Small Appliances and Kitchen Safety
The kitchen is the second most valued space in a household after the living room. It has a special vibe to it. Toasters, microwaves, toaster ovens, electric mixers, and coffee makers are common small appliances found in almost every kitchen.
However, there are somekitchen safetyrules which you must follow when using these electrical products. If you do not handle these items with proper care or use unguarded electrical equipment, they can cause fire, short circuits, electric shocks, and other electric hazards.
Things to Consider for Your Kitchen Safety
The following are some rules you need to follow to save yourself from hazards.
Keep Appliances Away from Water
It’s important to take safety measures to avoid any kind of misshapen your kitchen. Try to keep the electrical cords of your small appliances out of children’s reach and avoid using equipment with damaged insulation or frayed cords.
As a rule of thumb, keep all appliances far away from the water sources such as faucets and sinks, as this can lead to safety risks when dealing with electricity. Also, never touch or repair electrical appliances or circuits with wet hands. Use insulated rubber gloves and goggles.
You can use some electronic appliances in open areas or outside homes such as charcoal and gas grills. In case you are using small appliances outside, such as ice makers, toasters, and power tools, be sure to keep all outlets and cords dry. After the use, take them back inside as soon as possible. For safety precautions, you can use GFCI outlets with watertight gaskets.
Cut the Power
Keeping your small electrical appliances plugged in is not a big safety issue. But turning off the power can help you to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. They consume a lot of energy because some include clocks, LED indicators, and other features in the standby mode.
Moreover, this step can save you from electrical hazards, such as afire in your kitchen by appliances. Plug-in electronic machines can catch fire or start to emit electricity if they get in contact with water.
Banish Unnecessary Items
This is not something that requires lots of effort, but it is still hard for some people. If you don't use a few appliances, even if you have memories attached to it, you need to let it go. Think about your egg poacher, rice cooker, popcorn maker, and juicer, which you hardly use. If you didn’t use them for a year, the chances are you will never use them in the future.
So let them go, and use your kitchen cabinet space for electrical appliances you use regularly. This will also help you inspect them regularly, look for frayed cords and broken plugs, etc., and will not cause danger in your kitchen.
Store Useable Appliances
So, once you declutter your kitchen appliances, you need to focus on storing your remaining items. Your storing and organizing scheme simply depends on which item you use regularly, your cooking structures, and of course, the size of your kitchen cabinet.
So, where should you keep them? Follow three rules.
·Keep most commonly used appliances, such as a blender, coffeemaker, and toaster oven, on the lowest shelves or countertop.
·Rarely used appliances should have a place at the top of your cabinet, such as a sandwich maker and noodles maker.
·If you still have an item that you never use, then re-assess and donate them.
Of course, you want to keep your countertop clean and clear, but don’t resist keeping essential appliances on the front and centre on your countertop. It also adds to the ambience of your kitchen if you keep them in the right place.
Quick Tip: Other than your most-used appliances, you always need to keep five items within your reach. They are a knife, a cutting board, colander, stockpot, and a sauté pan.
Be Prepared for Any Hazard
You must always be prepared for emergencies, such as short circuits or fire. Follow the kitchen safetyrules. A very simple rule is to keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen. Don't forget to inspect fire extinguishers every few days to make sure they are working. All homes should have smoke detectors with working batteries, preferably in all rooms of the home. But if you cannot install it in each room, install at least one in your kitchen.
Make sure to check the batteries of smoke detectors regularly to be sure they are operational. You can also go with carbon monoxide detectors, which are best for households. Moreover, your home should also have an escape and exit route in case of any disaster. Sit down with your family members and make an escape plan.
Draw a floor plan of your home, and you must also mark the location of smoke alarms to keep your family safe in emergencies like fire. Also, teach your children to call 911 and take help if an emergency happens in the kitchen. These are small tricks you can apply, apart from keeping your kitchen appliances safe and secure, to deal with any unwanted incident.
These are a few kitchen safety rules that you must try to follow. You must be aware of the safety risks and use insulated tools when repairing small electrical appliances. Keep these appliances in safe places, and obviously away from the water.
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