The kitchen is the heart of many people’s homes, but there is no denying it also has the potential to be one of the most dangerous parts of the property too.
Whether you enjoy baking with your kids or cooking delicious dinner party dishes for your friends it is vital that you do what you can to keep you, your family, and your friends safe in the kitchen. Below are some top tips to help you with that.
Keep pets at bay
You might love having your pets around you but if you are cooking in the kitchen, then you need to make sure that they are safely out of the way because it is so easy to trip over them and spill boiling water or fall onto a lit stove and do yourself an injury. Having a safety gate in place can really help for this, and the same goes for small children, unless they are helping you with some safe baking of course!
And keep pests away too
If you suspect that you have a mouse in the pantry or a rat under the kitchen sink, then call in the local Pest Authority to deal with them as soon as possible, Pests and their droppings can spread disease and cause food poisoning, so getting them off your property should be a priority.
Wipe spills right away
If you spill something, especially if you spill it on the floor, don’t leave it until later to clear up because there is every chance that you, or someone else, could end up slipping on it and falling and hurting yourself or worse ending up falling onto the stove and burning yourself.
Have a fire extinguisher
It’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher installed in the kitchen because, no matter how good a cook you are or how careful you try to be, there is always a chance that you could set a cloth on fire, for example, and need to be able to put it out quickly.
Take your time
Most accidents in the kitchen happen when people are rushing around trying to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, leading them to be more careless than they otherwise might. So, it is a good idea to relax and take your time in the kitchen if you want to keep everyone in your home safe. It really is better to be safe than sorry.
Turn pan handles inwards
If you are cooking on the stove, then you should make sure that the pan handles are always turned inwards towards the back of the stove. This will prevent you and your family from catching them when you walk past, which could lead to scalding injuries at worst, and the loss of your dinner to the floor at best.
Keep the oven clean
When the oven is clean, you are far less likely to end up with a fire on your hands because built-up dirt and grease can ignite and cause chaos.
Stay safe!