How to Childproof a Dishwasher

Dishwashers are a useful appliance for cleaning up after a tasty meal, as they can remove food stains and sanitize dishes in about an hour for safer cooking and eating. But dishwashers can also present a hazard for small children because they contain sharp utensils, extremely hot water and sometimes toxic detergents. You can install a lock on your dishwasher to prevent your child from opening it and hurting themselves.

Tube of cyanoacrylate glue
1 latch-action toggle clamp
Roll of black electrical tape

Instructions

- 1
  Apply cyanoacrylate glue liberally around the bolt holes of the latch-action toggle clamp.
- 2
  Place the toggle clamp so that the side of the clamp with the bolt holes on it is along the right side of the dishwasher. The clamp teeth should be going across the front of the dishwasher door (and be perpendicular to the bolt hole side, because the bolt-hole side is along the right side that is perpendicular to the front side). Press the bolt-hole side firmly against the right side of the dishwasher for five minutes until the glue dries.
- 3
  Tape over the bolt holes of the latch that are now against the side of the dishwashing until to reinforce the latch's hold on the right side of the unit.
- 4
  Grab the handle of the latch and move it out and to the left so that the latch's hook can catch on the latch's teeth. Once the hook catches on the teeth, move the handle back to the right to secure the latch.

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