Vinyl Mini Blinds And Children's Safety

Vinyl mini blinds can be an excellent choice for individuals looking to decorate their windows in an affordable manner. Blinds that are made of vinyl are less expensive than most other blinds on the market and relatively easy to set up. In addition, their design is simple enough that they can blend in with any type of décor. This is in contrast with more expensive blinds that may have colors, patterns or styles that may not belong with certain interior design styles.

Yet, with all of these advantages comes one major disadvantage: the issue of safety. If a person has children, they need to be aware that these types of blinds pose a threat because of their cords, (if they contain them), and the possibility that they are made of lead.

Cords May Not Be Safe For Kids

Now, when it comes to blinds and cords, the concern of safety is not just an issue for vinyl mini blinds. Indeed, any blinds that have cords could be a danger. And it should be noted that there are a few cordless vinyl blinds out there, but they are not as popular as their corded counterparts. Either way, if a person is not careful with corded blinds, it is possible that a very young child could get caught up in them and accidentally harm themselves.

To avoid this problem, a person can make sure to keep the cord out of the child's reach. Or, they could simply not use those types of blinds in areas where their children would congregate. The latter option is much easier, since there might be times a person might forget to put the cord back if they want to adjust the blinds.

Lead Contamination

The second area of concern when it comes to vinyl blinds is a problem that doesn't happen with other makes. It is in regards to lead contamination. Vinyl blinds that are imported from other countries, especially Asia and Mexico are more likely to have lead than those made in the U.S. In fact, getting U.S. vinyl blinds with lead is very rare.

Regardless, if a person does buy vinyl blinds that contain lead, it is possible that everyone in the house could get lead poisoning. Children can get it directly by chewing on the blinds, while adults or older kids could get it from touching any dust that could be on the blinds. If their hands are not washed, this dust could get into their system when they eat finger food.

Testing Kit

To ensure that a set of vinyl blinds does not have lead, a person will have to do lead testing on them. A simple lead testing kit will do. These can be bought at stores like Home Depot or even online from sites like LeadInspector.com. If it is discovered that the blinds do contain lead, they need to be discarded immediately and replaced with blinds that do not have lead. Additionally, each household member should let the doctor know what happened, so they can perform a test for lead poisoning.

In conclusion, one needs to be cautious when getting vinyl mini blinds. Granted, the chances of something happening are very slim. But it's still best to take the necessary measures to make sure nothing bad will occur.