How to keep a smart hazard-free kitchen this holiday

Helloooo guys! Welcome to another beautiful Monday to shine and be the absolute best version of yourself! I hope the weekend was totally amazing and you made the best use of your weekend with family and friends? Yes yes, I trust you did! So guys, as you can tell, Christmas is almost upon us and for that reason most of our posts will be centered around helping you navigate a perfect Christmas celebration with your family. Today, the kitchen is our destination. How can we keep a smart and user friendly kitchen in the midst of all the heavy cooking and frying during Christmas? How to keep a smart hazard-free kitchen this holiday answers all

Accidents in kitchens spike during the holiday season – especially during festive seasons like Christmas/New year celebrations, with a lot of spike in reported fires. It’s a time of the year when families might spend more minutes than usual prepping, cooking, frying, pounding and doing a whole lot of heavy kitchen duty. From fire safety to personal safety, there’s a lot to be mindful of, so be prepared this holiday season with these simple tips.

Make sure the electrical outlets in your home are up to code.

Whether it’s your first time hosting the holidays, or the first season celebrating in your new home, you’ll be using your electrical system to the max. Make sure your kitchen outlets are in proper working condition. It’s not a nice feeling to get an electric shock while trying to use the boiling kettle or blender.  Check all of your cords on your small appliances to make sure they’re in good shape.

Be sure to own a fire extinguisher

This might seem obvious, but you might be surprised at how many homes in our dear Nigeria aren’t equipped with an extinguisher for small kitchen fires. Its adviceable  to keep at least two fire extinguishers in your home. One should be placed in the kitchen since that’s where a fire outbreak is most likely to occur from. Keep it in a convenient and easy to access space. You can put it beneath the kitchen sink.

Know how to prevent cooking fires

• Be alert and present, whether you’re cooking on the range, in the oven or in a smaller appliance.
• Don’t leave cooking food unattended.
• Keep rags and paper towels away from the range.
• When frying on the stovetop, reserve an extra container of baking soda in your pantry to battle a sudden grease fire.
• If you’re deep frying a turkey, set up your cooking station outdoors 10+ feet away from your home and deck, keep a fire extinguisher outside with you, and never leave the fryer unattended. Be cautious when it comes to dropping in the turkey and removing it, as oil that spills from the fryer onto the burner can cause a fire.

How to keep a smart hazard-free kitchen this holiday

Monitor running appliances.

Though less common, it’s advisable to never leave home while you are cooking or running electrical appliances in your kitchen. In the midst of all the heavy Christmas cooking, make sure you keep tabs on running appliances. If you think you will forget about the turkey in the microwave or the rice in the cooker, bring someone else’s attention to it, to avoid hazards.

Sharpen your knives.

Kitchen knives might be an afterthought, but it’s actually more dangerous to operate dull knives. Familiarize your self with all knife sharpening methods and have well tuned instruments this season.

Be babyproofed.

It might be an afterthought if you’re without young kids, but if you’re entertaining guests, especially in this our Nigeria, they would most likely come with a kid or two,  make them feel safer with a little baby proofing. Move any cleaning supplies in base cabinets to a higher shelf, and make sure pots and pans on the stove have the handles turned to the sides or angled back towards the wall, so they can’t easily be grabbed and knocked or pulled down.

Alright guys, i hope you found today’s post  useful! Share your comments, questions and observations in the comment section below, we always love to hear from you!