1. Watch Outlets
Overloaded outlets commonly cause House and office fires. To be safe, always have a circuit breaker and keep an eye on how many watts you’re plugging in. If your house is old, you should have the electrical wiring checked every couple of years for safety.

2. Drape Carefully
Many fabrics and fabric coatings are highly flammable. Always check the flammability of curtains before hanging them anywhere near a floor or ceiling heater vent. It doesn’t even take a spark to light highly flammable material, some can catch flame just by direct hot heat.

3. Store Paper
Having stacks of paper laying around if a fire occurs can make a small fire a big fire in no time. The less paper you have out, the higher chance you have of stopping a fire before it really starts. Storing papers in filing cabinets or drawers is a great way to stay organized and safe at the same time.

4. Check Old Appliances
Old appliances such as old coffee makers, toasters, or even computers can be a dangerous fire hazard. Update your appliances immediately if they begin to smell smoky or work much less well. In addition, unplug any appliance after you’re done using it and store it away properly.

5. Don’t Smoke
Lit cigarettes dropped, improperly extinguished, or forgotten indoors cause a big chunk of house fires. Allowing smoking indoors is inviting a fire hazard right into your home. By having a smoking area outside with an appropriate ashtray you could be saving yourself from danger and stress in the future.

6. Fireproof Garden
Dry bushes, brush and plants around your home can also be quite a fire hazard. Water plants regularly to keep them safe, or remove promptly if you decide not to keep them any longer. Be sure not to have any vegetation near a fireplace or other source of heat within the home.

7. Check Your Roof
The most vulnerable part of you home during a fire is your roof. As the heat and smoke raises it will get trapped under the roof, until it caves in to the heat and flame. The more stable your roof, the better chance your house has. Fiberglass, concrete tile, clay, metal and slate are all great choices, while wood, shingles or slate are more apt to collapse in a fire.

8. Put Away Matches
Children and cats alike get curios with new objects. For this reason, put anything flammable or dangerous away at all times. Matches, gas, oil and lighters should all be stored safely, high up somewhere. Be sure to teach children thoroughly about fire dangers.

9. Burn Candles Safely
Candles can add atmosphere to a room in no time, but it can also add a potential fire hazard. When burning candles or using any open flame, take all precautions necessary. Always have candles in correctly sized holders, and out of reach of children. Never leave burning while you’re out of the house. Many dogs and cats enjoy open flame as well, so discourage your pets from going near them.

10. Always Stay Prepared
The best way to protect yourself from a fire is by keeping you, your family and your home prepared. Have your fire and gas leak alarms checked once or twice a year. Always have a fire extinguisher in your home, and a fire ladder if you have a high upstairs. Practice a fire escape plan with your family, so in case of an emergency you’ll all know exactly what to do.

1. Do Not Re-Enter
After leaving the flooded home, do not re-enter until trained emergency workers tell you it is safe. Floodwaters can harm or damage the foundation of your home and make it an unsafe structure to reenter.

2. Take Caution When Eating
Don’t eat or drink anything that has been in contact with flood water. Flood water can and usually does contain unsanitary materials and residue which is not safe to ingest.

3. Remove Water Blockage
If you put sandbags or other blocks around your home to keep water out, remember they may also be holding water in after the flood. If the structure is safe, open windows, doors, and remove blocks to let some water out. Only approach or touch flood water or flooded areas in proper attire, (gloves, mask, boots, water proof jacket, goggles, etc).

4. Flood Insurance
If you had flood insurance, don’t move or touch anything until you’ve contacted them. This is because they must come and observe and assess the damage in it’s original state. Also be sure not to throw out anything that should be checked by the insurance associates as well.

5. Take Pictures
As hard as it is, having thorough documentation of the flood is likely to come in handy. Go throughout the home and take pictures of any and all flood-damaged areas. Check ceilings, walls, and floors diligently to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

6. Watch The Kids
It is imperative not to let children play or touch anything that floodwater has. Even if the floodwater resigns from an area, that area still has infectious bacteria that are dangerous to you and yours. Be sure to sit children down and thoroughly discuss and explain the dangers of floods, floodwater and the aftermath.

7. If You Must Leave
If for any reason you need to leave your flood-damaged home (to go to a hotel, friends, or get something to eat) be sure to secure the house before you leave. Lock all windows and doors, and try to cover up and holes or unstable structure. Although it’s regrettable, looters have been known to target flooded areas for undamaged materials in unsupervised homes.

8. Call A Professional
If you’re unsure about the water damage to your home or have water still residing in the basement or other area, call in some help. Water damage specialists can help you with a multitude of things from assessing damage, to removing water, to cleaning up the mess it leaves. Your insurance may even pay for this work as it’s preventive work that could save them money.

1. Gear Up
Protect yourself with the proper attire for post-fire cleanup. You’ll need long gloves, a mask, goggles, and protective clothing as well. Even if the fire is long gone, the dust and fumes in the air still aren’t good for you and you should not expose your mouth, eyes or skin to them. Also, TSP and other harsh cleaners are abrasive and harmful to the skin.

2. Prepare Cleaning Supplies
Before starting, decide what you’re going to use to clean and how much of it you’ll need. Depending on the degree of damage you may want gentler or harsher cleaners. The best thing for smoke damage at home is Trisodium Phosate Cleaner, or TSP. Also have buckets, sponges, rags and warm water on hand.

3. Get Help
Smoke damage gets everywhere, and cleaning it up can be a bigger task than you expect. The walls, ceiling, floor and furniture all need to be cleaned regardless of whether or not they look dirty. So call friends, family members, and neighbors to grab a sponge and go to work! The more hands you get, the smaller the task will seem. If you do not have people nearby who can help, then you might want to consider hiring a professional.

4. Wipe Down
Before using any cleaner, go over the area with a gentle cleanser and cloth first. This will remove anything on the top and prep the area for serious cleaning. After this is done, go over with a dry cloth and let sit for a while with the fan on.

5. Heavy Duty Cleaning
Follow the directions on the cleaner bottle and mix with the appropriate amount of warm water. Then take a scrubby sponge and go over small sections one at a time. You don’t want to go over any spots too much or one time too harshly, so be accurate in your coverage.

6. Rinse
Once you’ve done a small section with the TSP or other cleaner, go over that same section with a clean rag and clean water to rinse away the cleaner. Don’t let any cleaner sit on your walls for too long or discoloration and damage could occur.

7. Wallpaper and Paint
If wallpaper is bubbled or paint is peeling, repairs may be possible. However, certain amounts of damage aren’t worth the trouble. Either way, the walls still need to be cleaned. If your walls are beyond repair, you’ll probably need to clean, prime, and re-paint. This could end up being the easiest route no matter how damaged your walls are.

1. Stains
If there are stains on your walls or ceilings this could be a sign of toxic mold. If the area is very dark, it could be toxic and should be taken care of immediately. Mold specialists should be able to tell by looking at it or testing, so you may want to call in an expert if you’re not sure.

2. Allergies
A lot of people have allergies, but if they act up more often in your home than outdoors it’s not normal. Mold doesn’t give you allergies necessarily, rather causes allergy-like symptoms. Toxic mold will give you more intense symptoms, including headaches along with itchy eyes and sneezing.

3. Colored Spots
If there are colored spots on mold that you’ve already discovered, it could be toxic. These spots can be brown, green, or even orange in color. Of course some toxic mold is just a dark gray or black, and spreads very fast as well as changes color.

4. Smell
The smell of toxic mold is much like the smell of other mold, musty or urine-like. It’s certainly not a pleasant smell either way, so if you keep a clean home, don’t own pets, and your hallway still smells like urine- it very well may be toxic mold.

5. Circles
Toxic black mold often exhibits circular patterns or spots within the formation. These circles can be anywhere from 1 inch wide to 1 foot, and spread fairly quickly. Sometimes the circles don’t close, and make a semi-circle, or crescent shape instead, so don’t think “that’s not toxic” just because it’s not a perfect circle.

6. Moisture
Toxic mold is not likely to grow on metal, dry wood, or any other dry surface. Toxic mold can only thrive and survive in very moist or even wet locations, so if the mold you see has any of the above characteristics and also happens to be under a wet rug, it may be toxic.

7. Warnings
Before becoming toxic, mold can sometimes exhibit other forms, such as white fuzzy colonies, or even pink or orange formations instead of black. Be sure to call a specialist and describe the mold to them before trying to remove on your own. Toxic mold can be very dangerous for your health and should only be removed by a trained professional or very knowledgeable person on the subject.

1. Cleaning
When cleaning your house you should always think before you start. By filling the dishwasher all the way before you run it, you’ll save a lot of water. By washing vegetables in a bowl and scrubbing with a vegetable brush you won’t have to run the water as much.

2. Hygiene
A lot of people aren’t so willing to change their personal hygiene routine as easily as their dishwashing routine, but by adjusting a few things you can save a lot of water! Try wetting your toothbrush before you brush and not leave the water running unnecessarily, or only filling the bath half way.

3. Gardening
Adding compost to your garden soil will make it more water absorbent, and will save lots of water. Try using left over water from making tea or boiling an egg to water your garden. You can even reuse dishwasher water on non-edible plants as long as you check with your local municipality department first.

4. Outside the Home
Check anywhere around your home where water might be leaking. Are your hose connections dripping water? If so, they are cheap and easy to replace. You should also check to see if you have any sprinklers wasting water by spraying on the driveway or sidewalk.

5. Recreational Savings
You can save water outside by replace your pool filter with one that uses less water and eliminate toys that needlessly spray water. You should also avoid water activities that excessively waste water.

6. Laundry
Only do full loads of laundry, or if your washer allows, lower the water height with smaller loads. In the summer, consider hand-washing some t-shirts or sheets and hang-dry to very conservative with your energy.

7. Food and Drinks
Don’t thaw meat or other frozen products with running water, instead put them in the fridge to defrost. Chill water in the fridge rather than running the faucet or using ice cubes. Try switching to plastic ice cubes instead of ice trays; they’re both water conscious and attractive. If you have a lot of dishes to wash you could put them all a sink of soapy water and let it sit for a while before washing. Then, you save water by avoiding unnecessary scrubbing.