Safety Tips for Decorating Your Home this Christmas

Year after year, the prospect of decorating our homes for Christmas gives us a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Despite the extra cleaning it may bring along with it, it surely helps in further getting us into the Christmas spirit. However, caution must always be taken as unfortunately, an accident can happen in the blink of an eye. Follow our tips below to ensure you decorate your home safely this Christmas!

Christmas lights

Replace worn out lights

Always check your lights before hanging them. If bulbs from a strand of lights are missing or broken, you should either replace the bulbs or buy new lights altogether. Be sure to also watch out for cracked wires, loose connections and damaged sockets. Get them fixed or do not use them at all if in a completely poor condition, to avoid causing unnecessary hazards for you and your loved ones.

As a general note, switching to LEDs is ideal as apart from being more energy-efficient, they burn cooler than conventional lights.

Prevent overheating

Several strands of Christmas lights wrapped around the tree makes it look fancier, no doubt. But you should never string more than three strands together, especially if they’re old. Additionally, don’t connect them all to a single socket; make sure to spread them across different sockets to ease the load.

Even if you’ve made sure to take all precautions, touch the wires every now and then to see if they are warm. If they are, chances are there is a problem with the strand and it needs to be taken off.

Ask for help

If you plan to hang lights somewhere above your normal reach, always ask someone to hold the ladder for you. This will ensure proper support and immediate help in case of an accident. Never try to reach somewhere by getting on top of furniture, even if it looks stable enough. Don’t take the risk and always stay safe!

Be cautious with outdoor lights

If there’s no “Safe for Outdoor Use” (or anything of the sort) label on the box of lights, there’s a reason for that. You may be tempted to use your indoor lights to decorate your front door, windows or façade but before you do so, keep in mind that not all lights are designed for wet weather, sun exposure and extreme temperatures. For wet locations, only use lights specifically manufactured for outdoor use or otherwise they could easily become an electrocution hazard. Why take the risk?

Switch off lights

Before going to bed or leaving the house, make sure all lights have been switched off. Apart from saving on your electricity bill, more importantly, you’ll be safeguarding your family’s well-being.  Moreover, if you’re decorating with candles, make sure all candles have been put out whenever left unattended.

Christmas trees

Keep trees away from heat sources

If you’re opting for a live Christmas tree this year, you need to take extra precautions as live trees are highly flammable. One crucial thing to consider is placing the tree in a position which is at least one metre away from a heat source such as fireplaces, heaters or candles. What’s more, you should always have a handy fire extinguisher close by!

Water trees regularly

Just as drought conditions can cause a wildfire, a dried-up tree can catch fire faster than one that has been well-watered. So, ensure to hydrate your tree as frequently as is necessary for a more secure environment.

Take note that when the tree’s needle-like leaves begin to shed in great amounts or are dry and easily broken when touched, that’s a sign that it’s time to remove the tree from your house. At this stage, the tree will become more of a fire hazard.

Choose fire-resistant artificial trees

And for all those purchasing an artificial tree, look out for the “fire-resistant” label. Although this does not completely omit the risk of fire, it does mean that your tree will be less susceptible to catching fire, allowing for more peace of mind.

Reward your home and your family with the protection they deserve this holiday season by taking out Home Insurance cover. Get a free online quote today!