Some of the most common items that we use during the winter are the things that we tend to feel comfortable using, so we let our guard down and often become victims because of it. Since we feel comfortable using these items and they are familiar to us, we do not usually think that anything can go wrong because we have been using them for so long, but nothing could be further from the truth. Anything electrical, especially if it puts out heat, can cause a house to catch on fire and burn to the ground before you can even blink.
One thing that is commonly used in areas that have cold winters are electric blankets. These cause more fires than some people imagine and there have been many cases where someone has woken up with their bed on fire because they left it on while they were sleeping. You should only use electric blankets to warm up the bed before you get in it and never leave them on their highest setting for long, if you turn it up that high at all. Do not leave these unattended for more than a few minutes and always turn them off if you are leaving the house.
The same can be said for space heaters. These are very convenient to have if you are on a budget and only need to heat a small area of your home during the winter. Like electric blankets, you should not leave these on while you are asleep or not at home, since most house fires happen during these times. They should not be used in the rooms of small children or on carpeted surfaces, if possible. Certain varieties are safer than others and you may want to consider getting one that has a fan function and is raised off the floor by a few inches. These are safer, since they do not heat the carpet around them nearly as much as space heaters with short legs and only heating coils.
Another thing you should be concerned with is grease in the kitchen. Heating grease and leaving it unattended is one of the worst things that you can do. At least one person I personally know of started this process, went to sit down, fell asleep, and burned her entire house to the ground. She was lucky she made it out alive.
You should never neglect these and other electric items in your home, especially if they put out large amounts of heat. It could be one of the worst mistakes you ever make.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Getting Mold Off of Fabrics
Most of us who have lived in a home for a while have collected a large number of fabric items, including clothing, sheets, blankets, and linens, but sometime we run across an old and neglected item that has been in the back of the closet for quite a while and has become molded. If you do happen to find an item like this in your home, it is best that you go wash your hands after handling it as soon as possible, since letting mold come into contact with your bare hands can cause skin rashes and sometimes allergic reactions.
These items can be cleaned most of the time, depending on how advanced the contamination of mold is, but unfortunately, many times it will leave behind stains. Cleaning mold off of white fabric is fairly easy, since bleach can be used to remove stains, but if you are cleaning mold off of colored items, getting rid of the mold stains may be a little more difficult.
Borax laundry detergent can be used to kill and remove the mold, but you should use an old toothbrush to remove any substantial growth. Always wear latex or rubber gloves of some kind before working with these items and you can put a pre-wash stain remover on them to help with the stain removal process. Allow this to soak on it for about 45 minutes before you wash it the first time. Things should usually be washed in borax detergent at least twice and instead of using the electric dryer to dry them out, let them dry naturally outside the house.
A bad thing about mold contaminating items of clothing and furniture is that natural items like leather do not do very well. These items can rarely, if ever, be restored to their original condition. Leather becomes discolored fairly easily and since mold’s job in nature is to decompose organic material, this is to be expected.
Use a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter on it to get rid of mold that can collect on drapes and furniture. Using this will collect the majority of mold spores from the air and capture them. When you are emptying the filter, however, do it slowly, so you do not stir the contents back up into the air. If possible, you should do this outside.
Air purifying systems are also available and will help reduce the amount of mold spores in your home, thus reducing the chance that it will build up on your clothing in the closet or in drawers. Purchase one of these that can handle your homes square footage or it will not work as intended.
These items can be cleaned most of the time, depending on how advanced the contamination of mold is, but unfortunately, many times it will leave behind stains. Cleaning mold off of white fabric is fairly easy, since bleach can be used to remove stains, but if you are cleaning mold off of colored items, getting rid of the mold stains may be a little more difficult.
Borax laundry detergent can be used to kill and remove the mold, but you should use an old toothbrush to remove any substantial growth. Always wear latex or rubber gloves of some kind before working with these items and you can put a pre-wash stain remover on them to help with the stain removal process. Allow this to soak on it for about 45 minutes before you wash it the first time. Things should usually be washed in borax detergent at least twice and instead of using the electric dryer to dry them out, let them dry naturally outside the house.
A bad thing about mold contaminating items of clothing and furniture is that natural items like leather do not do very well. These items can rarely, if ever, be restored to their original condition. Leather becomes discolored fairly easily and since mold’s job in nature is to decompose organic material, this is to be expected.
Use a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter on it to get rid of mold that can collect on drapes and furniture. Using this will collect the majority of mold spores from the air and capture them. When you are emptying the filter, however, do it slowly, so you do not stir the contents back up into the air. If possible, you should do this outside.
Air purifying systems are also available and will help reduce the amount of mold spores in your home, thus reducing the chance that it will build up on your clothing in the closet or in drawers. Purchase one of these that can handle your homes square footage or it will not work as intended.
Fires Caused By Electric Appliances
The last thing that anyone who owns a home wants to go through is a house fire, but the fact is that these happen much more often that some people may think and it is generally due to carelessness around the house with heat and electricity. There are a number of appliances in your home that are hazardous and require special attention, but many people tend to disregard some of the warnings and care suggestions that come with these items and they neglect to read the instruction manuals.
One of the most dangerous, yet convenient items that you can have in your home is a space heater. They are wonderful if you cannot afford to have gas heat or the extra expense on the electric bill to heat the house during the winter, but when used incorrectly or in an inappropriate area of the home, they can cause fires extremely quickly. You should always use caution when using space heaters in your home and if possible, do not use them in homes with small children due to the risk of burns.
Space heaters should not be used on carpeted surfaces or on rugs unless the heated part is located at least 6 inches off the floor. This is common with heaters that also have a fan function. The further away the heat is from the floor, the safer the heater will be on a carpeted surface, should you have to use it there.
Space heaters should also not be used at night unless the cold is just unbearable. Use these only when there are people around to watch them closely and turn them off when you leave the house. Many fires occur both at night and when people are out of the house, so turning these off and unplugging them while you are gone is a good idea.
Fires are also caused by electric blankets more often than people might realize. Too many have woken up in the middle of the night with their beds on fire because they left the blanket on while they were asleep and leaving them on like this is a bad idea for that exact reason. You should also never walk on an electric blanket, since the heating cords inside them can be damaged fairly easily. Try to store these in areas where they have no chance of getting wet, as well, such as the top of the closet.
One of the most dangerous, yet convenient items that you can have in your home is a space heater. They are wonderful if you cannot afford to have gas heat or the extra expense on the electric bill to heat the house during the winter, but when used incorrectly or in an inappropriate area of the home, they can cause fires extremely quickly. You should always use caution when using space heaters in your home and if possible, do not use them in homes with small children due to the risk of burns.
Space heaters should not be used on carpeted surfaces or on rugs unless the heated part is located at least 6 inches off the floor. This is common with heaters that also have a fan function. The further away the heat is from the floor, the safer the heater will be on a carpeted surface, should you have to use it there.
Space heaters should also not be used at night unless the cold is just unbearable. Use these only when there are people around to watch them closely and turn them off when you leave the house. Many fires occur both at night and when people are out of the house, so turning these off and unplugging them while you are gone is a good idea.
Fires are also caused by electric blankets more often than people might realize. Too many have woken up in the middle of the night with their beds on fire because they left the blanket on while they were asleep and leaving them on like this is a bad idea for that exact reason. You should also never walk on an electric blanket, since the heating cords inside them can be damaged fairly easily. Try to store these in areas where they have no chance of getting wet, as well, such as the top of the closet.
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