Asking if your laundry room is safe probably seems like a silly question; why wouldn’t it be? Despite being so frequently used, many homeowners don’t know about the hidden dangers hanging out in the laundry room. Thankfully, these dangers can be remedied with just a little maintenance, so it’s fairly easy to get your laundry room back to being safe. What are these hidden dangers?
Most likely the largest danger of the laundry room is one we talk about often—the risk of fire. If you aren’t cleaning your lint trap out after every load of clothing dried, then you’re letting lint build up, which essentially creates a bundle of tinder for a fire. That’s not the only way a fire can get started, though. Your dryer vent can also become clogged up with lint (and dust), both of which are quick to catch a flame. This is why it’s so vital to have your dryer vents professionally cleaned once a year.
And, unfortunately, a clogged dryer vent can do more than just catch fire if you aren’t careful. If you own a gas dryer and that vent is clogged by lint and debris, then carbon monoxide fumes that should be dispersing through the vent will instead end up dispersing into your home, putting your family at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s yet another reason to ensure your vents are professionally cleaned each year.
Your dryer isn’t the only thing in the laundry that poses danger, though. What else could be harmful? Well, where do you keep all your laundry pre-treatments and detergents? If you have small children in your home, these should be tightly sealed and kept far out of reach of little hands. The same goes for if you make homemade detergent. Often, homemade detergents will be stored in whatever bottle or container is lying around and handy. But if that resembles a drinking bottle and it isn’t properly labeled as detergent, you could have a disaster on your hands.
Another hidden danger? The rubber hoses that lead to your washing machine. If these hoses fray or crack, they could burst and flood your laundry room. You certainly don’t want to have to deal with that, so check these hoses regularly or replace them with reinforced braided hoses that are more durable.
Then, there’s your dryer and washing machine themselves. How are these appliances dangerous? If they don’t lock, pets and small children could get inside (because dryers and washing machines make excellent hiding spots!). And animals and children could easily get locked inside and be stuck until someone realizes they’re missing and finds them. If your machines don’t already lock, invest in a good child-proof lock to keep your family safe.
As you can see, there are more dangers hidden in your laundry room than you might have imagined! Luckily, most are easily made safer with just a bit of work. So, keep those dryer vents cleaned, store detergents and chemicals safely, check hoses, and be sure your dryer and washing machine lock to keep your home safe.
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