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Amanda Ncube
HAVING your own home is a thrilling, hectic and sometimes dreamlike experience.
You are excited to do whatever you like . . . come and go as you please, but you also feel the weight of the responsibility. As the woman of the house, it is your job to keep it safe and secure.
As you decorate or design your home, it is important to keep your responsibility in mind (keeping your home safe and secure).
Buying beautiful items is the most important thing for any homeowner but it is also essential to know that many decorating items are flammable.
You should decorate your home, but notice the amount of combustible materials you own . . . the more you have in your home, the faster a fire could spread. Hence, it is important to make sure that you know where to place what so as to avoid fires.
Items such as posters, paintings, tapestries, curtains, rugs, lampshades and other decorative items can all catch fire. Consider limiting the amount of fabric and paper-based decorations.
Many decorations need to be plugged in along with your electronics. However, do not risk overloading an outlet or your electrical system. The leg lamp isn’t worth blowing a fuse or worse, causing a fire. Use surge-protector power strips, but never plug one power strip in to another. To avoid anything bad happening only use one power strip per outlet.
Most people like the smell and flickering light of candles. However, even a small flame in a home increases the chance of a fire. If you use candles, never leave them unattended and keep them a few feet away from other decorations or items like curtain and blankets. Make sure all candles are in a well-ventilated area as well.
Place candles in secure, tip-proof holders and extinguish them before leaving or going to sleep.
Buying fake LED candles may also be an option to keep your home safe. When they are inside holders and decorations, no one will know the difference. You can even buy flameless scented candles that provide the unique look, feel and smell of the real thing. If you are mostly interested in the scent of candles, invest in an attractive automatic air freshener.
Maintain cords. Regularly check the condition of cords and watch out for tattered wires: repair or replace cords with frayed wires immediately. Electrical cords can produce heat, so don’t trap them under a rug or between furniture and the wall.
Make sure curtains do not hang over the stove and never rest towels or a cookbook on the stove.
derick.khumalo