Happy Holidays from Rocky Mountain Catastrophe!
Christmas is only a few weeks away, and Thanksgiving is just next week! With the holidays in mind, we thought it’d be a good time to review a few home safety tips to keep you safe. Here’s ten holiday tips for homeowners and for anyone else decorating or hosting a party this holiday season:
Kitchen Tips – these are especially important for that big Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas feast:
- Never a leave a hot stove unattended. If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the burner until you return.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. This can help to avoid knocking a pot or pan off the stove, thus potentially spilling hot food all over.
- Watch for smoke. If you’re cooking something that begins to smoke, then it’s probably too hot. Remove the dish from heat and turn the temperature down.
- Keep a pan lid or baking sheet handy. This can be used to smother your cooking if it happens to get too hot.
- Don’t let children get too close. Establish a “kid-free zone” around the stove while you’re cooking, and make sure your children understand a hot stove can potentially be dangerous.
- Don’t let other stuff get too close either. Oven mitts, kitchen towels, food packaging, and other items can burn if they get too close to the burners on the stove. Avoid placing such items near the stove burners.
- Keep your garbage disposal clean. Grinding ice cubes with lemon or orange rinds can both clean and deodorize the disposal. Avoid putting too many food scraps down your disposal at once – this helps to avoid a clogged disposal or drain.
Other holiday household tips:
- Check Christmas lights. The wires on Christmas lights and other decorations can become frayed or damaged. Examine the lights for damage before using them as decorations.
- Water your tree. If you have a natural Christmas tree, remember to give it fresh water every day. A dried tree is much more prone to catch on fire; a well-watered tree is much less of a hazard.
- Consider flameless candles. Electric or battery-powered candles can look and even smell like real candles, and they’re much less of a fire hazard. If you do burn candles, place them in a sturdy holder made of glass, ceramic, or metal. Burn candles in a safe area, away from other potentially flammable objects or materials.
These are just a few quick tips to stay safe around the house during the holiday season. Of course, if you need us, Rocky Mountain Catastrophe is ready 24/7. We can help with anything from fixing frozen pipes and plumbing to fixing smoke damage to even cleaning carpets. We’re even prepared to help on holidays, so if you need us, give us a call!
To contact Rocky Mountain Catastrophe, call 970-722-7744 or email [email protected].
If it’s an emergency, call 970-531-7308 in Grand County or 970-819-1239 in Routt County.
