Are you ready for holiday cooking? If not, it could be time to think about a kitchen remodeling project!
The holidays are one of the best times to enjoy high-quality food. There are certain dishes that, for one reason or another, don’t find their way to tables at any other time of the year. Therefore, it becomes really important to take advantage of these days to enjoy some of these classics.
There is a downside, however, to the fact that the kitchen is going to be busy this season. With so much cooking going on, there’s a bigger chance that something will go wrong. Someone might touch a hot stove or spill some sauce all over the floor.
Accidents may happen regardless of what you do, even if you go in and do a full kitchen remodeling but there are still things that can be done to minimize the damage. Here are some tips to prepare your kitchen to ensure it’s a safe place this holiday season while still allowing you to cook up all of your favorite meals.
Use Oven Locks
Sometimes, there’s no need for major kitchen remodeling to help increase safety in the area. These oven locks are small devices that you can place on the oven to make sure that kids can’t open it easily. Toddlers may love to hang onto the handle on top of the oven when they can barely reach it.
If that causes the oven to open, it could spell trouble for the little ones. People who want to go the extra mile will want to add locks on the knobs that turn the gas up as well. The last thing that you want is for a small child to turn those on unwillingly.
Perhaps the best piece of advice in this situation is to ensure that toddlers stay away from the kitchen altogether. Placing one of those small fences that can also help keep dogs away from the area could make the adults trip on their way out of the room, however. With this in mind, adding these oven locks may very well be the best way forward.
Move The Handles on Pans Away From the Edge of the Stove
This is another one of those things that you can do without the need for design and drawing plans to embark on a full house renovation or kitchen remodeling to make sure that the family can stay safe. Don’t worry; we’ll get to those plans soon! Keeping the handles on the pans away from the edge of the stove is a major step toward staying safe in the kitchen.
Toddlers could also be the main character in this scenario. You won’t want them pulling on the pans from the handles only to have the hot food fall on them. This is also a good practice even if you don’t have little ones at home.
When the kitchen is small and it gets crowded with people around the holidays, anyone who’s walking by the stove can push one of the pans and cause a mess. If you don’t place the handles so that they face the edge of the stove, it’s less likely that one of the pans is going to fall over. This very quick tip can certainly help prevent plenty of unfortunate situations.
Kitchen Remodeling – It’s Always a Good Idea to Have More Space
If you feel like you need more space because you’re constantly scared that anyone walking by the stove could accidentally knock some of the pans over, then it may be time for a kitchen renovation. In a kitchen remodeling project, you could add accessories housing units on the outside of a home with a larger kitchen area. Room additions are also a great idea to add space to the area.
Some of these solutions may seem a bit too complex for some people, but building custom homes doesn’t have to be too hard with the right type of help. With more space in the kitchen, many of these scenarios where danger could be lurking around the corner are more avoidable.
Plus, you could look into garage conversions or a bathroom renovation while you’re at it. More room in any of these parts of the home could be beneficial not just in the kitchen. That’s why expanding beyond a kitchen remodeling project could make sense.
Being Diligent with Clean-Up Duties
Another thing that can increase the risk of accidents, particularly in the kitchen, is allowing the area to remain “dirty” for an extended period. Dust won’t be a major safety hazard, but grease might! That’s especially the case if you’re going to be lighting candles or keeping anything that has a spark near these areas.
Even the best kitchen remodeling procedure may not be able to save you from an issue with birthday cake candles. This is more of a concern in restaurant kitchens, to be honest, but if the place is really dirty and there’s enough of a spark, you could be in a world of trouble even at home.
Q&A
Is it safe to preheat the oven while no one is in the house?
Everyone loves getting a head start on things, and it can seem like a great idea to preheat the oven while out shopping for presents over the holidays. Doing this is not a kitchen safety recommendation by any means. There are plenty of things that could go wrong with an unattended oven.
What can be included in a kitchen remodeling project?
This can be the perfect time to change floors, sinks, and faucets. If you need more cabinet space or larger countertops, that can be in the cards as well. There are really no limits to what these projects can include if you’re working with the right contractors!
What’s the best way to remain safe while having something in the oven for a long time?
As mentioned before, not leaving home would be the first step towards staying safe. Making the rounds every 30 minutes or so to make sure that everything is okay is typically the best way forward. If you do that, you should be fine.