Home Safety Checklist: Simple Steps to Make Your Home Safer

Home should be the place where you feel safest.

Unfortunately, it's also where we keep stairs, electricity, sharp objects, cleaning products, hot appliances, medications, slippery floors, and that extension cord somebody stretched across the hallway "temporarily" three months ago.

You don't need to become paranoid about every corner of your house.

You do need to pay attention to predictable hazards.

The best home-safety improvements are often surprisingly simple: working smoke alarms, clear walkways, secure medications, safer storage, good lighting, and a family that knows what to do in an emergency.

Here's where to start.

1. Walk Through Your Home Looking for Hazards

The easiest way to spot safety problems is to deliberately look for them. Walk through your home room by room. Instead of looking at whether the house is clean, ask:

What could cause someone to fall, get burned, be poisoned, become trapped, or otherwise get hurt?

Look for things such as:

• Loose rugs
• Cluttered stairs
• Electrical cords across walkways
• Poor lighting
• Unstable furniture
• Accessible medications
• Accessible cleaning products
• Damaged electrical cords
• Blocked exits
• Missing or nonworking alarms

You'll probably notice things you've walked past hundreds of times. We humans are remarkably good at adapting to hazards.

After enough time, the box sitting on the stairs stops looking like a box sitting on the stairs and becomes part of the architecture. Move the box.

2. Keep Floors and Walkways Clear

Falls are a major household hazard, particularly for young children and older adults.

Keep frequently traveled areas free of:

• Shoes
• Toys
• Electrical cords
• Bags
• Laundry
• Boxes
• Pet supplies

Pay special attention to stairs and hallways. Stairs are transportation. They are not vertical shelving.

3. Secure Loose Rugs

Rugs can slip, bunch, curl, and create tripping hazards. Make sure area rugs and mats stay securely in place.

Use an appropriate nonslip rug pad or other suitable method when needed. Replace or repair rugs with curled edges or damaged backing.

And reconsider tiny decorative rugs positioned exactly where someone is most likely to step on them. A rug should improve the room. It shouldn't attack visitors.

4. Improve Lighting

Good lighting is an underrated safety feature. Make sure you can clearly see:

• Stairways
• Hallways
• Entrances
• Bathrooms
• Outdoor steps
• Changes in floor level

Nightlights may help in areas people use after dark. Also replace burned-out bulbs promptly.

Yes, you can probably navigate the hallway in darkness because you've lived there for 12 years. Your overnight guest cannot.

6. Check Your Smoke Alarms

Every home needs properly installed, working smoke alarms. Install them in appropriate locations according to current fire-safety guidance and applicable local requirements.

Test alarms regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Replace batteries and alarms as recommended. Never disable a smoke alarm because cooking keeps setting it off.

If an alarm is repeatedly sounding unnecessarily, address the underlying placement, ventilation, or equipment issue rather than removing your early-warning system.

Smoke alarms are supposed to be annoying. That's considerably better than the alternative.

7. Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. Homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, attached garages, or other potential sources need appropriate carbon monoxide protection.

Install carbon monoxide alarms in locations recommended by current safety guidance, manufacturer instructions, and local codes.

Test and replace them as directed. And if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, treat it seriously and follow emergency guidance.

This isn't an alarm to silence and investigate next weekend.

8. Have a Family Fire-Escape Plan

9. Keep Exits Accessible

Don't block doors or escape routes with:

• Furniture
• Storage boxes
• Exercise equipment
• Piles of belongings

Make sure household members can open appropriate exit doors and windows as needed in an emergency.

This is one reason decluttering isn't purely cosmetic. Being able to move through your home safely matters.

10. Use Electrical Cords Safely

Check electrical cords periodically. Stop using cords that are:

• Frayed
• Cracked
• Damaged
• Loose
• Overheating

Don't run cords where they create tripping hazards or where they can be damaged.

Avoid overloading outlets, power strips, or extension cords. And use extension cords only as intended.

If your electrical setup requires a permanent network of extension cords worthy of an airport runway, it may be time to have the situation evaluated.

11. Use Space Heaters Carefully

If you use a portable space heater, follow the manufacturer's safety instructions carefully.

Keep it away from combustible materials such as:

• Bedding
• Curtains
• Upholstered furniture
• Clothing
• Paper

Place it on an appropriate stable surface and keep children and pets away.

Turn portable heaters off when appropriate according to manufacturer and fire-safety guidance, including when leaving the area or going to sleep if instructed.

A space heater's job is to warm the room. Not audition for the fire department.

12. Make the Kitchen Safer

The kitchen combines heat, water, electricity, knives, breakable objects, and distracted humans. That's quite a collection.

Basic kitchen safety includes:

• Turning pot handles away from edges
• Keeping flammable materials away from burners
• Storing knives safely
• Cleaning grease buildup
• Keeping appliance cords away from hot surfaces
• Supervising children appropriately
• Using appliances according to instructions

Don't leave active cooking unattended when the cooking method requires supervision.

And know how to respond appropriately to different types of kitchen fires. Water is not appropriate for a grease fire.

13. Keep Medications Secure

Store prescription and over-the-counter medications safely and securely, particularly when children or vulnerable adults are present.

Keep medications in appropriate containers and follow storage instructions. Don't describe medicine to young children as candy.

Dispose of unused or expired medications through recommended take-back or disposal programs when available.

Also remember that visitors may carry medications in purses, bags, or suitcases. Grandma's handbag can unintentionally become a portable medicine cabinet.

14. Store Cleaning Products Safely

Cleaning products should be stored according to their labels and kept away from children and pets. Keep products in their original containers whenever possible.

Never put household chemicals into:

• Water bottles
• Soda bottles
• Food containers
• Unlabeled jars

Someone may mistake the contents for something safe.

Also: Never mix cleaning products unless the product instructions specifically say it's safe to do so. Certain combinations can create dangerous gases or reactions.

More cleaner does not mean more clean. Sometimes it means everybody needs to leave the room.

15. Store Hazardous Products Securely

Household chemicals, pesticides, automotive products, fuels, and other hazardous materials require careful storage. Follow product-label instructions.

Keep them away from:

• Children
• Pets
• Food
• Heat sources
• Flames

Dispose of hazardous materials according to local requirements. The mystery bottle in the garage with no label and approximately two tablespoons of unidentified liquid remaining?

That is not a family heirloom. Find out how to dispose of it safely.

16. Anchor Furniture That Can Tip

Dressers, bookcases, televisions, and other heavy furniture can pose tip-over hazards, particularly for children.

Use appropriate anchoring hardware and follow manufacturer recommendations.

Don't encourage children to climb furniture. And don't assume a heavy dresser can't fall.

Drawers can act like steps and shift the furniture's balance. This is one home-safety job worth doing before there's ever a reason to wish you had.

17. Check Window Safety

Windows need special consideration in homes with children. Screens are designed primarily to keep insects out. They are not fall-prevention devices.

Use appropriate window guards or stops where needed while maintaining required emergency escape capabilities.

Keep furniture children can climb away from dangerous window locations when practical. The goal is fresh air without turning the sofa into a launch platform.

18. Make Bathrooms Safer

Bathrooms combine hard surfaces and water. Predictably, things get slippery.

Consider:

• Nonslip bath or shower surfaces
• Secure bath mats
• Adequate lighting
• Grab bars where needed
• Safe water temperatures
• Keeping electrical appliances away from water

Wipe up water on floors promptly. The bathroom floor does not need to become an indoor skating rink.

19. Prevent Burns and Scalds

Hot water, cooking appliances, fireplaces, grills, candles, and hot beverages can all cause burns.

Keep young children away from hot surfaces and liquids. Turn pan handles away from the edge of the stove.  Place hot drinks where children can't easily pull them down.

Set household water temperatures appropriately and follow current safety guidance for preventing scalds.

A cup of coffee belongs somewhere secure. Not balanced on the edge of the table directly above a toddler.

20. Take Water Safety Seriously

Pools, spas, bathtubs, buckets, and other water sources require attention around young children.

Never rely on flotation toys or swimming ability as substitutes for supervision. Home pools should have appropriate barriers and secure access.

Young children need close adult supervision around water. And don't leave a young child alone in a bathtub, even briefly.

The phone call can wait.

21. Keep Firearms Securely Stored

If firearms are present in the home, store them securely and follow applicable laws and established safety guidance. Children should not be able to access firearms or ammunition.

Safe storage is particularly important in homes children visit, not only homes where children live full-time.

Parents may also want to ask about firearm storage before their children spend time in another household.

It can feel like an awkward question. Safety sometimes requires asking awkward questions.

22. Check Outdoor Areas

Your safety walk shouldn't stop at the front door. Look for outdoor hazards such as:

• Broken steps
• Loose railings
• Poor lighting
• Slippery walkways
• Unsecured tools
• Unsafe play equipment
• Pool access
• Damaged fencing
• Poisonous products within children's reach

Keep walkways reasonably clear and repair obvious hazards. The garden hose stretched across the walkway has ambitions. Don't let it succeed.

23. Keep Emergency Numbers and Information Available

Make sure household members and caregivers know how to reach emergency services. Keep important information easily accessible, including:

• Home address
• Emergency contacts
• Poison-control information
• Relevant medical information when appropriate

Children old enough to use a phone should know how to call for emergency help and how to give their address.

During an emergency is not the ideal moment to discover nobody remembers the house number.

24. Prepare for Power Outages and Other Emergencies

Keep basic emergency supplies appropriate for your household and local risks. Depending on where you live, that may include:

• Flashlights
• Batteries
• Water
• Nonperishable food
• First-aid supplies
• Needed medications
• Phone-charging options
• Emergency contact information

Review supplies periodically. An emergency flashlight containing batteries that expired during the previous presidential administration is mostly decorative.

25. Make Home Safety a Routine

You don't need to inspect your house like a safety officer every morning. Build basic checks into your regular home-maintenance routine.

Periodically:

• Test alarms
• Check fire extinguishers according to manufacturer instructions
• Look for damaged cords
• Check railings
• Review medications
• Inspect locks and gates
• Check outdoor lighting
• Remove tripping hazards
• Review emergency supplies

Also repeat a safety check whenever something changes.

• A crawling baby changes the house.
• An aging parent changes the house.
  
• New furniture changes the house.
  
• A renovation changes the house.
  

Home safety isn't something you finish once. It changes along with the people living there.

A Safer Home Doesn't Have to Be a Perfect Home

You don't need a spotless, childproofed, bubble-wrapped house to make your family safer.

Focus on the hazards most likely to cause serious harm.

• Keep pathways clear.
• Maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
  
• Store dangerous products securely.
  
• Make kitchens, bathrooms, stairs, pools, and outdoor areas safer.
  
• Prepare for emergencies.
  

Then periodically walk through the house again and see what has changed. The goal isn't to worry about everything that could possibly go wrong.

It's to prevent the things you reasonably can. That's a much more manageable job.

Keep Going

Once you've handled the biggest home-safety basics, work through the areas where families are most likely to need extra precautions.

Pool Safety Rules for Kids
Teach children the non-negotiable rules for swimming, diving, drains, rough play, and getting help during a water emergency.

Earthquake Preparedness at Home
Prepare your home, supplies, and family plan before an earthquake happens rather than figuring everything out while the house is shaking.

Home Maintenance
Stay ahead of repairs and household problems that can eventually become safety hazards or expensive emergencies.

Bathroom Cleaning and Organizing
Clear clutter, manage slippery surfaces, and create a bathroom that's easier and safer for the whole family to use.

Decluttering Your Home
Remove excess belongings from floors, stairs, hallways, and other places where clutter can interfere with everyday movement and emergency exits.

Organizing Your Home
Give medications, cleaning supplies, tools, emergency supplies, and everyday belongings safer, more sensible places to live.

Home safety isn't one giant project. It's dozens of small decisions made around the house.

Fix the loose rug. Move the box off the stairs. Test the smoke alarm. Lock up the medication. Put the cleaning products somewhere safer.

And please move that extension cord out of the hallway. We've all been stepping over it long enough.