Christmas is just around the corner and there’s nothing like decking out your home for the holidays. However, before you start, be aware of 10 common decorating dangers and hazards that can take the jolly right out of your holidays.
- Christmas Tree Fires: Christmas tree fires are not uncommon during the holiday season. Here are some tips to keep your home and loved ones safe. Firstly, when setting up your tree, be mindful of its location. Keep it far away from any heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, or light fixtures. Secondly, ensure that all the lights you use are tree-approved and turn them off when you leave the house. Finally, if you went for a real tree this year, make sure you water it frequently and dispose of it before it turns into dry tinder. Stay safe, folks, and don’t let a preventable fire ruin your festivities!
- Fireplace Hazards: It’s nice to have chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but not your decorations. Avoid hanging stockings, placing greenery or other decorations too close to fireplaces or wood burning stoves. Keep in mind that firewood with moisture in it can pop and shoot embers into the room, so be certain your firewood is dry and that you have a good fireplace screen.
- Toxic Plants: The holiday season brings a variety of plants into our homes, but we must keep a watchful eye on which ones are harmful. Mistletoe, holly, and poinsettias may look pretty, but they contain poison that can be dangerous if eaten. Ensure that pets and children cannot access them.
- Choking Hazards: Festive as they may be, mini-pom poms and tinsels are a big no-no around toddlers and pets. Children and pets are naturally curious and may end up swallowing these tiny decorations, which could lead to choking hazards. To ensure everyone’s safety, it’s best to keep these hazards out of reach or avoid them altogether.
- Candle Fires: Candles create a cozy environment, or in the case of a menorah, are essential to your Hanukkah celebration, but they obviously can be dangerous. To prevent a disaster, always keep flammable objects at a safe distance and never leave candles burning unattended. Make sure they’re in a spot where they can’t be knocked over by children or pets.
- Unsafe Toys: If you’re planning on incorporating decorations that also function as toys into your home, it’s important to consider safety standards before doing so. Make sure these decorative toys are suitable for children – keep an eye out for small objects that could be potential choking hazards, and beware of potentially toxic coatings or paints (especially on antique items).
- Electrical Fires: Keep your home merry and bright, but also safe! When adorning your home with holiday lights and lit décor, it’s important to ensure that electrical fires don’t become a looming possibility. To prevent this, make sure that all lights have been tested for safety. Throw away (or fix if possible) any decorations with frayed wires, broken light sockets, or loose light connections. Additionally, it’s essential to ensure that outdoor decorations are specifically designed for outdoor use and can function well when getting hit with snow or rain.
- Breakable Decorations: When it comes to decorations that shatter, it’s critical to be aware of how children and pets could potentially interact with them. It’s not going to fill you with holiday spirit to step on a broken ornament with your bare feet. To avoid any possible injuries, be sure to store these types of fragile decorations are unreachable. You can opt to have more plastic ornaments on trees instead of glass ones.
- Extension Cord Tripping Hazards: Avoiding trips and falls is as easy as doubling checking that the cords you use for lights and decorations are folded away or firmly taped down.
- Ladder Falls: Ladder falls pose a real threat every holiday season. Safety should be paramount when it comes to finding the proper ladder, as well as keeping three points of contact on the ladder at all times. Also, consider enlisting a helper to keep an eye out for any potential danger and to make sure the ladder doesn’t become unstable.
We hope this guide has pointed out most of the potential dangers you should be aware of when decorating for the holidays. Have a festive and safe holiday season!
