Last Updated on March 18, 2024
The holiday season is indeed the “most wonderful time of the year” – gathering family and friends, giving thanks, and indulging in some amazing food. But it’s also a time for increased safety risks in your home, especially for fires, falls and theft. Keep your home safe during the holidays and gain peace of mind with these 8 home safety tips.
My Experience
Normally I have a “backstory” for why I’m writing a post. A homeowner concern, experience, etc….
And this one is no different. A few years ago, we had a small scare. It as a small one, but a scare nonetheless.
If you have small children and celebrate Christmas, then you probably have an Elf on the Shelf. And one night, we made the moronic move of placing our Elf on the Shelf (named Dolly) too close to a lamp. And we melted Dolly the Elf’s backside after placing her too close to a lamp. Ouch!
So be careful where you perch your Elf on the Shelf. Don’t place it near heat sources, including lamps.
8 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe During the Holidays
1. Candles
The warm festive glow from candlelight brings delight to the holiday season. Candles are integral rituals that embrace the holiday season for Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.
But “decking the halls” with candles can potentially cause significant damage. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas day has 2.8 times more candle fires than the average day!
So how do you minimize your risk for candle fires the holidays? Use caution with how and where you use candles and open flames with these tips:
- Set candles in a stable holder on a stable surface. (Sorry, did I use “stable” too many times? ?)
- Place candles up and out of reach from small children and pets.
- Space candles away from flammable decorations (especially evergreen branches). For added security, buy flame resistant or flame retardant holiday decorations
- Blow candles out before getting comfy on the couch post-holiday meal and potentially nodding off
- Consider flameless candles. The technology has come a long way to try to replicate that warm candlelit glow.
2. String Lights
In addition to candles, holidays lights also pose an increased risk for house fires. To reduce the risk of electrical fires, inspect strands for frayed extension cords or loose connections before you grab that ladder and string them up on your house or tree.
If you buy new strands of lights, be cognizant which lights are meant for indoor versus outdoor use. And look for the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label. This ensures that the cords were tested by an independent laboratory to meet or exceed stringent safety requirements. Here’s a few other simple tips to keep your home safe during the holidays from electrical fires?
- Turn off lights when you leave the house or go to bed
- Install a timer or smart outlet
- Don’t overload circuits like Clark Griswold.
- Hang outdoor lights on clips versus nails
- Keep outdoor lights off the ground away from potential snow and puddles
- Don’t perch precariously on chairs. Use a ladder (and the 3 point of contact rule – 2 feet and 1 hand, or 1 foot and 2 hands)
3. Fireplaces and Chimneys
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and chimneys are involved in a hefty 30% of all heating equipment-related fires. The largest cause of these chimney fires? Buildup of creosote – aka a dirty chimney.
Yikes! Santa shouldn’t be the only one who worries about chimneys!
Before you kick into holiday gear, hire a chimney sweep to clean out the soot and make your fireplace is safe for your family (and welcoming to Santa). And if you didn’t have your furnace serviced or filters changed as part of your fall maintenance checklist, now is the time to do it. Other best ways?
- Clear areas of evergreens and other holiday decorations before lighting
- Use a fireplace screen.
- Ensure an open flue (sounds obvious, but I’ve forgot to do that once..)
- Don’t burn cardboard or wrapping paper
One final good idea. While you have fire safety on your mind, test your smoke alarms / smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Inspect your fire extinguishers to ensure they are accessible, and not expired.
4. Christmas Trees
The NFPA reports an average of 160 home structure fires associated with Christmas trees. That translates to an average of 2 deaths, 14 injuries and $10.3 million in property damage. Yikes. Other things to consider for a holiday-safe home:
- Place it far away from heat sources (fireplace, radiators and heating vents)
- Ensure live tree is firmly secured in its stand
- Frequently water it to avoid getting too dried out – dry trees are more apt to catch fire
- Ditch a live tree and replace with an artificial tree with fire resistant label.
5. Track Presents
Online shopping increases popularity with every passing year. Over 80% of Americans currently shop online. And that leads to a huge pile of boxes on people’s doorsteps.
Unfortunately, a significant number of those packages never make it to the intended customer. Over 1/3rd of Americans have experienced packages stolen right from their doorstep.
So how do you keep your home safe during the holidays from package thieves (also known as “porch pirates”)? Deter them with these precautions this holiday season, such as:
- Install a video doorbell
- Invest in a smart camera system
- Purchase a smart delivery box
- Utilize Amazon Locker or Amazon Key
- Specify a day and window of time for delivery
- Require a signature
- Deliver packages to your work
And once you do receive those packages, don’t flaunt potential big-ticket items. Don’t leave a big empty boxes with a big sticker screaming “72” plasma screen tv” outside in plain view. Remove the stickers, break the boxes down, and leave in a private location until it’s time to drag them down to the curb on recycling day.
[Related Post: 10 Free Ways to Increase Your Home’s Security from Burglars and Theft]
6. Clear Walkways
Dreaming of a White Christmas? Me too. But that comes with the chore of clearing snow and ice from your sidewalk and driveway. If you don’t create a clear path, then you risk the UPS delivery guy tripping and falling on your walkway while trying to deliver your family’s presents….
Before the holidays hit, stock up on snow removal needs: show shovels (ergonomic if you have a bad back like me), ice melt, rock salt, and a cozy pair of gloves. Have a snowblower? Make sure it’s tuned-up and gassed-up. Don’t have a snowblower? Well then, maybe that should be on your Wish List…..
7. Grandma and Junior
Holidays are for the young and old. If hosting a multi-generational gathering this holiday season, take a few minutes before a family member arrives to ensure your home is safe for all ages and abilities.
For the elderly, falls are the number 1 cause of injury. To reduce the risk of Grandma and Grandpa taking a tumble, here’s a few safety measures that are quick and easy to implement:
- Pick up small throw rugs
- Position a grab bar beside toilet
- Place rubber mats or a special bathing chair in bathtub.
- Install a hand-held showerhead for ease of bathing
Little ones, especially those notoriously curious on-the-move toddlers, are prone to a host of injuries including suffocations, poisoning, falls and burns. Here’s a few simple tips to keep those precious little ones safe at your home during this time of year:
- Block stairs with child-proof gates
- Hide long electrical extension cords
- Place space heaters / portable heaters out of reach
- Install outlet covers over unused electrical outlets
- Place corner cushions over sharp furniture corners, especially coffee tables
- Shorten or tie-up dangling window blind cords
- Install locks on cabinets containing cleaning supplies
- Move potentially poisonous holiday plants (mistletoe, Jerusalem cherries, holly berries) out of reach
- Keep breakable decorations up high on Christmas trees.
- Angle pot and pan handles towards back of stove while cooking
8. Be Our (Safe) Guests
Are your holiday guests staying a few days? Ensure that your guests feel comfortable and safe during their stay by understanding your home’s security. Explain to them how the smart home devices such as smart locks, home security systems and cameras work in your house. Make sure they know your home’s fire escape plan (especially the meeting location).
Uncle Joe enjoys his early morning power walks? Before Uncle Joe straps on his sneakers, give him a quick tutorial of the smart locks so he’s not ringing the doorbell at 5am (or tripping the home security system) and waking up the whole house up. Cousin Maybell shooing you out of your kitchen to cook her famous stuffing for Thanksgiving, the peak day for cooking fires? Subtly point out the location of the fire extinguisher.
While the hope is there will not be an emergency, make sure your guests are prepared just in case there is.
And don’t forget about the New Year’s Eve! Here’s 9 simple resolutions for every homeowner that are easy to stick with in the new year!
Wrapping It Up
I hope you all have an opportunity to embrace the holiday season, enjoy time with close family and trusted friends, and create cherished memories. Just be sure to set aside a few minutes to take few extra precautions to keep your home safe during the holiday season.
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