Our home is somewhere we love to be. We love taking care of it, spending time there, feeling safe and chilled out in it. But when we spend a lot of time worrying about what goes on outside of our four walls that could harm us, do we forget about what dangers are hidden around our homes?

Take the oven, for instance. We’re aware of the damage it can do if we’re careless; burnt fingers, scalds, fire hazards. We keep tea towels and kitchen roll away from it, and we make sure we turn pan handles inwards. But what about things we don’t use daily? Smoke alarm maintenance can easily slip our minds. Batteries need replacing regularly, and if your smoke alarm is more than ten years old you need a newer model.

Gutters are out of sight, out of mind. Leaves can clog them up causing backlogs of water which can burst the pipes or be forced into your home. Nightmare. Wiring can be an unseen danger too. Short circuiting often can be a sign you need to check things checked out, as well as lights that flicker. Pipes too, can cause major problems. If pipes freeze and crack, you have a serious disaster on you hands. Make sure you insulate pipes in plenty of time before winter to try to avoid them freeing. Try to turn the heating on regularly to keep them flowing freely too. Did you know your tumble dryer can be a hazard? Fluff builds up inside where the heating element is, and can cause a fire.

See? All sorts. Obviously we don’t want to scare you into moving to Alaska into an igloo, but these things need attending to. Our homes need to be healthy because after all, it’s us and our families who live in it.

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