Cabinet Drawer Safety

Kids

• Place cabinet drawer safety latches on drawers to keep small children safe. These small latches connect to the face frame and drawer. When the drawer shuts, the latch locks the drawer to prevent it from opening. It's simple to attach and easy to operate. Safety latches also work on doors. There are multiple options for different types of drawers, but most allow the drawer to open just enough for a fingertip to release the drawer, while keeping tiny, curious hands out. Cats also have a hard time with this type of latch, as they have difficulty operating the small levers with their paws.

Side-Mount

• If you've got a choice when building, installing or choosing the glides, choose side-mount glides for safety. This type of glide attaches to the sides of the drawer, and full-length along the sides of the cabinet. This type of glide uses a small latch on both sides of the drawer that must be pushed before the drawer can be removed from the cabinet. Side-mount glides support twice as much weight as bottom-mount, which is typically used on cabinets. Side-mount glides can support up to 75 pounds or more and are the only choice for larger drawers that you might use as bins to store flour or other heavy items, such as heavy pots and pans.

Bottom-Mount

• Most kitchen cabinets come with standard bottom-mount glides, but they're not all created equal. The best bottom mount systems have glides on both sides of the drawer. To remove the drawer, open it all the way and tilt it down to release the roller from the glide. This is the best option. Other bottom mount glides rely on a single rail at the bottom. Avoid this type of glide for safety. If the drawer is tilted to the side, it can release the drawer unexpectedly, and cause it to fall forward. Choose bottom-mount glides that have two sets of runners, one pair on the drawer and one pair on the cabinet.

Rollers and Weight

• Drawer glides, which help the drawers open and close smoothly, are important when considering safety. They're not created equal. If you have a choice, choose drawer glides of any type with ball-bearing or nylon rollers. This type of roller has longevity to prevent the drawer from dropping or spilling it's contents. Self-closing drawer glides are another option for safety. If you leave the drawer open and it's within an inch of the cabinet, the self-closing feature closes the drawer by itself before tiny fingers can reach it. Weight capacity should also be noted when considering drawer safety. Choose or replace glides that do not support at least 25 pounds. It's too easy to overload drawers. Lots of drawer glides -- mostly all of them side-mount -- will support up to 75 pounds. You may never place that much weight in the drawer, but the heavy-duty wheels and runners operate smoother and will never let you down.