The Most Dangerous Room In YOUR House...
This is a pretty awesome post by Ben about the dangers in specific areas of our homes.
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...is the kitchen. It can cause fires, electrical issues, plumbing issues, mold issues, etc. ALL IN ONE AREA. The kitchen is the hub of activity in most homes. It's where visitors gather for coffee, a likely site for junk drawers, and, of course, where food is prepared and often served. It houses heat, gas, water and everything that could cause problems. It's an inviting place but can also be a dangerous one, thanks to sharp utensils, open flames and searing heat within kids' reach.
Refrigerators
The fridge is cool and bright inside and contains all sorts of goodies. No wonder children like reach for containers on eye-level shelves. It's unlikely they can get stuck inside. But the weight of the door swinging shut could knock a kid off her feet. Supervise children around an open refrigerator or install a latch that only adults can reach.
Move cleaners and other chemicals out of easily accessible cabinets or install childproof safety latches.
Cabinets
Most people store dishwasher detergent and other toxic cleaning materials under the kitchen sink. It's a convenient location -- for infants and toddlers, too. If you don't want to move chemicals to a higher, inaccessible shelf, install childproof safety latches and then watch your child to make sure he or she doesn't have a Houdini-like knack for popping them open. Secure low cabinets that contain food processor blades, steak knives, serving forks and fragile glass or china.
Never store kids' snacks near the stove. Turn pot handles to the wall to keep kids from grabbing them.
Stoves
Cook on back burners as much as possible. If you use front burners, turn pot handles to the wall to prevent children from grabbing them or anybody accidentally bumping into them and getting covered in hot liquid. Never store kids' snacks near the stove. Consider an oven latch to prevent kids from opening the oven door. Knob covers will thwart toddlers who find dials fascinating. Keep a charged fire extinguisher easily accessible.Sinks
Sinks can cause many a problem. The can leak, they can overflow, and they can have garbage disposals. Try to ensure that the garbage disposal is ALWAYS covered when not in use. Make sure there are no leaks, and when they appear, fix them. Any handyman(or woman) can fix a leak with a bit of plumbers tape, some new pipe and silicon. This can be found at any hardware store and they are always great at answering questions! If there is a leak, make sure it dries appropriately to avoid mold.Tabletops
Replace tablecloths with placemats. Children just learning to walk could grasp at tablecloths for support and send a table setting crashing down. "It's better to get your table a little dirty rather than have the safety risk of [a child] pulling it over," says Jaime Goldfarb, a child development specialist.
Children just learning to walk could grasp at tablecloths for support and send a table setting crashing down.
Trash
Will a child explore the trash? "Oh sure! Treasure chest!" says Connie Harvey, a health and safety expert for the American Red Cross. Until kids are about 3 years old, they explore by tasting, so it's important to secure kitchen trash- which can contain anything from sharp can lids to spoiled food - with a tight-fitting lid. Also keep trash bags out of children's reach to prevent suffocation.Pet food
You eat in the kitchen and, in many families, so do the pets. Bowls of food on the kitchen floor are a magnet for babies as soon as they learn to crawl. Although gumming a few nuggets of Fido's food won't harm a child, the bite-sized pieces of food pose a choking hazard. Feed dogs, who don't leave leftovers, while you're supervising children. Cats prefer to nibble, so put their bowls in a place inaccessible to children, such as on the dryer in the laundry room.I hope this helps when you consier the safety of yoru home, be aware of some areas more than others, and try to ensure the safety of yourself, your family and your home (as in the building). Let me know if you think of any other areas that need safety detailing! I will be writing on this much more!
Ben Blonder
Owner/Managing Broker, Kapital Real Estate LLC
Office: 970-797-2190
Cell: 970-420-6166
ben_blonder@yahoo.com
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