Window Covering Safety Tips for Children and Pets
Don’t leave your child’s or pet’s health and safety to chance. If you have corded window treatments throughout your home, perform preventative tasks to avoid hazardous events.
The best solution for keeping your young children, infants, and pets safe is by replacing corded window coverings with cordless options like honeycomb or roller shades, or drapes and sheers.
Or, replace any window coverings in children’s bedrooms and other sleeping areas that were manufactured before 2001 with products manufactured today that are considered safer and more effective:
- If your home has several shades, blinds, or other window coverings with some type of cord that you cannot replace right away, keep these tips in mind to retrofit your treatments and reduce the odds of an unfortunate injury.
- Move cribs, beds, furniture, and toys away from any corded window coverings. Place furniture and other items against another wall, far from the window treatment.
- Keep any pull cords and tassels as short as possible and don’t let any window cords dangle within reach of a child. Make sure that any cord stops are installed properly and adjusted to limit the movement of the cord.
- Anchor or attach continuous loop cords on shades, drapes, or vertical blinds to the floor or wall to prevent children from interacting with them.
Retrofitting Older Corded Window Treatments
If you have window coverings with cords that you prefer to keep installed, properly retrofit them to ensure lasting safety around children and pets.
For blinds and pleated shades, eliminate the loops in the cord by snipping the cord just above the tassel and removing the equalizer buckle, if the treatment features this piece.
Create two separate cords by pulling the cord through each tassel and tightly securing. Another safety precaution is installing tie-down devices to the wall to secure the cord.
For many corded window treatments like horizontal blinds and shades manufactured before 2001, install cord stops that attach to the top of your treatment and lock the cords in place so they can’t be tampered with. To properly install cord stops, follow these steps:
- Lower the blind or shade to its desired length and lock the covering into position.
- Pinch the cord to create a loop, then slide the cord stop over the top of the loop.
- Pull the free end of the cord through the loop and create a loose knot, then tighten the knot one or two inches below the treatment rail to properly secure the cord. This will prevent movement of the cords.
Update Your Window Treatments With Ambiance Window Coverings
If your home features dated and unsafe window treatments, consult with the design professionals at Ambiance Window Coverings to find and install modern coverings without dangerous cords.
We exclusively supply a wide variety of Hunter Douglas® window coverings available in several materials, colors, and designs that improve your home’s safety and enhance your surroundings.
For all of our customers, we provide competitive pricing and free in-home consultations to explore your budget and design options.
Learn more about our child- and pet-safe window covering options today by calling 402-932-9711 or by filling out our online contact form to request additional information.
