(NAPSA)—Makesafety a priority in your home when you clean. Here aretips to help: Living Room/Dining Room Secure all bookcases, shelving and heavy furniture. Place heavier items on lower shelves andin bottom drawers. Many houseplants are poisonous and pots are heavy, so keep them outof reachoflittle hands. Use plug protectors for all unused wall outlets. Bathroom To prevent bathwater scalds, set the thermostat of your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees F. It takes just three seconds for a child to sustain a thirddegree burn at 140 degrees F. Always request child-resistant packaging for medicine, but go a step further by making sure medicine cabinets are locked atall times. Even items that may seem harmless can be dangerous to a child. Kitchen Keep sharp knives and other utensils well out of reach and make sure that knife blades are pointing down when placed in a dishwasher’s cutlery basket. When cooking, always use the back burners, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and keep hot foods and liquids away from youngchildren. And make sure microwaves are out of reach of children as well; the vast majority of micro- Protect your children and pets by using only cordless window products. wave burns amongchildren are serious scald burns. Bedroom Makesurecribs are properly assembled and meet current safety standards, and that crib mattresses fit snugly. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, infants and young children can die from accidentally strangling in window cords. The Window Covering Safety Council reminds parents and caregivers of potential windowcord dangers and urges them to make the right choice and use only cordless window products in homes with young children. Owners and renters should replace all corded window coverings made before 2001 with today’s safer products. Visit www.windowcoverings.org for a free retrofit kit or call (800) 5064636.
