Most homes feel safe as we walk through them. However, if we take a closer look, small oversights can easily cause unexpected accidents. Let’s discuss several simple ways to make your home a safer place, so you can rest easy tonight knowing you’ve limited potential hazards.

Make It Nonslip

Slippery floors, showers, and bathtubs are accidents waiting to happen. Most people can keep a grip easily, but accidental slips can happen when one’s hands are full or someone is in a hurry. These falls can be extra dangerous for the elderly and also young children.

Keep slippery surfaces such as tile and wooden floors safe with nonslip rugs for added grip. Bathtubs and showers are safer with rubber, nonslip mats, and stickers.

Check the Railings

Chances are, somewhere on your property, you have a handrail system. Porches, staircases, and decks all need railings for protection from falls. How are the railings in your home? Over time they often become loosened from constant use. Check all the railings in your home and see what needs to be replaced.

Proper Lighting

We’ve all procrastinated over changing a lightbulb, even though it’s a quick and easy fix. Keep rooms well-lit with fresh lightbulbs and appropriate fixtures. Pay close attention to areas such as stairways—especially the basement’s. These places often don’t have natural light and are dangerous if someone carries a large load. Proper lighting is vital.

Clear a Path

Keep walkways clear outside and inside your home. Hallways and staircases often become the home for items that were temporarily placed there and thus become tripping hazards the longer they aren’t put back where they belong. Outside, walkways leading to the home need sweeping and shoveling to keep others safe from trips and falls.

Step It up

For those taller than six feet, this won’t be an issue, but for most people, getting to out-of-reach items can be troublesome—and potentially dangerous. Sometimes the simplest thing like reaching for an item on the top shelf of the pantry leads to an accidental fall. It’s often thanks to a lack of patience. Don’t forego a safe, sturdy step stool because a wobbly chair was closer at hand.

Keep a solid step stool in a few corners of the house for quick and safe access to things that are up high.

Anchor Furniture

This is one of the most simple ways to make your home a safer place, especially if you have little kids. It’s also one of the most important. Toddlers are known to ignore suggestions of not climbing things, including on dressers and bookshelves. These large objects could fall down, which is terrifying—and dangerous—for a young child.

Anchor kits are easy to install and available at your local hardware store. Anchor your stove, bookshelves, dressers, and any furniture that’s against a wall. Anchor anything that could be easily pulled over if someone tried hard enough.

Implementing these ideas in your home is a great start toward making it a safer place for everyone.

Mr. Spindle can help in the area of home safety by providing replacement porch railing spindles and all other spindle needs for your home. We take the beauty and safety of staircases, porches, and decks quite seriously. Contact us, and let’s keep your railings looking beautiful and your family and guests safe.