What does it mean to have expired window coverings? Outdated or Expired window coverings no longer comply with current safety standards established by the window covering industry. In 2023, the Window Covering Manufacturers introduced a new safety standard that eliminates all cords from both custom and stock horizontal blinds. This decision was prompted by decades of safety misinformation and safety device malfunctions that led to hundreds of child strangulation incidents involving window covering cords. Corded window blinds and shades can quickly become a hazard to children ages 10 and under. The types of hazardous cords to look for include continuous cord loops and chains, pull cords with tassels sometimes labeled ‘safe’, cord connectors, tilt cords that allow light in, inner cords on routeless and older blinds, and any other cords longer than 12 inches when pulled. These cords can be found on Roman Shades, Cellular Shades, Roll Up Shades, Window Blinds, Woven Shades, Black Out Blinds, and Draperies. Check below if these expired cords are in your home. Can’t replace your window coverings? Click here.
Continuous Beaded Looped Cords.
Hazardous Continuous beaded looped cords are made up of metal or plastic beads that look a lot like a necklace. These beaded cords have been involved in hundreds of accidents. Many accidents involved the use of tie-down or tension devices that pulled away from the wall after use. These hazardous cords were removed from stock products by the manufacturers but remain on custom products.
Continuous Looped Cord
Continuous Looped cords are made up of cord material and are typically found on drapery, Roman shades, roll-up shades, cellular shades, and some older window blinds. Newer manufactured products come with faulty tension devices that fail to outlast the life of the product leaving deadly loops children can strangle on. Parents and caregivers are unaware of these hidden hazards because they believe their product is safe.
Pull Cords
According to CPSC Data, Pull Cords with tassels are hazardous because even when cut short, they become long enough to strangle a child when the product is pulled open. Pull cords with tassels can be found on any custom window covering product and millions of older stock products manufactured prior to 2018. In 2024, manufactures will be removing these deadly cords from custom products. Hundreds of children have been injured and killed on pull cords even when parents tied them up high or used cleats.
Tilt Cords
Tilt Cords, shown on the left, replaced the wand that opened and closed the slats on window blinds. Many reports of children being strangled by these cords began in the mid-2000s. Some caregivers installed cleats on both sides of the product, however, CPSC data shows children over the age of two can gain access to cords in cleats and strangle on them.
Inner Cords
Inner cords on window covering products are the most hidden hazard. They are found on expired products manufactured before 2018 and some newly custom products manufactured today. Take a look at the photos to the left to see if these expired or hazardous products are in your home. Never place a bed or a crib near the window. Children can still gain access to loose inner cords, especially near the bottom of the shades.
Cord Joiners
A cord joiner joins cords together by way of a plastic bead or a wooden bead. Sometimes the beads have a breakaway on them. CPSC data shows breakaway beads have failed, killing and injuring children.
What If I can’t replace all my window blinds at once?
The safest solutions for window coverings are child and pet-safe cordless window treatments. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and safety experts at Parents for Window Blind Safety recommend cordless window coverings as the safest option. Cordless window treatments are the safest option for children and pets because there are no cords children can become entangled
Things You Can Do To Manage Until You Can Replace Corded Products:
Plan for Replacement
If you don’t have the resources to replace all the window coverings in your home with cordless alternatives at once, begin by prioritizing the rooms where your children spend the most time, particularly those they may be in unsupervised, such as bedrooms and playrooms. As you progress, you can gradually change to cordless treatments in other areas of the house, but ensure that the rooms your children frequent the most have the safest window treatments available.
Keep Cords out of Sight and Reach
For those corded window treatments that you can’t swap out immediately, make sure to tie cords up and out of the sight and reach of curious babies and toddlers. The higher up you can tie cords, the better, and out of sight by placing the cords behind the window blind if possible.
Beware that tying up cords is not a perfect alternative to replacing with cordless options. After all, many corded blinds and shades have cords between the blind slats that children can still become stuck in.
Create a Barrier
Keep cribs and other furniture away from windows. Children can crawl up onto furniture near windows and become tangled in cords. Move cribs and other children’s furniture to walls away from windows so they can enjoy natural light without danger.
Monitor Play Areas
Keep a close watch on children when they are in rooms with corded window coverings. Never leave them unattended in these spaces.
Look for the Lab Tested Mom Approved® Label
If you’re not sure if the window covering you’re considering is safe for your family, you can always search for the Lab Tested Mom Approved® certification. This certification is open to all window-covering manufacturers in the United States and Canada and is a non-industry third-party certification program designed to help consumers and retailers identify window-covering products that are best suited for use in homes with children.
When in doubt, you can always look for the Lab Tested Mom Approved® label to see if the window covering has been certified. Motorized and cordless window treatments are always safe for children’s rooms, nurseries, and playrooms. Now that you know the hidden dangers corded window treatments can pose to your family, you can follow the tips above to keep children and pets safe.