The kitchen perhaps is the busiest part of every household. We use it every day to prepare our meals. However, there are also dangers in the kitchen. In fact, 480 people die to kitchen fires, and 350,000 are being injured because of kitchen knives annually, according to Beaumont Emergency Center.
If that scared you, do not worry because we got tips on how you can improve the safety of your kitchen to turn it to a family-friendly one.
Have a family-friendly design
Consider your family before having the interior design of the kitchen. If you have kids that would always play and run around the house, it is safer if you would not display a set of your grandmother’s fine china. Another tip is avoiding countertops or cabinets with edgy sides to prevent accidental stabs during playtime.
Have a proper kitchen organization
Keep materials around your kitchen orderly. Not only will this keep your children safe from playing hazardous objects or even drinking poisonous chemicals, but this will also make your job easier as you no longer would have the stress yourself in finding the needed utensil or equipment. The way you organize your kitchen also reflects you as a person so better keep those things in place.
Wipe everything
Stains would not just make your kitchen look cluttered, these might also cause accidents. A wet countertop may result in unstable cutting that may slice your finger, while a wet floor might lead to slips that may cause any member of the household to sustain injuries to the head, arms, and back. Keeping your kitchen dry is a necessity to prevent accidents. You can also avoid diseases through wiping and cleaning. Make sure that you use proper disinfectants in cleaning and a dry cloth/rag in drying the kitchen. It also keeps the counter from fading quickly so make sure you wipe everything after use.
Sharpen those knives
You might already know that 350,000 individuals cut their hands accidentally per year. But you already know for sure that sharpening your knives regularly actually prevents more injuries than cutting with dull ones. Cutting with a dull knife makes your job difficult because the food you are slicing would not be cut through by the knife which makes you use extra force that often leads to slips and uncontrollability of the object.
Use cabinet locks
Kids nowadays are filled with curiosity, and nothing would stop them from finding random objects around the kitchen. Make sure to install locks in your kitchen cabinets, especially to the ones attached to the floor so they would no longer have the chance of getting dangerous objects and chemicals. You can also put
Get extinguishers
It is necessary for families to have a fire extinguisher in case a fire starts. You can already buy one with less than $300. The best choice to have however is not a fire extinguisher but smoke detectors and fire sprinklers. You can also have a smoke alarm if you can’t afford fire sprinklers. Just make sure that you have a nearby source of water buckets in case a fire starts.
Cover outlets
Just like kitchen knives, children can also accidentally touch electrical outlets that could get them electrocuted if not properly watched. To avoid electrical shocks, the best advice is for you to have outlet covers. Outlet covers are covers that you plug through electrical outlets. They are made of plastic and are effective in preventing electric shocks. Better yet, make sure that outlets are out of toddlers’ reach the time you design the kitchen interior.
Providing the best kitchen your family could get is as important as finding a great home location because it all boils down to the best way, we can ensure our family’s safety. Having a safe kitchen makes cooking a little stress-free because you won’t longer worry if whether a family member is safe or not.
