The Christmas season is a time for celebrations and having fun with family and friends. But while you might be enjoying the season, there are hidden dangers that can ruin the season. Here are some vital holiday safety tips to keep yourself and your home protected.
Holiday safety tip no. 1: Inspect your electric decorations
While Christmas lights are essential decorations, they also pose the risk of fires if improperly used. Protecting yourself from this danger begins by choosing the right kind of lights. The Department of Trade and Industry always warns against buying any substandard Christmas lights. It reminds consumers to look for the ICC sticker on the packaging, which guarantees that these have passed quality testing.
Once you take your lights home, do a thorough inspection before installing them. Look for cracks and frayed wires. Inspect the extension cords you use for the same issues. And never plug too many lights on an extension cord to avoid overloading it.
When mounting your lights, don’t support them on nails or use staples to hold them. Since these are made of metal, they can create sparks that cause fires. You also need to make sure the lights are not in contact with any flammable material. Lastly turn them off when not in use and do not use them the whole night.
Holiday safety tip no. 2: Use safe home decor
Christmas lights are not the only home decorations you need to be careful with. While they look great, you might want to stay away from glass ornaments. These can break into shards if accidentally knocked over. The shards are often hard to see and might cut someone who accidentally touch or step on them.
Even plastic ornaments can have sharp edges when parts break off. So choose ornaments that are sturdy and would not be easily damaged. You also need to look at the materials used for these decors to be sure that they don’t have harmful chemicals. If you have little kids or pets, don’t use small ornaments that look like food which they might try to eat.
When mounting your decors, opt for ribbons and rings instead of hooks. This way, you won’t have to worry about kids or pets accidentally snagging on them. Before doing decoration work, make sure that your kids or pets are not scurrying around in the area.
Holiday safety tips no. 3: Prepare your food the right way
Food poisoning is another hidden danger to be aware of during the season. You have probably read a dozen stories of families being downed by spoiled Christmas food. As such, you need to be careful when preparing your Noche Buena dishes.
Make sure that you get your ingredients from the right sources. Inspect each ingredient to be sure that they are of good quality. You also need to take note of the expiration dates of the food products so that you can gauge until when they can be served.
When preparing the food, maintain cleanliness in the kitchen at all times. If you are doing the cooking in between other Christmas preparation, wash your hands thoroughly when returning to it. You also need to wash all fresh ingredients completely before adding them.
And since there are likely going to be a lot of leftovers, you should store these the right way for later consumption. The rule of thumb is to store any leftover food within two hours after being served. Don’t pack too much food into your refrigerator and instead leave some room for air to circulate in.
If you plan on eating leftovers, reheat the food at 73 degrees Celsius to kill off bacteria. For your after-Christmas safety, never consume leftovers that have been stored in the fridge for more than a week.
Holiday safety tip no. 4: Protect yourself against crime.
While it is the time for merrymaking, Christmas is also a popular time for thieves and burglars to make their move. Detering these criminals is one of the essential holiday safety tips you should keep in mind. Inspect your doors and windows for any weak spots they can break through. You should also not thread any Christmas lights or cords through doors or windows, as they can take advantage of these.
If you plan on leaving for a holiday trip, prepare to burglar-proof your home. Cover your windows so that passers-by will not see what is inside. You can also cancel any regular delivery service for the time being to hide the fact that you are not there. Better yet, ask a trustworthy relative or neighbor to stay and watch the house while you are away.
Follow these Christmas safety tips and protect yourself.
These holiday safety tips are just some of the ways you can protect yourself during the season. While you won’t always avoid any mishap, implementing them early will help you get peace of mind while preparing for the celebrations. Be safe and have a wonderful Christmas.