10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer in 2012
These 10 things will make your home as safe as possible for you and your family.
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With all of your New Year’s resolutions, why not devote one to your home? Here are 10 things you can do to ensure a safe home for your family in 2012.
Install carbon monoxide detectors
If you do not already have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home, do so immediately. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and undetectable gas without one of these devices. Make sure you install a detector near where you sleep so it will wake you up if it goes off. You should also have at least one detector per floor of your home. Do not put them near fuel-burning appliances, or in rooms that get particularly humid, such as the bathroom.
Get rid of toxins
You might be wiping away dirt and grime, but your cleaning product could be introducing a slew of chemicals into the air. Many brand name household cleaners contain toxins that can harm you over time – ingredients like ammonia, which is linked to kidney damage; carcinogens, which can cause cancer; and bleach, which can burn your skin or eyes if you come into contact with it. All-natural, eco-friendly cleaners are best, especially if you have children or pets.
READ: 10 Cleaning Items You Can Find in Your Cabinets
Make sure your fire detectors work
This is a no-brainer. Make sure your fire detectors are working and that you have one on each floor of your home. To ensure you're protecting yourself from fire dangers, pick one day each year to change out the batteries before they run out on their own.
Buy a fire extinguishers
Often overlooked in households, fire extinguishers can help to control a fire before it spreads. Buy at least two and use one for teaching and testing purposes. Then, place those you haven't used around your home in easy-to-access areas. Be aware that fire extinguishers only work on fires that are in their early stages. If there is a lot of smoke or a fire is spreading quickly, get out of your house and call 911.
Install a water filter
While tap water in many towns is perfectly fine to drink, adding a filter to your tap can never hurt. A point-of-use water filter (one that attaches to your faucet), eliminates lead, chlorine and other bacterial contaminants that can be harmful to your body. Plus, it’s a much cheaper alternative to bottled water.
Make sure locks are good quality dead bolts
Consider installing dead-bolt locks on your doors. Many are designed so that you can control who can make copies of keys. Make sure to install a lock with a bar that is as long as your door will allow; the longer the bar on the deadbolt, the safer your home will be from intruders.
Install an air filtration system
If your family has allergies, investing in an air purifier can make a huge difference, as it can help to eradicate dust, pollen and other contaminants in your home. Look for a HEPA air purifier, the only type that has been certified by the EPA. Combined with an ionizer, the HEPA purifier will remove 99.97 percent of the contaminants in the air, nearly 20 percent more than other competing filters.
Get rid of Teflon
While non-stick pans may be easier to clean, many studies say they aren’t clean for your home. When heated to a certain temperature, the chemicals in Teflon coating break down and emit toxins into the air. These toxins are linked to thousands of pet bird deaths, as well as an unknown number of human illnesses. While there are conflicting reports about the severity of dangers of Teflon, we say it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have a parakeet.
Buy flashlights
Make sure you have flashlights with charged batteries accessible on every floor of your home. You never know when your power will go out!
Assemble a comprehensive first aid kit
Put together a first aid kit with all the basics:
-Bandages, gauze, cloth items
-Antibiotic ointments
-Antiseptic pads
-Hydrocortisone ointment
-Thermometer
-Scissors
-Aspirin
-Antacids
-Instant cold compress
-Breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
For more:
Tips From a the Woman Behind Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
5 Signs You're a Hoarder
5 Ways to Winterize Your Home
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