4 Home Safety Tips for the Holidays

The holidays are coming which means more decorations inside the home and packages arriving at your doorstep a few times a week if not more. Keep the inside of your home and items coming into your home safe this holiday season by following these four home safety tips.

As you get your home safety-proofed for the holidays, kick back and relax by the fireplace with a fun game of video poker casino. Bet responsibly and much luck to you on your gameplay!

1. Turn Off All Decorative Lights Before Bed

While it’s nice to have the decorative lights on the living room fireplace and Christmas tree stay lit as you are in bed for that quintessential visit from Santa, turn your lights off before lying down at night. If the Christmas lights stay on for an extended time without taking a break, they can get very hot and cause a fire hazard for you and your family. If you have trouble remembering to turn out your lights, get a Christmas light timer that can flip them off for you after a certain number of hours of being on.

2. Test Your Smoke Detectors

As a rule of thumb, you should test your smoke detectors every month. In case you leave the lights on for too long and a fire starts, you would want you and your family protected thanks to a working smoke alarm.

To test your smoke detector, press the button in the middle of the smoke detector and allow for at least three to five seconds to pass. As long as you hear an ear-piercing beeping noise, this means that your smoke detector works. If the sound is not that loud or fails to happen at all, change your batteries and retest accordingly.

3. Watch Out for Package Thieves

The holidays coming around means more ordering gifts online so that you do not have to brave the inconvenience of crowded shopping malls. However, there are package thieves out to make a quick buck on other people’s gifts.

Be mindful of when your package is about to arrive. If you are not going to be home at the time it arrives, ask a trusted family member or friend to visit your home before the package arrives to successfully retrieve it for you.

If you can, install a door camera to monitor activity when you are not home. At least if your package, unfortunately, does get stolen, you would have the video proof to show the platform should you petition for a replacement.

4. Get Flame Resistant Decorations

Flame-resistant decorations are usually made of wool or other products that do not succumb to fire. If a fire starts in your home, at least it will spread more slowly if you have flame-resistant decorations.

Alternatively, you can purchase a flame retardant spray to apply to your artificial Christmas tree for extra protection. Also spray it on your curtains, carpet, and other furniture and fixtures throughout your home to slow the possible spread of fire.