Safeguard Your Home From Household Appliance Fires With These 10 Tips

In the United States alone, each year there are 9,600 house fires and an estimated 25 deaths that occur due to house fires. The most tragic thing about house fires is the fact that so many of them are easily preventable, especially appliance-related fires. While bouts of bad luck and unavoidable accidents do, of course, happen from time to time, there are so many simple, quick, and affordable things you can do to avoid fire hazards in your home.

To keep you and your family safe, we’ve compiled a short list of 10 things you can do in your home to keep things fire-safe! Read below:

1. Always immediately fix any appliances or lighting that spark or give you a shock when turned on/used.
2. Keep all appliances away from wet areas, particularly in areas like the basement, kitchen, garage, and bathroom.
3. Never force a three-pronged plug into a two-pronged outlet or extension cord. Always replace cords that are torn, ripped, or significantly bent.
4. Keep all combustible items (wicker baskets, paper goods, cloth curtains, etc.) at least three feet away from any heating units.
5. Regularly check your wiring, looking for outlets that do not function properly or switches that are hot to touch.
6. Never over-load your washing machine.
7. Have your dryer vent cleaned out annually.
8. Keep all burners on your stove-top free from grease and other flammable spills.
9. Once in a while check your microwave for leakage using an FDA-approved testing device.
10. Never run electrical cords across doorways or under carpets/rugs.