Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the time of year where family and friends come together to celebrate friendship and have a good meal together.  In addition to making sure that everything for the big day is prepped, have you remembered these essential safety tips?

Check Your Smoke Detectors

home safetyIf you aren’t already doing this regularly, be sure to check your smoke detectors before the big day.  Testing to make sure that they are working will give you peace of mind in case of an emergency and testing is easy.  Press and hold the test button and if the resulting alarm is weak or nonexistent, replace the batteries.

Stay In the Kitchen While Cooking

Did you know that each Thanksgiving, fire responders are called out to over an estimated 1,000 kitchen fires?  It’s true!  And the top cause of the fire?  Unattended cooking.

In the case of a stove fire, cover the flames with a metal lid or cookie sheet, turn off the heat, and leave the cover on until it has completely cooled.  For smaller, manageable fires you can pour salt on the flames to smother them but do not use flour.  Because of its consistency flour can catch fire, making an already dangerous situation worse.

You can use a fire extinguisher to douse larger flames, but it’s always a good idea to have 911 ready to call just in case.

Practice Good Personal & Kitchen Hygiene

To keep yourself and guests safe from foodborne illnesses, and illness in general, this Thanksgiving, practice good personal and kitchen hygiene.  This means keeping hands washed and preventing cross contamination by using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and veggies.  Make sure that all foods are heated to the correct temperature to prevent illness.

Outside of the kitchen, keeping disposable tissues and hand sanitizer on hand encourages guests to use them.  If you or a guest is feeling sick, stay home.

Remove Debris From the Lawn

Before engaging in the Thanksgiving tradition of playing a game outside or having a bonfire, remember to remove debris from the yard.  This will make the lawn safer to play on and prevent any loose debris like leaves from getting into the fire.

Need A Bigger Place To Celebrate?

If you’re finding your old place a little cramped this holiday season, reach out to the experts at Merchant of Homes!  Our professionals have years of combined experience in a variety of fields to find you the home of your dreams.

Start Your Search For The Perfect Home Today

Contact Eric Merchant At 314.541.1218