KEEP YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR CLEAN
Your Life Depends on It!
Cleaning your smoke detector is important. Your house is filled with pollutants, even if you clean it regularly. Things like dust, pollen, pet dander, cooking vapors, and smoke linger in your house even if you can’t see them. These tiny fibers and particles love to find small spaces to settle into, like your smoke alarm. As these tiny particles build up, they cover the smoke-sniffing sensors in the detector and insulate it from the outside. This is a problem when a fire breaks out because it will take longer for the smoke to make its way to that sensor through the gunk. The more time the smoke takes to filter through the buildup, the less time you have to escape the danger.
There are two critical parts to cleaning your smoke detector; each is equally vital to keeping your family safe.
We all know a smoke detector protects us from a fire in our home. They stay on constant alert, sniffing out any sign of smoke. But are you maintaining yours properly? Many homeowners only touch their smoke alarms when they chirp for new batteries, ignoring them every other day of the year. You should be cleaning (yes, cleaning , not just pressing that button!) every six months. Cleaning your smoke detector is essential to your safety. Here’s a step-by-step guide on doing it correctly.
Vacuum the inside of the unit. Take the outer face of your smoke detector off and use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum to gently dislodge and remove the pollutants inside the device. If you don’t have a brush attachment, use any soft cleaning brush to break up that gunk before vacuuming it away. Wipe the outside vents . In a bowl, mix a bit of water and a mild dish detergent and saturate a paper towel or microfiber cloth in the mixture. Use this to wipe the outside of your smoke detector, particularly the vent openings. These will likely become clogged with dust and dander, so focus your scrubbing efforts there to ensure good air flow.
To help ensure your safety in case of a fire emergency, add these two steps to your regular cleaning routine.
FIVE REASONS TO SEE A PLAY THIS SEASON While getting in the holiday spirit this season, consider a family trip to your local theater. There are a surprising number of benefits to seeing a play in person.
The Theater Is Calling Your Name
1. You’ll support your local economy. Theater companies are almost always local nonprofits. That means the money you spend on tickets will go to actors and/or right back into the company to bring more productions to the community. 2. Your kids could discover an interest in the arts. Seeing a play might spark a passion for acting or stage design for you and/or your children. 3. You’ll provoke family discussions. Chatting about the play with your family will help you learn more about each other and forge stronger bonds. Some questions to kick off a conversation might include; What did you enjoy about the plot? Which character did you identify with the most? Are there any unanswered questions bothering anyone? 4. You’ll boost your family’s literary knowledge. A study from the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform found that students remembered more about stories like “A Christmas Carol” after watching them as plays than they did after watching movies or even reading the original books. Exposing your kids to the work of Shakespeare or Dickens at the theater is a great way to spark interest in literature.
5. Your kids will develop tolerance and empathy. The same study out of Arkansas found that students who attended the theater scored higher on tolerance and empathy tests. Watching live helped them identify and relate to the emotional turmoil of the characters. This winter, check your local theaters for holiday-themed productions like “A Christmas Carol”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and “Miracle on 34th Street”. You’ll bring your family closer and embrace the holiday spirit one curtain call at a time.
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