Tis the season for holiday shopping, home decorating, and lots of baking & cooking for family and friends. It’s also the season for kitchen fires - more happen between Thanksgiving & New Year’s than any other time. That’s why it’s important to practice kitchen safety while you’re preparing delicious food for the holiday season. These tips will help you keep your home & family safe and ensure a happy holiday!
1. Keep a fire extinguisher handy. It’s important to keep fire extinguishers handy in the home at anytime, but while cooking make sure your extinguisher is quick & easy to reach just in case of fire.
2. Make your kitchen a kid-free zone. Young children are at a higher risk for accidental burns. Whether they’re touching the oven out of curiosity or something hot accidentally spills on them, they have a greater chance of being hurt. Keep a 3-foot zone around the oven clear of the kidlets!
3. Test smoke detectors. You need to be testing your smoke detectors twice a year anyway, but giving them an extra look during the holidays is a good idea. 38% of home fire deaths were a result of homes with no smoke alarms and 21% were a result of homes without working smoke alarms. So check those batteries & make sure they’re good to go.
4. Keep flammable items away from heat sources. Seems obvious, right? Don’t set a stack of papers on top of the stove; don’t put aluminium in the microwave, etc. Flammable items include potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains too though. Not to mention keeping candles in the kitchen away from those items too.
5. Wear the right clothing. Flammable items also include clothing. If your sleeves are too long, you run the risk of them touching the stove and catching fire. If your clothing is loose, it can get caught on handles which could be bad news. Long hair should be tied back and taking off jewelry so it doesn’t get caught on anything is a great idea too.
6. Prevent scalds & burns. To prevent spills, use the back burner when possible & turn pot/pan handles away form the edge of the stove. Always use pot holders to move hot items. Be careful lifting the lids off pots & pans - steam may not seem dangerous but it can cause severe burns.
7. Stay in the kitchen. The leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking. If you’re using the stove top, don’t leave your cooking alone for even a moment.
Being careful & paying attention while cooking this holiday season will enable a happier, safer time for all involved. Happy holidays from all of us here at Dryer Vent Wizard!
We're the experts for professional Northern NJ Dryer Vent Cleaning & repair! Give us a call at 201-345-0055 so Northern NJ Dryer Vent Wizard can help you save energy, time, and money. Some of the towns we service include: Bergen County, NJ Essex County, NJ Passaic County, NJ Morris County, NJ Ramsey, NJ and the surrounding NY Metro areas!
