Baby proofing / cat proofing; powdered detergent

arj14 · February 2016

Two questions :

1) DH and I are looking for a better safety proofing system for our kitchen. We have some two doors cupboards and some one door. Our current system involves a lot of mildly heavy crap piled in front of the lower cabinets, and higher cabinets tied shut with string (if the cabinets are two door). All of this is due to our naughty/mischievous cat, who, sadly, has figured out how to untie our knots. Consequently, I'd love to get some advice that can do double work for kitty now, and baby later.

2) Our washer takes powdered detergent. Does anyone have recommendations for a scent free powder that isn't incredibly expensive? Also, scent free dryer sheets or dryer sheet alternatives?

MrsKubley · February 2016

1) uh child safety locks?

Cant help with #2, my dishwasher takes the tablet deals

arj14 · February 2016

MrsKubley said:

1) uh child safety locks?

Cant help with #2, my dishwasher takes the tablet deals

1) yes... brands /specific types?

2) clothes washer?

amberraysofdawn · February 2016

I think Babies R'Us sells a pack of various childproof locks. Maybe buy one of those and just see what kind works best, then buy more of that specific lock later?

Also, I think Purex makes a scent/dye free formula, but I don't know if it's available powdered or not. We use the Tide version (my husband has skin allergies so we have to be careful with detergents and stuff). We also use the same type of dryer sheets (Tide brand).

kbrands7 · February 2016

We use the safety first magnetic locks-- they're easy to use and awesome. Plus, unlIke other cabinet locks, you can't just brute force them open; they're very secure. They're pricier than other options and require screwing installation, but it's been worth it. You can also deactivate them with a switch (on each lock) so that if you don't want it to be locked for some reason, it'll open just like a regular cabinet again.

JoMunson · February 2016

2. We use the Duggar Family's powdered detergent. Costs us about 93 cents a load, gets stuff clean (it's gross, but we're talking "didn't know my period was coming and forgot that underwear was in the laundry hamper for a week" stains) and never irritates mine or DH's very sensitive skin. The recepie is on their website but I'll put it here too:
1 cup borax
2 cup washing soda
1bar feels naphtha
Combine and blend until a fine powder.
all of these items are available at our local grocery store.

dshannah · February 2016

JoMunson said:

2. We use the Duggar Family's powdered detergent. Costs us about 93 cents a load, gets stuff clean (it's gross, but we're talking "didn't know my period was coming and forgot that underwear was in the laundry hamper for a week" stains) and never irritates mine or DH's very sensitive skin. The recepie is on their website but I'll put it here too:
1 cup borax
2 cup washing soda
1bar feels naphtha
Combine and blend until a fine powder.
all of these items are available at our local grocery store.

What do you use to blend it? Do you use your normal kitchen blender? And if so, how do you endure you e gotten all the borax etc out before using it for food?

lbachran · February 2016

@kbrands7, thanks for the recommendation. I've been trying to figure out which cabinet locks to buy and I'm going with those. Do you have a recommendation for outlet covers? People seem to complain about almost every outlet cover I've seen (melting, falling out, messing up their outlet permanently, etc.)

OP, we have houdini cats too! We have one cat who will stand on his back legs with his paws on top of a cabinet and then he will walk backwards while holding the cabinet door. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen! And he opens every cabinet in the same manner.

kbrands7 · February 2016

@Ibachran we use these for outlets that are always in use and need to be covered to avoid tugged cords/to shorten cords:https://www.kidsafeinc.com/kidco-outlet-plug-cover/?gdftrk=gdfV27325_a_7c922_a_7c2271_a_7cS211&gclid=Cj0KEQiAxrW2BRCFidKbqKyq1YEBEiQAnMDWxleUXZCRZoJwPA7SwTmUhgY0AFOVocHjIfI-xe8m1S4aAmVL8P8HAQ
And these for other outlets:https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004GCJML6/ref=s9_top_hm_awbw_bBI9jP_g75_i9?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-12&pf_rd_r=1DG133Z7RRXGZAAZZRND&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=087e3693-9cbd-542c-9035-0b174857ac7f&pf_rd_i=166867011
No problems with either yet, and they've been in use for well over a year.

Seperate, but related question: does anyone have a door knob cover they like that's toddler-proof? I've yet to find one that DS can't pry off. (Though thankfully he's doing it less now that he knows he's not supposed to.)

lbachran · February 2016

Thanks @kbrands7!

Are furniture straps and corner protectors necessary? We don't have any all glass furniture, just solid wood everywhere. Also, is it best to wash everything baby related with Dreft? My family is horrified by the idea of anything else, but I'm not sure if that's just a generational preference.

kbrands7 · February 2016

@ibachran We put on furniture straps and TV straps, but waited for corner protectors until DS was cruising since they're so quick to put on. I've definitely been glad to have covers on our wood dining room table since DS has run into them face first a few times (and came out unscathed). The straps have definitely saved him from moving around small pieces of furniture and saved him from flipping larger ones while he learns to not climb furniture. We never used dreft, but used Tide Free instead. I know a lot of people use the All Free and Clear too and like it.

angc4 · February 2016

How do other mischievous cat owners plan to train cat to stay away from baby items?!

MrsKubley · February 2016

lbachran said:

@kbrands7, thanks for the recommendation. I've been trying to figure out which cabinet locks to buy and I'm going with those. Do you have a recommendation for outlet covers? People seem to complain about almost every outlet cover I've seen (melting, falling out, messing up their outlet permanently, etc.)

OP, we have houdini cats too! We have one cat who will stand on his back legs with his paws on top of a cabinet and then he will walk backwards while holding the cabinet door. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen! And he opens every cabinet in the same manner.

I bought the IKEA outlet covers and haven't had a problem

JoMunson · February 2016

@dshannah we use our food processor and pop it in the dishwasher when we're done to ensure its properly washed.

mcb2016 · February 2016

We used a very similar recipe as the Duggar family laundry soap for well over a year. At first I loved it but at some point it stopped getting our clothes clean. I had to throw out a lot of stuff that was just ruined and seemed to have very dirty buildup.

JoMunson · February 2016

@mcb2016 crazy! What was your recepie? I think what keeps ours good is the fels naphtha since its oil cutting and usually used to wash off areas exposed to poison oak.

kp90 · February 2016

Sadly solving my cat issue but sending him home to live with my parents. With 3 dogs and a cat plus a baby it's too much to handle and SO can't stand the cant because he's constantly shedding on the furniture, on the table and counters, etc. Plus he likes to tear up the carpet when we shut him out of the bedroom. Cats can be a big pain in the butt but he will enjoy living with them as he lived there when he was young anyways. Still a bummer though.

saraleigh2 · February 2016

I have very bad allergies.We use all free and clear, but have also used the tide version- really whichever one is cheaper at Costco!!!! All free and clear makes fabric softener and we use the plastic/dryer safe dryer balls instead of dryer sheets.

Tip: since you will be using Un-scented detergent if you forget your clothes in the wash and the smell mildewy pour in some vinegar and it will remove the smell when you re-wash.

No no advice for baby proofing we are new to this too FTM

BlueJuice · February 2016

I'm on the minimalist side where baby proofing is concerned, but for the most part we got outlet covers (the super generic plastic old-school kind- like these: https://www.toysrus.com/buy/outlet-covers-plugs/safety-1st-12-pack-ultra-clear-outlet-plugs-01711-2736577), and a couple of really great baby gates. What you need depends some on what areas of your house you're planning to baby proof, but what we ended up doing is using baby gates to partition off the living/dining/main room of the house, separating it from the kitchen and the entryway and stairs. We have a tri-level, so trying to gate off the stairs themselves was basically not possible, and I found it easier to simply remove free access to the kitchen than to baby proof the cat food and water setup in there. The rest of the main living area was stripped down as far as chokeable/breakable hazards (I took decorative stuff off the coffee table and put it higher up), and I made sure nothing was tip-able, but our TV is wall-mounted and most of our furniture is rather heavy wood. Our coffee and end tables also happen to have rounded corners rather than square ones, so I didn't find it necessary to cover them in any way.

For me, it worked really well to have one 'baby central' that was highly baby proofed (to the point where it was safe to leave her alone in there for a few minutes while I ran to the bathroom), then allow limited access to the rest of the house under supervision. I think I put plug covers everywhere, but we don't spend a lot of time upstairs or downstairs just hanging out.

finnybooboo · February 2016

Bad parents? But we didn't baby proof until our DD was very mobile and starting to get into things (other then outlet plugs which we did pretty early on). We just got a pack of locks from Target and work just fine.

I didn't know there were washers that only took powder and not liquid as well? I just use the All Free & Clear pods or the All Free & Clear liquid and throw them in with the clothes. We can't use anything else (even Tide Gentle) as DD has extremely sensitive skin.

scbonnell04 · February 2016

#2: Norwex detergent is the very best stuff I've found. It's scent free, dye free and you only have to use 1 tsp (I use 1/2 tbsp because I wash big loads). One bag that costs about $30 will last me 5-6 months in a 4 person household. They also have dryer balls that serve a similar purpose to dryer sheets in softening clothes and eliminating static. I used them for a while but as my kids got older we moved back to the old bounce dryer sheets because I missed the scent.

slfezz · February 2016

I just use my normal detergent and skip the fabric softener and bleach. None of my kids have had adverse reactions using normal Tide.

For baby proofing, I didn't do anything until DD1 became mobile and only installed a cabinet lock on the one that had cleaners. The cabinet is a dual door so I just have one of the locks that just slides through the handles and tightens. I make sure I keep the sharp stuff higher than they can reach and all chemicals and meds up high or in the one locked cabinet.

arj14 · February 2016

Thank you for all the suggestions!! @kbrands7 , those magnetic locks looks awesome. I put some on our registry but I'm probably going to buy a set first to see how they work with the cat.

The next cat and baby question for us is the litterbox conundrum... our cat is a big guy (~20 lbs, and just big in general) so we haven't really found a covered litterbox that would be big enough for him. Although honestly, we haven't looked much beyond PetCo and PetSmart.

nerdymama15 · February 2016

I've never heard of a washer only taking powdered detergent. I would think you could pour the liquid soap in there on top of your clothes when you load it and it would still work. It is soap. It should work the same way. Sorry I know I'm not much help. It just boggles my mind though.

dshannah · February 2016

arj14 said:

The next cat and baby question for us is the litterbox conundrum... our cat is a big guy (~20 lbs, and just big in general) so we haven't really found a covered litterbox that would be big enough for him. Although honestly, we haven't looked much beyond PetCo and PetSmart.

Same issue: my cats just won't use a covered litter box. We put an open one under a side table in the corner and it's worked just fine, but we'll just have to keep an eye on baby when he's in that room.

I figure it's not much different than a covered box, because if baby really wanted to play with the cat poop, I doubt even a covered box would stop him...

That said, Walmart sells a covered box that's pretty huge--big enough for my 14 lb cat and then some.

amberraysofdawn · February 2016

I don't know if this is an option for you at all, but...we have a dog that likes to rummage through the litter box (ew). So my husband went to the pet store and bought one of those cat flap thingies, and cut a hole in the laundry room door just big enough to insert it in. It only took a couple of tries to teach both cats how to use it, and now we are able to close the litter box away in a completely separate room without having to worry about a lid. The door was one of those cheap wooden doors that aren't very heavy to begin with, so it'll be easy to replace if/when we move.

Charla1224 · February 2016

dshannah said:

arj14 said:

The next cat and baby question for us is the litterbox conundrum... our cat is a big guy (~20 lbs, and just big in general) so we haven't really found a covered litterbox that would be big enough for him. Although honestly, we haven't looked much beyond PetCo and PetSmart.

Same issue: my cats just won't use a covered litter box. We put an open one under a side table in the corner and it's worked just fine, but we'll just have to keep an eye on baby when he's in that room.

I figure it's not much different than a covered box, because if baby really wanted to play with the cat poop, I doubt even a covered box would stop him...

That said, Walmart sells a covered box that's pretty huge--big enough for my 14 lb cat and then some.

Sort of similarly... Our litter box is kept under the bathroom sink. DH removed the cabinet doors and her box is left under there. It's open enough for her but still out the way for us and hopefully baby. We've had this set up for about two months now so I'm ready for phase two of the plan which is to add a curtain over the opening. Cat should still be able to get in and out extremely easily but I'm hoping the curtain makes it even less of a temptation for LO.

lbachran · February 2016

OP, you might consider a top loading litter box. It can be made out of a plastic storage bin with the opening cut to size for any cat. It's great for trapping litter and the height will be a deterrent to little ones. Our vet actually recommended it as she uses them for all of her cats.

JoMunson · February 2016

OP for a litter box you could also get a medium sized animal crate from a place like petco and put an open litter box in there and have a blanket over the top. That way kitty gets some privacy and room and since crates lock if LO was going to be in the area with the box you could just lock it.

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Baby proofing / cat proofing; powdered detergent

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