The kitchen is often considered the heart of every home. After all, it’s usually the busiest part of the house. It’s where the family members prepare their food, cook their meals, and eat together as a family. The kitchen is also where you and your guests could gather together and work as a team in meal preparations.
But among the other rooms, the kitchen is also the most dangerous. This area houses your sharpest knives, electric cooking equipment, hot surfaces, boiling water, gas, and hazardous cleaning materials. Most of all, the kitchen is also the most prone to fire incidents and fire-related injuries. Thus, every household member must know how to keep themselves and the kitchen safe from accidents, especially fire.
For your guide, here are seven ways you can ensure that your kitchen is safe from fire accidents.
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Clean As You Go
It’s sometimes easy to get lost at the moment when you’re busy preparing and cooking meals for your family and leaving some ingredients in the open. As much as possible, make it a habit to clean and organize everything as you go to prevent spills that could lead to fire accidents. An example of a spill incident that could lead to fire is grease or oil.
If grease or oil accidentally spills or splashes toward your burning stove, it could quickly start a fire. If grease or oil fire occurs in your kitchen, turn off the stove or other heating source immediately and put a lid over the pan to put out the fire. If going close to the burning stove or pan is impossible or unsafe, you can spray the entire area with a fire extinguisher.
Once the fire is out and the entire kitchen area is safe, clean up the place or call your trusted fire restoration company to help reconstruct and restore the burnt or damaged area. You can research and find more info about how restoration companies can renovate your kitchen and make it safer and better for family use. Overall, to avoid any fire incidents, remember to clean and pick up everything as you go.
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Always Have A Fire Extinguisher Placed In The Kitchen
Many homeowners pay attention to filling their kitchens with all the necessary appliances, cooking materials, and even decorations. But aside from those things, one gadget you should never miss is the fire extinguisher. Accidents will always be unexpected, and if one should happen, you’ll have the fire extinguisher nearby in case of emergencies. After investing in one, make sure you store it in an appropriate location that can be seen or accessed quickly. It’s also recommended that all household members know how to use and operate a fire extinguisher.
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Be Cautious Of What You Wear
Some people don’t realize that the clothes or accessories you wear while cooking in the kitchen can also present a fire hazard. Even your untied long hair can catch fire. Thus, before you proceed to your tasks in the kitchen, pay attention to what you’re wearing. As much as possible, only wear close-fitting and short sleeve clothes to avoid any loose clothing catching fire on the stove. Additionally, remove any dangling accessories such as bracelets, watches, belt loops, and long necklaces. For people with long hair, don’t forget to tie it back or wear a hairnet to keep everything in one place.
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Never Leave Your Stove Unattended
Whether you’re boiling, broiling, grilling, or frying food, never leave your stove unattended. Unattended stoves are also among the leading causes of house fire accidents. You’ll never know if your food is already burnt or your pet or kid wanders around the kitchen and touches anything that could trigger a fire. If you intend to leave the kitchen for a quick moment, you can call another family member to watch the stove for you. Or you can turn off the stove and get back to it later when you’re fully ready.
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Turn Pot Handles Toward A Safe Direction
When using pans or pots, remember to turn the handles toward the back of the stove or any safe direction. Doing this will minimize the risk of children grabbing them or bumping into them, leading to spills and fire accidents.
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Keep Pets And Kids At Bay
Many kids like to help their parents in the kitchen. However, having kids or pets around you while cooking could be dangerous. Thus, before you let any child help you with your kitchen chores, teach them about the possible dangers and the dos and don’ts around the kitchen.
Furthermore, even if you’re done cooking, appliances like the toaster, oven, and stove won’t cool down immediately after being turned off. If you’d like your kids to help with meal preparations, you can designate them to a safer space, such as at the dining table or any area that’s a safe distance from the burning appliances.
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Keep Combustible Materials Away
Combustible materials like towels, oven mitts, and food packaging can catch fire when placed near the stovetop. So, before you turn on your stove, make sure to free the space from anything that can catch fire.
Wrapping Up
The kitchen may be the riskiest room in the house, but accidents can be avoided when everyone in the family follows these fire safety tips above. So, remember to practice these tips to ensure your kitchen remains a safe place wherein happy and positive family memories are made.
