How Clean is Your Kitchen?

We all worry when we go out to eat, is the kitchen clean? Do the employees follow good hygiene and cleanliness standards? Everyone worries about those things but restaurant kitchens are held to a much stricter standard than your average kitchen. Your biggest food concern may be right at home. Most of us know how to handle raw meat or to wash food before preparing, it’s the little things that cause the most problems. For instance, is your pet allowed in the kitchen while food is being prepared? Just quickly touching the dog, either a pat on the head or … Continue reading

Food Safety Tips Around the Kitchen

Do you know what the “germiest” item in your kitchen is? If you said your sponge, you would actually be wrong, although sponges (and dishrags) should be cleaned on a daily basis to ensure that they are not harboring bacteria. It might surprise you to know that the biggest germ spreader in your kitchen is actually your can opener! This is because it comes in contact with both food and the outside of the cans themselves, and it is usually infrequently washed. Leftovers, especially meat, should be throughly reheated before eating, especially if they have been in the refrigerator more … Continue reading

Time for a Safety Inspection

The application is finally completed; your references are getting their reference letters, so now what? Now you will begin going through the entire checklist. You will need to have a safety & fire inspection. If you call your local fire department they will usually come to your home and do the Fire Inspection at no cost to you. When they come out they will need to see and test working smoke detectors in each bedroom, the hall between bedrooms, the kitchen and living room. If your home has burglar bars you will not pass the inspection. You need to have … Continue reading

Pet Fire Safety

You may have already thought of how to integrate your pet into your fire escape plan, but what about fire safety and prevention? This summer the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services teamed up for the third annual National Pet Fire Safety Day, releasing information and tips for putting together a pet fire safety plan. According to the National Fire Protection Association, pets cause approximately 1,000 home fires a year. Nearly all of these incidents occurred when the pet was left unattended at home. So while you might have your house as puppy-proofed as you think you need to … Continue reading

Do Your Kids Help in the Kitchen?

My 6-year-old loves to lend a hand (and a mouth) in the kitchen. The cooking classes I enrolled her in paid off in a big way, as her culinary skills are quite advanced for someone her age. Still, she has a way to go before she can whip up a five-course meal for the entire family unassisted. What’s more, she is still learning the finer points of food safety. If your kids like to assist with meal preparation, don’t let the opportunity to teach them basic health and safety tips pass you by. For example, my first grader already knows … Continue reading

Spring Home Safety Check List

Just like a person, your home needs regular check ups to ensure that it is healthy, or at least safe for you and your family. Here are some things around your home that you should check in the spring. If you have an air conditioning system, have a professional air conditioning specialist (contractor) inspect your system. This specialist should also be able to clean and maintain your system. You don’t want to have any issues with it when summer comes. Replace the filter in your furnace (if you have one). Inspect your driveway and walkway, and repair any cracks or … Continue reading

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is a room that most families spend a lot of time in, cooking and cleaning up. In some homes it is actually the heart of family living. Because so much time is spent in the kitchen, it is where many accidents occur. When babies and small children are involved, kitchen hazards can be devastating. While most people put chemicals out of reach and install a stove guard, there are other hazards lurking in the kitchen. Here are some tips on how to keep your kitchen safe, including some areas that are usually overlooked. Trash With small children, trash … Continue reading

Safety Tips for Portable Heaters

When the temperature goes down, more and more people are turning to portable heaters to warm up. Portable heaters can be a great way to cut your heating costs. Because they heat only a small space, you can turn down that furnace and yet still feel comfortable. Portable heaters are especially good when you will be staying in one place for a length of time, such as in an office, a home office, a living room, etc. Portable heaters do come with some safety precautions. As a source of heat and electricity, portable heaters can be hazards. Here are some … Continue reading

3 Safety Devices You Must Have. . .

. . .that you might’ve overlooked. Yesterday I talked about safety devices for the baby that you probably don’t need. For some reason in our culture, we tend to feel like we need to get all sorts of gadgets to keep bubs safe, and consequently, parents sometimes feel over confident. You can replace most of your safety gadgets with good parenting and watching your child. After all, a watchful eye is the best way to prevent accidents. With that said, here are 3 safety gadgets you simply cannot live without and must check before the baby gets home. A Smoke … Continue reading

Safety Products You Can Live Without

I’m definitely not saying that you shouldn’t baby proof your house. Let’s be clear about this right from the start. But I am saying that the folks who make all these lovely little safety devices would have you believing that danger lurks in every room, around every corner. Dare I say that the best kind of safety is the old fashioned kind? (That’s right–plain old fashioned keeping an eye on your kids is the best kind of accident prevention.) Refrigerator Latches Granted each of my children has done their own version of a science experiment answering the question: What happens … Continue reading