Home Sweet Home Magazine - November 2021

First Aid Kit Your kit should include items specific to common kitchen injuries. Include bandages in a variety of sizes, burn cream, gauze and tape, scissors, aspirin in the event of a heart attack, instant cold packs and emergency phone numbers for your doctor, neighbors, family members and friends. Fire Extinguisher Fires happen in a flash. The ability to act quickly is pivotal to prevent a small pan fire frombecoming a house fire. You should always have a fire extinguisher or two within easy reach. Beneath the sink is a good spot, as long as it isn’t obstructed by other items. A better location is mounted on the wall or even sitting in a corner of the counter. In addition to a fire extinguisher, always keep a large box of baking soda in an easy-to-reach location close to the range. Baking soda will quickly smother flash fires in the oven or on the stove. Remember that if there is any grease in your pan, you should NOT use water to put it out. Again, reach for the baking soda, or use the fire extinguisher for a larger blaze. Small cooktop fires can also be extinguished with the lid of a pot or pan, which cuts off oxygen and clears the area so you can turn off the unit.

Bathrooms and Laundry Room Bathroom and laundry room emergency kits should look similar to the ones in your kitchen. To avoid slips and falls, adhere non-slip mats inside the tub or shower, and consider installing safety handles. Also protect against electrocution by keeping all water and electrical items far away from each other. For your bathroom and laundry room, include: ▶ ▶ First aid kit ▶ ▶ Fire extinguisher ▶ ▶ Cellphone ▶ ▶ Phone numbers ▶ ▶ Flashlight or candles

Make sure you know how to use your fire extinguisher, and check a few times each year to make sure it’s fully charged. Daylight savings time changes mark good dates on the calendar to tackle this task and also check the batteries in your smoke and CO2 detectors. Phone Perhaps the best emergency kit item you have is your cellphone. Ideally, you should wear it in a holster or keep it in a pocket if you are home alone. If you have a home phone, place it in a central area of the kitchen. If you or someone you know is elderly and/or lives alone, consider signing up for an alert program for emergency response at the touch of a button, or rely on a walkie talkie or intercomdevice. The key is to have a plan for getting emergency help if and when it’s needed.

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