Spring Cleaning Checklist

Give your home a safety makeover! To protect your family from the most common potential threats, review this checklist and get started!

• Repair loose or damaged siding.
  
  
• Have a professional check your air conditioning system.
  
  
• Install surge protectors to prevent home electronics and appliances from lightning strikes and power surges.
  
  
• Inspect swimming pools and outdoor play equipment to make sure they're properly maintained and safety features are intact.
  
  
• Reduce fire hazards by removing clutter from storage areas.
  
  
• Keep all flammable materials and liquids at least several feet away from gas furnaces and water heaters.
  
  
• Make sure decks, porches, and balconies have secure railings and that any posts in these structures are spaced no more than four inches apart to prevent children from slipping through.
  
  
• Keep working fire extinguishers in the kitchen and garage. Make sure everyone knows how to use them.
  
  
• Check to see that your garage door opener has an automatic reversing mechanism and a sensor that prevents the door from closing on a person or pet.
  
  
• To help prevent scalding injuries, set the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees.
  
  
• If there are small children in the home, install child-proof latches on all windows that are less than two feet above the floor or on upper stories. Also, any window glass located less than 18 inches off the floor should be rated as safety glass.
  
  
• Outfit electrical outlets located near water sources with ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).
  
  
• Install and properly maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.