How to make cords safer for kids, pets

By Observer Staff
| 1:01 p.m. April 8, 2015

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Neighborhood

Q: A friend told me that the cords on my apartment blinds weren't safe, and that kids or my cat could get tangled up in them. I'm not sure what to do to make them safe — should I replace the blinds? – Val in Duluth, Georgia

A: Window blinds manufactured for sale in the U.S. are required to have a safety feature installed to prevent children or pets from getting tangled up in the pull cords. Older window blinds manufactured before 1991 may not have this feature.

The blinds' manufacturer should include instructions for cord safety. If you can't locate them, you can find general information at websites like the Window Covering Safety Council at windowcoverings.org.

Look on the pull cords of your window blinds for cord stops. These are small round plastic discs threaded through the cords. Here's how to use them to make the pull cords safer, from the WCSC.

Lower the blind to its proper closed length and tug the cords slightly to the right to lock them in position.
To install a new cord stop, pinch together a section of the pull cord (near the top of the cord) and slide the plastic disc over the pinched-together cord so that you create a loop threaded through the disc
Keeping the loop large for now, bring the bottom part of the same pull cord through the loop and then tug it into a loose half-knot under the disc.
Adjust the disc until it is about 2 inches below the blinds' head rail and tighten the knot. Repeat with the other cords.
The bottom of each cord shouldn't hang past the bottom window sash when the blinds are closed. Shorten them by cutting each cord above the plastic tassel to a safer length, then re-threading the tassel onto the cord and securing with a knot tied on the end.

If you have young children or adventurous pets, consider replacing the blinds with safer cordless models as soon as possible.

TIP: A quick addition to your advice on calibrating digital thermostats: Check the batteries. If they're worn out, the thermostat behaves erratically. – Denis in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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