordless Now). If you have children and/or pets, you’ve probably taken steps to reduce potential hazards and dangers around your home. However, one of the least considered hazards are corded window coverings.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), window covering operating cords are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes. Strangulation on window covering cords is a hazard that can silently happen within a matter of minutes, and many of the parents and guardians who have lost their loved ones never imagined that it would happen to them. It’s best to eliminate that risk altogether by choosing cordless options.
Choosing Window Coverings for Child Safety
Thanks to a concerted effort to reduce the usage of corded blinds, most window covering manufacturers offer cordless operation with their products. Even big box retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot carry in-stock products that are cordless.
The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) created a certification program and logo that made it easier for consumers to identify which tested products are either cordless or have inaccessible cords known as “Best For Kids” program. A plethora of child-safe window covering options should be available to you regardless of where you shop.
What Should You Do?
The following safety tips will help you identify and reduce window covering hazards within your home:
- If buying a new home without window coverings, only install blinds, shades, and curtains that are cordless or have inaccessible cords. If buying a home with window treatments already installed, identify which ones have accessible lift cords and replace them with child-safe window coverings, like ones that are marked with the Best For Kids™ certification.
- Move all cribs, beds, furniture, and toys away from your windows or coverings. Climbable objects may give a child easy access to windows or window coverings. Even curtains/draperies could become a climbing hazard for children if a crib or furniture is close enough for them to reach.
- If there are corded window coverings that cannot be replaced with a cordless option, the cords can be made more inaccessible by tying them up or shortening them so that they are both out of reach and sight. Decorative cord cleats can be installed next to windows to provide a suitable place to secure cords out of the reach of children and pets. There are even free retrofit kits that you can order from the Window Covering Safety Council to make cords inaccessible.
How We Can Help
Alden Shade Company Inc. strives to provide you the safest and most reliable window coverings for your home. Most of our products are certified Best For Kids™, and we also specialize in motorized window treatments which are also safe for children and pets. If you still decide to go with corded window coverings, we will offer to install standard cord cleats at no additional cost to you.
For more information on window cord safety, visit the Window Covering Safety Council.