Do you have knowledge on how to maintain smoke alarms in your home?  Are your home smoke alarms in proper working order?  I had a spill in my oven while I was cooking the other day, and I was so grateful that my smoke alarms were working.  I stuck a dish of scalloped potatoes in the oven, and decided to go take a shower since it takes at least an hour for them to cook.  While I was in the shower, the potatoes bubbled over and spilled onto the bottom of the oven.

From there the oven started smoking and set off the smoke alarm outside the kitchen.  I ran to the kitchen and noticed the smoke coming from the oven.  I quickly opened the kitchen door to let out the smoke.  Unfortunately, it was not the first that I had a spill in the oven.  Opening the kitchen door to let out the smoke is a great way to get the alarm to subside too.  Thankfully, it was a cold winter day and the smoke cleared out quickly.  But, it did nothing for the smell.  My oven was definitely going to require a cleaning.  Self cleaning ovens are like sliced bread, they are the best.

The potatoes were done, but the smell in the house was another story.  Sadly, the smoke in the kitchen reminded me of an incident in my home several years ago.  Instead of using the bottle warmer, my son-in-law fell asleep with a baby bottle in pan of water on the stove.  The pan boiled dry and filled the house with smoke.  You can read about the incident here.  Once again, I was grateful that the alarms were working in my house.  Are yours in working order?

Did you know The National Fire Protection Association recommends that a smoke alarm be installed outside of the sleeping area as well as installing one inside of each bedroom.  A smoke alarm should be installed on each level of the house including the basement.

I have a brother that was a volunteer fireman for 30 years.  So safety and smoke detector maintenance is important in my family. The fire department that he volunteered for gives away hundreds of free smoke detectors each year.  So, if you or a family member are unable to purchase a detector, go to your local fire department and they will be glad to assist.  Many of the volunteer firemen will help install them if anyone needs assistance.

Here are the steps on how to maintain smoke alarms in your home:

• Replace the batteries regularly
• Vacuum all of your smoke alarms annually to remove dust.
• Replace your detectors every 10 years.
• Test them regularly to ensure they are working properly.
• Have a mix of ionization and photoelectric alarms in your home.  The ionization activates quicker, which is what I have in my home.  It doesn’t take much to set my alarms off, and I am thankful.  The photoelectric reacts slower.

I was thankful that my dinner was salvageable.  But, the smell in the kitchen, dining and great rooms was strong.  I needed to remove it quickly.  Dinner guests would be arriving soon.  I remembered that I had a can of Ozium Air Sanitizer to remove strong smells from my kitchen and bathrooms.  I’d gotten it after seeing good feedback in a review article, and thankfully it says it removes smoke.  I pulled out the can and gave my kitchen and living areas a generous spray.  I am happy to say, dinner was delicious and the guests were breathing fresh air without a hint of smoke.  So, I’ll be keeping a can under my kitchen sink for future use.

Finally, be sure to maintain smoke alarms in your house per the steps above.  They could end up being a life saver in more ways than one.