October 19, 2020

October is National Window Covering Safety Month

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We expect parents to cover electrical outlets, put gates on stairs, and childproof their doors and cabinets, but we often forget about the hidden danger of the cords from window coverings.

Yet the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes, with infants and children (and family pets) accidentally becoming entangled in window cords. A serious accident can only take seconds.

Safety Month

That’s why the CPSC and Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are urging parents and caregivers to check their window coverings for exposed and dangling cords as part of National Window Covering Safety Month.

“With families spending more time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important for parents and caregivers to do a safety check to ensure their childproofing is up-to-date, including checking that their window coverings are safe for young children,” said WCSC Executive Director Peter Rush, “New industry innovations and safety standards have provided consumers with more choices than ever to obtain cordless products or those with inaccessible cords.”

 

 

Safety Tips

The WCSC urges parents to replace window blinds, corded shades, and draperies with products that are cordless or have inaccessible cords marked with the Best for Kids™ certification label.  The label enables you to easily identify products best suited for homes with young children.

In rooms with corded window coverings, you should follow these safety guidelines:

  • Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.
  • When window cords are present, ensure that all window cords are out of sight and reach, by shortening or moving them up and away, so that they are inaccessible to young children.
  • Make sure that tasseled pull cords are as short as possible
  • Check that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords.
  • Continuous-loop cords on draperies and vertical blinds should be permanently anchored to the floor or wall. 
  • You can also retrofit older window coverings for child safety.

Keep these safety tips in mind when you’re visiting family and friends who might not have young children in the home. A roll of blue painter’s tape comes in handy for a quick temporary fix of taping cords to the woodwork.

Looking to update your window coverings? Stop by one of our retail stores or arrange a FREE in-home consultation with one of Hirshfield’s Window Treatment Designers.  The Shop at Home service is available in six key marketplaces and surrounding areas:  Twin Cities, Rochester, Alexandria, Brainerd Lakes Area, St. Cloud and Fargo/Moorhead.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

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We’ve Served Countless Satisfied Customers Over Generations

I have come to rely on the staff at Hirshfield’s Design Resource for their fabulous customer service and variety of products. The service is always friendly, timely and professional.

As a designer, their advice on window treatments is forever appreciated, and they are always able to show me something new in the displays and samples. They provide quick and accurate estimates, measurements and suggestions when I am struggling with a budget. The final product and installation has been nothing but flawless on every project.

I truly value what they continue to bring to our design community!

Pamela Kilian
Simply Designed

Want to give a shout out to Madi. Madi took a pretty awful experience and made it right for us. We had ordered cordless blinds and over half of them did not work right or hang right. Madi helped us return all the blinds and reordered a new product for us which we are very happy with. Madi was persistent in helping us get the issues we experience resolved.

She is always so warm and friendly and definitely puts her customers first. Thanks Madi you are a gem! Also want to add that my overall experience with Hirshfield's in St. Cloud has been an excellent experience. They made things right and put their customers first!

Kim Kaluza

Greg is amazing! We have worked with him throughout the years on both existing homes and new builds and we could not be happier. One of the things I appreciate about Greg is that he gets us to really think about how we will use our space, not just now but in the future when the kids get older. This has honestly has saved us from making some pretty big design mistakes. Finding durable fabrics and pieces is important to us while we have a preschooler running around, yet on the other hand, our teens have a different use for the space.

He is able to make it all work together seamlessly by understanding the space and its function. He has a fresh and distinctive feel to his work and builds in a variety of styles. I HIGHLY recommend working with Greg out of the gate, you will not be sorry. I honestly don't know what we do without his help;)

Kim Strout
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