Home Safety for Halloween
With Halloween night coming up quickly next week, it’s just as important to prepare your home as it is to prepare your costume for the night of fun! Home safety is crucial on Halloween to prevent accidents and ensure nothing happens on your property in which you are held liable.
First thing is first, clear all pathways and entrances to your door. Remove any obstacles, any decorations that may have migrated throughout the month AND any tripping hazards. Make sure these are cleared from your front yard, porch and definitely all your walkways. Ensure the sidewalk, if there is one, is well lit and accessible for ALL trick or treaters.
Next, take time to re-secure all outdoor decorations. Decorations you might have put up at the beginning of the month can easily come loose in the weather or even by animals like raccoons and squirrels. Make sure to check hanging props and inflatables to prevent them from falling or causing any accidents. You may need to move decorations that could be obstructing walkways or cause tripping as mentioned above!
On trick or treating night, make sure to use flameless candles or LED lights instead of traditional candles in your jack-o-lanterns or even other decorations. This swap will greatly reduce the risk of fire hazards in homes, but especially if costumes come in close proximity to the decorations. I’m thinking specifically about sidewalks leading to front doors with capes and other costumes. Little feet are running everywhere in the excitement and may not see the open flames, especially in jack-o-lanterns, and could accidentally kick them over. So switching out the traditional candles is going to cover a lot of potential risk.
Keep exits clear the afternoon and night of Halloween. Ensure that doors and windows are clear and accessible in case of an emergency. Try not to use decorations to block any of them. With that being said, be mindful of electrical cords as well. Especially with outdoor decorations that could require cord hook-ups, make sure they are properly rated for outdoor use and are not frayed and damaged. Definitely avoid running cords across walkways or areas where they can be tripped over.
Keep your home well lit the entire night, both on the exterior and interior. This is a huge way you can deter any potential mischief or unwanted visitors in and around your home. Use outdoor lighting, porch lights and all your interior lighting to create a warm welcoming environment for anyone who passes.
Don’t forget to secure your fur babies!! Just like with Fourth of July or New Years Eve, Halloween is a super stressful night for pets. There is a huge increase in the activity surrounding their homes and everyone is walking around in unfamiliar costumes. Imagine what that could feel like for your furry family member! If you are leaving your home or staying, secure your pet away from your front door to prevent them from escaping or getting anxious with the extra noise while you are away.
Be mindful of allergies during this entire Halloween season. A great way to just be super safe and be inclusive for all trick or treaters, is just to stock up on non food/candy treats. Target and Oriental Trading Company are some cost effective spots to get fun gadgets and Halloween themed prizes, it virtually costs the same as getting candy. Bonus is you can save the extras from year to year!
Finally, while Halloween is a time of fun and creating memories with your community, it is very important to be cautious of anyone who you may not know at your door or in your neighborhood. If you see something when you are out and about, or feel uncomfortable with a stranger at your doorstep, it is always okay to contact authorities if your gut is telling you to do so. If something seems out of place, you are not only protecting yourself and your family, but your entire community. Police officers can not be everywhere at one time on Halloween and definitely want community members to let them know of anything suspicious. If you see something, say something!
Following these tips will definitely help you to enjoy your Halloween that much more. With my home safety tips your night with family and friends will be safe as well as any visitors that might be coming up to your home. Have a safe and memory filled Halloween!
~Katie