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 10 Ways to Make Your Home Winter Safe

Safety may mean different things to different people.  At this time of year as Winter is just setting in though we need to consider measures that we can take to protect our home and family from the elements.

1. Pest proof – Growing up in the country-winter time meant mice that produced mice and had a way of hiding until my boyfriend was setting beside me on the couch in the evening.  My mother being a neat-nick placed mouse traps in strategic places to catch the bulk of them.  Now-a-days we are smarter, living in better homes and understand the basic need of outside vermin as being the same as with people.
Therefore on the top of the list for eliminating Pests would be Cleanliness.  Keep the source of food away  from outside pests and as much as possible traps out of the way of small children or pets.
2. Leaves have a way of falling from the neighbor’s trees as well as our own.  Keep       walkways swept and free of leaves and debris
3. Having a smoke detector is great – however it is of no value unless the batteries are in working order. Put new batteries  in the smoke detector.
4. Having gas heat is the norm for many homes whether in the North or South.  This leads us to say, Check the carbon monoxide detector – make sure it is in working order. Mark your calendar so that when the time changes again in the spring, you will remember to check those batteries again.  Good precaution for sure.
5. Have a professional come by and check the heating unit to be sure it is in working order for the long winter months.
6. Making sure clutter of any kind is away from open flame space heaters, or a wall heater is a must.
7. For those of us who must go to the street for the mail, having a bag of salt or sand on hand to sprinkle on the icy areas of the driveway or sidewalk can sure save a trip to the emergency room.
8. Keep house shoes handy for those cold winter mornings when your feet first hit the floor.  As a rule our kitchens are tiled and cold, and even though this may not seem a safety hazard, think of it this way.  Trying to tip-toe across the cold floor to get the coffee going, could cause one to get off balance and fall.  I say, keep house slippers close by the bed for comfort as well as safety.
9. With Christmas and Hanukah coming in the winter months, where we decorate for the season, it is important to replace extension cords that may be frayed.  Also plugging directly into a wall outlet is much better than using an extension cord in the first place..
10. And last but not least, keep clutter away from living areas and walk-ways. Pets have a way of leaving their favorite toys wherever they will.  Children are no different, and for sure both must be trained to put toys out of the path of grandma who isn’t as agile as she once was.

Winter months are a great nesting time.  Making a special effort to be safe can make the long lazy days of winter happy times as well as safe and memorable ones.
(source:changeofaddress.org)
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