How can I keep my kitchen safe this holiday season?

Families all over Montana will be hosting holiday gatherings in their homes complete with lavish feasts. While preparing a meal for loved ones is certainly fun and fulfilling, it’s also important that you take the proper steps to keep you and guests your safe. Accordingly, Everyday Health recommends the following kitchen safety tips.

Keep multitasking to a minimum
Many kitchen whizzes attempt to do all aspects of a meal at once. While this may seem like the more convenient option, you have a higher risk of injury in the kitchen when you’re distracted. Try to get some of the preparation out of the way early so you don’t need to worry about doing everything on the day of the holiday. This will make for a more efficient and much safer cooking process.

Stay in the kitchen
While you may be tempted to interact with friends and family, it’s crucial that you stay in the kitchen while the meal is cooking. Leaving a hot stove unattended could lead to accidental burn injuries, and it can also result in disaster if a pot boils over or a pan catches fire. You may also want to limit the number of people in the kitchen while you’re preparing a meal, as this can lead to distractions.

Clear out kitchen clutter
A cluttered kitchen is far more of a fire hazard than a clean one. Make sure all flammable items are kept far away from open flames, including things like oven mitts and hand towels. Also, be sure that your fire alarms are working and turned on when cooking. Test fire alarms once a month while replacing batteries once a year to keep your home and its inhabitants protected.