The start of the year is the perfect time for a thorough inspection of your home to avoid injuries and emergencies!
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Recent statistics show that there are over 30 million home injuries annually, and both young and old family members become sick or injured from accidental poisoning, falls, and fires. Doing chores related to the upkeep of your home can be daunting, but it's worth doing them regularly to avoid costly repairs and to keep your loved ones safe from harm. For a safe and healthy home, here is a checklist of maintenance tasks that must be performed on a regular basis.
Check your water system
The winter months can put a lot of strain on your water system. It is therefore important that you thoroughly inspect your water pipes for damage and leaks. Frozen pipes in your home can burst and cause water damage. It can even cause your loved ones to slip and fall. To prevent this, insulate the pipes in unheated areas and install frost-free spigots in the outside taps. Don't forget to check your water heater for damage or leaks. Since water heating uses nearly 20 percent of your home's energy consumption, making sure it works properly not only helps you get hot water all the time, it also helps you save on energy costs. In that case, if you discover a leak, there are a few water heater leaking tips to keep in mind. Tighten the drain valve with a wrench or reduce the pressure in your tank to see if that solves the problem. If that doesn't fix the problem, call a plumber so they can identify the source of the leak and fix it immediately.
Check your fire alarm devices
Protect your family and property from fire by regularly checking your fire alarm system. If your smoke alarms run on batteries, change the batteries every time you set your clocks for daylight saving time. You may also want to test your smoke alarm to see if it is still working well. To check that it's working properly, press the test button and wait until you hear a loud, piercing noise. If the sound is weak, or if the device doesn't seem to be making any sound, it may be time to replace the batteries or the detector altogether. A smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector can be a good investment as it sends real-time alerts to keep you safe from fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Prevent accidental poisoning
Accidental poisoning is a leading cause of death from home injuries. So, it makes sense to take steps to prevent this from happening, especially if you have children at home. Throw away any expired medication every month and keep medication out of the reach of children. Also, avoid using harsh chemicals like ammonia and bleach to clean your home, as the fumes from these household cleaners can create toxic gases. Use homemade cleaning products made from everyday ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, or lemon juice to safely clean and disinfect surfaces. Finally, at least twice a month, check your refrigerator and pantry and remove any expired food. Don't forget to remove bulging, leaky, or rusted canned food, as contaminated food can cause illnesses like food poisoning that affects nearly 50 million Americans each year.
Make it a habit to perform these maintenance tasks in order to have a safe and healthy home. With a little time and effort dedicated to these chores, you can protect your family from serious injury and illness.
