Home Product Risks and Safety Best Practices

It seems every room in our home is outfitted with consumer products both large and small. While these items may help you in your day-to-day life, they also can pose a risk. Understanding these risks and how you can prevent them is an important part of being a homeowner.

Here are a few risks posed by common home items.

• Clothes dryer starting on fire. Every year, 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported, which equates to over $35 million in property loss annually. To help prevent these fires, be sure to clean the lint out of your dryer after every use, and do a more thorough dryer cleaning a few times a year. Dryer fires are more prevalent during the winter months, so performing this preventative maintenance before the cold weather sets in can help reduce the risk.
• Clothes washer leaking water. A leak in your washer can turn into a big problem fast. If your washer is leaking, the first place to check is the hoses. Also, be sure to verify the leak or backup isn’t caused by a restricted household drain. Another place to check is the water or drain pump of your washer.
• Dishwasher leaking water from door. This can be a common problem with dishwashers and can cause buckling in wood floors and other water damage. Be sure to check the edge of your door and control panel to make sure it is shutting properly and the latch is closing fully. If the latch is closing, then check around the door for tears, cuts, or wear. If there are any issues here, you may need to replace your door gasket.
• Toilet supply line leaking. Some companies produced their water supply lines and coupling nuts with lower grade materials that may result in lines cracking, bursting, or breaking before they should. This can cause flooding and property damage if not properly taken care of. Check the brand of your water lines to ensure they aren’t part of this list.

It is also important to keep up to date on recalls for your appliances and home products. To check if a recall has been issued for a product you own, search the recall list at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.