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Home Alone! Helpful Home Safety Remedies For A Safe Summer.
5/12/2020 (Permalink)
With confirmed school closings, the uncertainty of summer programming, and the re-opening of work offices, some children will continue on their own at home. Prepare them well for a safe summer. These tips are a good reminder to ALL of us.
1,2,3, Home Safety Remedies
1.UNPLUG!
Reminders to UNPLUG certain appliances and equipment can prevent a fire.
Toasters, Toaster Ovens, Pizzazz, Keurig Machines- (hot cocoa use- not coffee, of course!) Unplug when the food is done, before consuming. Forgetfulness happens too soon once they sit down to eat.
Cell Phone Charger- It no secret that we are ALL using a lot more battery life these days. Phone chargers are moving up the list as a common cause of fires. When fully charged, unplug both the phone AND the charger from the wall.
Plus, unplugging these items can avoid any unwanted energy consumption- albeit small amounts of it.
2. STAY PUT!
Multi-tasking while preparing food won’t get them ahead here. Don’t walk away from appliances once started.
Microwave ovens and pre-set temperatures can be helpful, but should NOT be relied upon.
Children should be advised to wait at the microwave and use the sound/smell test when preparing packaged food. These items can be tricky in the description as defined for the recommended temperature button on the microwave, i.e. small vs regular-size popcorn. Remind them if an item is smelling burnt or has had the sudden ‘blop’ sound, hit off, and wait a few seconds before removing.
Plates, bowls, and cups- which one to use? Set out in a basket specific microwave-safe dishes and paper products for them to use. Avoid having other items around that they could grab. Styrofoam is highly flammable, literally taking seconds to ignite. (Unfortunately, I know this from experience). How often have we entered too much time to reheat an item? Equip them to use the right stuff and be ready to hit off if it smells or sounds done.
3.EXTRA, EXTRA, Read All About It…
Details of new chores should be written out and demonstrated. Being intuitive comes with age and experience. Understanding the reasons why sometimes are learned the hard way. It’s a lot to expect young people to have the knowledge we have gained through trial, error, and probably a mishap. Here are a few things you might be assigning and need to explain more:
- Removing & folding laundry- take out the collection in the lint trap of the dryer: It causes fire when it builds up.
- Vacuuming- NEVER pull with the cord to remove it. Use the plug ‘head’ to pull it out.
- Use of cleaning products: show them how to flush their eyes in case of accidental spraying, along with proper handling of rags when they are done. Hang outside separately.
(NEVER leave in a pile- combustible fires start this way!) - Garbage Can & trash bags-empty at the end of ‘their’ day, or set a specific time like right before you come home. Define full: items are all the way to the top. It seems obvious, but we all see things differently.
We hope this helps prevent an unfortunate disaster.