An important part of baby proofing that parents and guardians do not want to over look is securing cabinets. Not only do parents want to make sure the kitchen cabinets are safely locked, but cabinets found in bathrooms, tool rooms, home office rooms, exercise areas, laundry rooms, and play rooms need to be kept locked. Products such as cleaning supplies, dangerous and heavy appliances, weighty pots and pans, art crafts and paints, cosmetics, office equipment, and any firearms are just a few of the things that can be dangerous for an infant or small child to have access to. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away and kept out of reach. This type of packaging is not childproof, only child-resistant.

To secure the cabinets in the home, consumers have a couple of options when it comes to child safety cabinet locks. Some that will be discussed in this article are the interior cabinet lock, the exterior cabinet lock, and a newer lock to the market: the magnetic cabinet lock. The lock is secured to the cabinet by applying screws to the inside of the cabinet door. The lock has a hook-type end that catches the base of the cabinet when the door is opened. This lock has a one handed operation. An adult simply has to push down on the lock as they are opening the cabinet door.

The exterior cabinet lock is used on cabinets with knobs or handles and by people who do not want damage from screw hole in their cabinets. This lock is applied by opening the lock, usually by pressing a button, enough to fit over the knobs or opening it all the way and sliding one end thru the cabinet door handles. Then a person tightens the lock enough so the door cannot be opened and that is it. The downside to these types of locks is that a person has to remember to reattach the lock every time they take it off to open the cabinet door.

Last, a person has the option of a magnetic safety latch. Most latches work by having the lock secured to the inside of the cabinet door. When the cabinet door is closed, the lock automatically locks in place. To open the door, a person uses the magnetic key by placing it on the outside of the cabinet door over the magnet on the inside. You can leave the key on the door to keep the lock unlocked, and when you are ready just simply remove the key and the cabinet locks again when the door is shut.