October, 2021 | Boizelle Insurance Partnership

Halloween Safety Tips In the Age of COVID-19

Halloween is this weekend! Countless trick-or-treaters look forward to this holiday every year. There are always those looking to cause mischief whenever the opportunity arises. Unfortunately, Halloween is one of those times. The good news is that there are several steps that parents and kids can take to keep themselves safe.

Due to the fact that trick-or-treaters tend to walk the neighborhood streets when it’s dark outside, they become more at risk of being hit by a car on Halloween. If you’re behind the wheel at night on October 31^st, you should be mindful of the fact that there will be little kids around. Help to keep them safe by paying close attention to the road in front of front of you and your surrounding areas. Put the cell phone down, turn your music down, drive with your lights on, and slow down!

If you’re a parent and you’re taking your little ones around the neighborhood in search of that delicious candy, take a flashlight with you. Because it’ll be dark outside, it’s a good idea to wear bright colors to make sure that you will be visible to drivers on the road. Carry flashlights with you, so that you can see drivers and drivers can see you.

• Join young children under age 12 for trick-or-treating
• Remind kids to use street corners and crosswalks when crossing the street.
• When choosing a costume, make sure you choose the proper size in order to prevent trips and falls.
• Incorporate a cloth or surgical mask into your costume
• Wash your hands before eating your candy. Parents should inspect their children’s candy for anything out of the ordinary or simply something like a possible food allergy (peanuts in candy bars).
• Use an app to track local COVID-19 virus transmission rates and take extra precautions where transmissions are high.
• Keep festivities outside as much as possible. Of course, if temperatures are low, where the proper layes to keep yourself and your kids warm. Anyone showing signs of illness should rest and recover at home.

What are you planning to dress up as this year? We hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

How Often Should I Deep Clean My House?

Uncleanliness is a recipe for prolonged disorganization and stress in our daily lives. It is also one of the leading contributors to chronic allergic reactions. In fact, over 50 million people in the United States experience or have experienced allergies.

Some people are born with certain allergies. However, it is also possible to develop allergies throughout your lifetime if you do not take necessary precautions. Let’s face it. Allergies are annoying. And life should be enjoyable. Don’t allow allergies to get in the way of your happiness and peace of mind.

So, the real question is: How often should you deep clean your house? Let’s be honest. Deep cleaning an entire house is extremely time consuming. While we may feel fantastic once we accomplish this, very few have the time necessary to do a thorough job of deep cleaning. What’s the solution you ask? Focus your attention on the areas of your home in which you spend the most time. For example, you probably spend a lot of time in your bedroom, your kitchen, and your bathroom. Both of these areas, if cleaned well, require a substantial amount of time. Make your bed every morning. It feels good to come back to your bedroom with a freshly made bed after a long day at work. It will give you the feeling of peace and calm you desire. Additionally, your cooking and preparation areas in your kitchen require a lot of attention. You don’t want food particles to get stuck in the little crevices of your stove or your countertops to be covered with grimy food. If you leave this for an extended period of time, it becomes more difficult to clean (not to mention, more time-consuming).

Weekends, or any time you spend away from work, give you an opportunity to do your weekly cleaning. These tasks may include: dusting furniture, sanitizing sponges, wiping down kitchen appliances, mopping kitchen and bathroom floors, cleaning living room furniture and mirrors, scrubbing and disinfecting the bathtub, and washing your towels (after 3 uses).

Washing your bedsheets should be a frequent practice, even more so if you have allergies or have particular sensitivities.

Wiping down frequently used areas or places that are frequently touched by people is very important. Be sure to sanitize doorknobs and railings at least once a week.

Having a dirty refrigerator is not only unpleasant; it can lead to serious illness if you aren’t careful. You should always be paying close attention to expiration date labels on your food and drinks. Eggs and meat tend to give off particularly unpleasant smells if left in the refrigerator too long. Always remember, prolonging time away from cleaning areas like refrigerators will only make the task more frustrating and difficult.

Areas of your home that require annual deep cleanings include: windows, fireplace and chimney, gutters, drapes and curtains, dryers and vents, and carpets and upholsteries. Because these tasks tend to present more of a challenge, be sure to dedicate a full day to completing them.

If you keep your home clean and organized, you’ll not only prevent yourself and others from falling ill, but your mental health will improve significantly. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get started on that deep cleaning!

How to Prevent House Fires

House fires are among the leading causes of insurance claims, personal injuries, and death in the United States. Let’s talk about how you can prevent fires from breaking out in your home. As the weather gets colder, the need to stay warm becomes more crucial. With the increased use of heating devices in the home, in addition to fires start inside a fireplace, the threat of a house fire also increases. Are you taking every necessary precaution to prevent such a disaster from occurring? Your family depends on you to keep them safe. Your pets are completely dependent upon you being a responsible parent. Would you really put them at risk? Here are ten ways to reduce your risk of house fires:

1. Test your smoke alarms regularly.

Having properly functioning smoke alarms inside your home is the best way to avoid a house fire. They can instantly alert you to the sign of danger to yourself and others. If they aren’t working, a devastating tragedy could take place in the event of a fire. Make sure you test your alarms at least every 6 months.

2. Inspect all your heating sources.

Get your heating sources inspected by a licensed professional. Your air filters should be cleaned out. Space heaters are a good way to stay warm during the cold months, but they may also pose a threat to your safety if not used properly. Keep them away from anything flammable and make sure areas around them are cleared of dust and/or debris.

3. Keep your stove and oven clean.

Apart from the fact that living in a clean space works wonders for your mental health and will help keep you calm, relaxed, and happy overall, a dirty stove or oven can spell potential danger for your home. While it may not be your lack of experience with cooking that causes a fire to break out, food particles that are left behind from previous cooking sessions could cause a fire if they are too close to a burner.

Additionally, hanging curtains—when left too close to a stove—can catch fire. Anything that is kept too close to a flame could catch fire. This is why it is so important to keep your cooking areas clean at all times.

4. Don’t leave your kitchen while you have your stove or oven on.

Don’t leave your stove or oven on and unattended. The football game wait.

5. Always check your dryer.

Cleaning lint from your dryer could be one of the most tedious chores you could complete. However. that doesn’t take anything away from how important it is to do and do properly. Lint that is left lingering could potentially start a fire.

6. Maintain all cords.

If you have a dog, you’ve probably experienced the unfortunate reality of chewed cords or cables. Before plugging in any of your cords, make sure there are no signs of them being chewed or frayed. If they are, you could have a potential disaster on your hands if you’re not paying attention.

Cords should never be placed underneath rugs as they could get extremely hot.

7. Properly store flammable products.

Many household products, how ever effective in their abilities to keep your surfaces and other areas clean, also that unfortunate ability to cause fires. Be sure to read the warning labels of your cleaning products before using them. If any of your cleaning products are exposed to excess heat, they could potentially combust, causing a fire. Always store them in a cool, dry space.

8. Practice caution with candles.

Who doesn’t enjoy the scent of a burning candle during those colder months? Not only does it keep you warm, but you get the pleasure of that aromatic scent filling your nostrils. Still, it’s important to always be safe when using candles as they could potentially cause a fire. When you are finished using one, place the lid back on top of it. Keep candles away from any loose clothing or from carpets or rugs. If you have little children, teach them about the dangers of playing around candles.

9. Be careful with your fireplace.

It may sound obvious, but it still needs to be said. Never leave a room before extinguishing a fire going in a fireplace. Also, ashes from a fire tend to be hot. So, make sure you give them ample time to cool off before disposing of them.

10. Keep fire extinguishers around.

Fires can break out suddenly with little to no warning. This is why it’s so important to have a good fire extinguisher handy in your home. Train every single member of your family on how to responsibly use a fire extinguisher. You can’t always be around to protect them.

Conduct a Home Inventory

Disaster can strike at any moment. And home inventories are one of your best defenses against a disaster such as a fire. Write down the value of everything valuable in your home. For those particularly pricey items such as jewelry or paintings, you may consider getting a professional to appraise them for you. If you have documented evidence of something’s value, it is much more likely you will get that amount back or at least close to it in the event of a loss.