There’s a moment during pregnancy when the nesting instinct kicks in and you start looking at every room in your house with fresh eyes. The nursery gets all the attention, but the bathroom is where a lot of the daily mess and cleaning will actually happen once your baby arrives.
Nappy blowouts, bath splashes, sick on your shoulder at 2am, bottles and towels everywhere. That kind of thing. A few small upgrades now will save you a load of stress later, and most of them can be done in a single weekend.
Non-Slip Surfaces Come First
Wet floors and tired parents don’t mix. If your bathroom tiles get slippery when wet, put down a good-quality non-slip bath mat outside the bath and a suction-grip mat inside it. Go for ones that are machine washable, because they’ll need regular cleaning once baby sick and bath splashes become part of your nightly routine.
You can also stick anti-slip strips directly to the base of the bath. They’re cheap, practically invisible once they’re down, and they’ll still be doing their job years later when your toddler is standing up in the bath on their own.
Walls That Are Easy to Wipe Down
Bathrooms take a beating at the best of times, but once you’re bathing a wriggly baby every evening, the walls around your bath and changing area will get splashed constantly. Painted walls can bubble and peel from the moisture, and grout between tiles is basically a magnet for mould.
Hygienic PVC wall cladding can make cleaning easier because it gives you a smooth, wipeable surface. Today, suppliers like Simply Cladding stock panels in a range of colours that can fit over existing surfaces. PVC sheets are a lot quicker to fit than re-tiling, too, which is important when you’re trying to get everything done quickly.
More Tips for Storage and Bath-Time Safety
Lock Away Hazards Before Your Baby Gets Moving
Babies won’t be reaching for your medicine cabinet at three months old, but you’ll be surprised how quickly they become mobile. So get into the habit now of locking away anything harmful. Magnetic cabinet locks are a popular choice because they’re hidden from view and easy to open with the key magnet.
Move razors, cleaning products, medications and anything sharp to a high shelf or a locked cupboard. If your bathroom storage is limited, a wall-mounted cabinet above adult head height will do the trick and keep everything out of sight.
Set Your Boiler to a Safe Temperature
If your boiler allows it, turn the hot water down to a maximum of 48°C. Burns from scalding water are one of the most common household injuries for young children in the UK, and they’re almost always preventable. A bath thermometer is another small purchase that’ll get daily use once bath time begins.
A Few Small Changes Will Cover Most of the Risk
You don’t need to rip the whole room out. A non-slip mat, some locked storage, a temperature check on your boiler and maybe a fresh set of wall panels will cover most of the risks. All of these upgrades are things you’ll appreciate long after the baby stage is over, so none of it goes to waste.