Window Covering Safety Month: 5 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe

The month that ushers in autumn, jack-o-lanterns, and trick-or-treating, is finally here. October is officially in full swing, and so is National Window Covering Safety Month.

As an interior decorator in the Chicagoland area, it’s no secret that I love a good quality window covering. As much as I enjoy helping my clients choose the perfect drape or shade for their interior windows, I am also passionate about educating people on the importance of window covering safety.

The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) sponsors the annual window-cord awareness campaign every October, and is “dedicated to educating parents and caregivers about the potential strangulation risks of window blind and shade cords and urges consumers to only use cordless window coverings or window coverings with inaccessible cords in homes with young children.”

Designed with Safety in Mind
Here at Colleen McNally Interiors, we carry a full line of safe window covering options for clients with young children. We are proud to feature the latest Hunter Douglas line of shades and blinds, including UltraGlide, Cordless, and Power View models. All of these great options are stamped with the Hunter Douglas “Designed with Safety in Mind” parental seal of approval. Not only are these products made with the safety of young children in mind, but they are high quality, durable options that cost less than they have in the past.

Window Covering Safety Tips
If you aren’t quite ready for our team to outfit your home with new Hunter Douglas window coverings, there are steps you can take to ensure that your home is safe for young children.

Crib Check! If you have an infant or young child in a crib, be sure to move cribs, furniture, and toys away from windows and window cords. The safest option is to move your child’s crib or bed to a windowless wall, if possible. If a windowless wall is unavailable, consider swapping your current system out for a safer, cordless option.

The Shorter, the Better! While it’s recommended that you replace older, corded blinds – shortening tasseled cords as much as possible will help prevent unfortunate accidents from occurring.

Anchor Away! Whether you use 3M plastic hooks or something fancier, take a few hours to secure any long or continuous-loop cords in your home permanently to the wall. More specifically, look for cord cleats, which were designed for this exact purpose. Make it a habit to immediately connect cords to their anchor as soon as you are done adjusting draperies or blinds.

Stop It! Most modern-day corded blinds feature inner cord stops that can be adjusted to your preferred length. Aftermarket stops can be added to many systems, which limit the movement of inner lift cords. Be sure these are installed properly, and don’t forget to check that factory-installed stops are functioning properly.

Retrofit It! Older corded window coverings should definitely be replaced in homes with children with today’s safer products. Homeowners who aren’t able to commit to the expense of replacing home window treatments, can explore retrofit instructions as provided by the Window Covering Safety Council. Whether you have Roman Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, or window coverings with continuous loop bead chains – there are steps you can take to make them safer.

Keep Your Family Safe
October may be the official National Window Covering Safety Month, but we make it part of our mission to help people choose draperies and blinds that will keep their family safe, all year round.

Make the commitment to update your current window coverings this year, with cordless options from Hunter Douglas. Be sure to schedule a consultation with our interior decorators in Plainfield and Naperville, and in the meantime, don’t forget to follow these easy steps to help keep your young ones safe.