Health and Safety Tips for Around Your Home

Have you ever had that moment when someone else is discussing a weekend project in their home and thought, “I should do that”? Or saw an (admittedly effective) ad for a home product that would make life just a bit easier? Continue reading for a list of weekend projects and good habits that will make your home a safer and healthier place to be.

Security

• In exterior doors, install deadbolts with reinforced plates and long screws at least one inch in length. This helps to prevent the door from being kicked in by an intruder.
• On windows and glass doors, install sensors that alert you via alarm or phone app notification that the window or door has been opened.
• Add outdoor or flood lights to your property, including all access points. To save energy, motion-activated ones are available.
• Use a video doorbell to see and speak to anyone who approaches your door, even when you’re not home.
• Consider installing a home security system. Make sure to place any security cameras at least 8 to 10 feet off the ground so they’re harder for possible intruders to tamper with.
• Close blinds and curtains when possible so no one can peer into your home. This keeps valuables hidden and prevents a possible intruder from seeing whether or not someone is in the room.

Kitchen Safety

• When cooking on the stovetop, turn pan handles toward the center of the stovetop to avoid hitting or touching hot handles. Alternatively, you can use silicone handle covers or purchase pans with heat-resistant handles.
• Install a smoke detector directly outside (not inside) the kitchen to minimize damage if a fire originates from the kitchen.
• Purchase an ABC dry chemical/powder fire extinguisher, which works on grease, wood, and electric fires. Make sure it’s certified by UL Solutions, CSA, FM Approvals, or ETL.
• Stabilize your cutting board. Most cutting boards slide as you cut, increasing the risk of accidentally injuring yourself. Using a damp paper towel under the board or get one with nonslip features, like silicone corners.

Preventing Falls

• Modify your bed’s height. Ideally, your feet should be flat on the ground when you sit on the side of your bed.
• Replace old carpet. Eventually, carpet bunches up as it naturally wears out, creating wrinkles and bumps that become a fall hazard.
• Add motion- or sound-activated lights for those late night trips to the bathroom and kitchen. These help to prevent bumps into walls or trips over items left on the floor.
• Install grab bars and nonslip stickers to your bathroom wall and shower floor, respectively. If you do fall in the bathroom, the grab bar gives you a chance to catch yourself before hitting the floor, and nonslip stickers in the tub and shower don’t bunch up and move the way bathtub mats do.
• Staircases both indoor and outdoor should have handrails, preferably on both sides of the stairway. Smaller, rounded handrails tend to be the easiest to grab and hold.

Source: Consumer Reports September & October 2025