How safe is your Lexington home? Yes, most all of us have a deadbolt on the front door, smoke detectors throughout, and at least one fire extinguisher that we may or may not remember exactly where it is currently stored. While those things are good to have, a homeowner can easily and drastically improve the safety of their home by taking a few minutes to complete these quick steps:
- Test your smoke alarms. Smoke alarms should be tested on a monthly basis. Create an emergency fire evacuation plan for your family and practice it with them every so often. Smoke inhalation is the main cause of death from home fires today, making it imperative that all members of your family know what actions to take in the event of a house fire.
- Take a walk-through of your home. As you walk through your house, identify places where trips and falls are more likely to occur. Loose rugs, wires, and unlit staircases are common culprits of injuries due to a fall. Getting rid of loose rugs, securing wires, and adding small light fixtures on the side steps of a staircase are just a few simple ways you can decrease the chance of a fall and add a safety net for the younger children or older adults who may be household members.
- Evaluate your kitchen habits. Do you always remember to turn the stove off? Do you stay in the kitchen while the stove is on? Do you turn pot handles to the back of the stove to avoid the risk of your children grabbing hold? Simple habits like these can go a long way to preventing an injury from burns or scalds.
- Store your cleaning supplies properly. If you’re like most homeowners, your cleaning supplies are either stored underneath your kitchen sink or somewhere in your laundry room. While both of these storage options are common, chances are the supplies are sitting low to the ground making them accessible for your little household members. Poisoning in young children most commonly occurs after a child has been in contact with a cleaning chemical. To avoid this risk, store your cleaning supplies somewhere out of their reach or in a secured, locked cabinet.
For more helpful tips on ways to make your Lexington home a safer place, contact your Handyman Connection of Lexington today. Our professional craftsmen can install all types of home security equipment including motion detectors, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. We can help eliminate the chance of a fall by adding lighting to your staircases and secure your loose wiring properly. We’ll test the locks on your doors so that they are fastened tightly and even add locks to your cleaning storage cabinets if you wish. If you’re concerned with a specific area of your home, will inspect it thoroughly to ensure that it is meeting the proper safety requirements. Call us today and let us help you make your home a safer place to live.