Home Water Safety Room-by-Room Checklist

A one-page audit for parents of babies and toddlers. A child can drown in less than an inch of water in under 30 seconds — often indoors. Walk your home one room at a time and check off each hazard as you secure it.

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Check each box as you complete it. Keep on the fridge, or save to your phone as a PDF.

Bathroom (Highest-Risk Room Indoors)

Never leave a child alone in the bath — not for a second. Touch supervision at all times. Gather towel, soap, and clothes before bath time begins. If you must leave, take the child with you.
Empty the tub immediately after every bath. Drain it before you dress the child. A few inches of standing water is a standing hazard.
Install toilet-lid locks and keep lids down. A top-heavy toddler can topple head-first into an open toilet and be unable to climb out.
Keep the bathroom door closed by default. Use a knob cover or high latch so the room is inaccessible unless an adult is present.
Empty and invert cleaning buckets. Never leave a filled bathroom bucket unattended; store it upside down after use.

Kitchen & Laundry Area

Empty mop buckets and pails the moment you finish. A five-gallon bucket is one of the most documented household drowning hazards — straight sides make it nearly impossible for a child to climb out.
Keep the dishwasher closed and latched. Standing water collects in the base, and detergent adds a poisoning risk.
Never leave standing water in sinks or basins. Drain wash basins, baby tubs, and laundry sinks right after use. Store collapsible tubs out of reach.
Drain coolers and ice chests. Melting ice leaves several inches of water. After a party or grocery run, empty and close them.
Move the pet water dish out of a crawling baby's reach. Even a shallow bowl is a known hazard for infants. Empty it when not needed.

Living Areas, Pools & the Yard

Install four-sided isolation fencing around any pool or hot tub. Self-closing, self-latching gate. This separates the pool from the house on all sides and substantially lowers toddler drowning risk. Add door and pool alarms as extra layers.
Empty and flip kiddie pools after every use. A small pool left out collects rainwater and becomes a hazard overnight.
Cover hot tubs and spas with a locking cover. Keep them latched whenever not in active, supervised use.
Secure rain barrels, ponds, and fountains. Cover or fence decorative water features and rain barrels so a child cannot reach the water.
Store garage and patio containers empty and inverted. Five-gallon buckets, watering cans, and wheelbarrows all collect water — turn them over.

Everyday Supervision & Emergency Readiness

Designate a Water Watcher. One adult, eyes on the child — no phone, no book, no side conversation — whenever a child is in or near water.
Use touch supervision for under-5s and non-swimmers. Stay within arm's reach in and around water at all times.
Tell every caregiver your home water rules. Grandparents, babysitters, and visitors should know which doors stay closed and which buckets stay empty.
Learn infant and child CPR. Separate skills from adult CPR; take a Red Cross, YMCA, or hospital course.
Keep a phone reachable — not on silent. Dial 911 in seconds without leaving the child. Post your full home address near the phone.
After any near-miss or water inhalation, watch the child for 24 hours. Persistent coughing, breathing changes, or unusual fatigue warrant a call to the pediatrician.

Home Water Safety Room-by-Room Checklist

Bathroom (Highest-Risk Room Indoors)

Kitchen & Laundry Area

Living Areas, Pools & the Yard

Everyday Supervision & Emergency Readiness

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