If you’re a homeowner who likes to decorate for the fall festivities, then there are safe Halloween decorating guidelines to follow. Keep your property safe for visitors without sacrificing the festiveness of the season.
Safe Halloween Decorating: Take Care with Cords and Cables
Overloaded electrical circuits are a common issue with holiday light displays. For a safe Halloween decorating strategy, choose the correct extension cords for indoor and outdoor use. When you go to buy extension cords, check the labels to make sure they’re safe for outside. Once Halloween is over and you’re ready to take the decorations down, store similarly rated extension cords together and clearly label the storage totes.
Be wary of connecting together too many extension cords and drawing excessive electricity from a single outlet or circuit. Not only can this cause circuit breakers to trip in your home, but the cords themselves may overheat, which is a fire hazard.
Think Twice About Candles
Every Halloween display needs decorative lighting. Traditionally, candles were the go-to choice, but candles are a fire hazard, especially if you are welcoming groups of trick-or-treaters to your home. Many Halloween decorations are flammable, from costumes to cobwebs. Synthetic materials are often used that are highly combustible or prone to melting.
Instead of candles, use LED lighting for safe Halloween decorating. Halloween supply stores and your local home improvement stores sell LED candles that mimic the real thing, even putting off a realistic flicker.
Safe Halloween Decorating and Pumpkin Carving
Halloween simply wouldn’t be the same without carving pumpkins. But carving can be a dangerous activity, and precautions should be taken before getting started. Rather than using just any knife you find in the kitchen drawer, opt for a specialized pumpkin-carving kit. While these tools still have sharp edges, they are significantly safer to use than a chef’s knife.
Supervise children closely when carving pumpkins, advising them not to apply too much pressure. If they’re struggling to get through the pumpkin, lend a hand so that the cutting tool doesn’t slip and cause injury.
Clear Walkways
Safe Halloween decorating wouldn’t be complete without preparing for trick-or-treaters. Don’t put decorations where they could be tripping hazards or walked into by unsuspecting children. Keep your paths well lit and fill in any holes in the yard in case a trick-or-treater walks off the path.
Don’t let your pets roam the yard during hours when trick-or-treaters are expected in order to avoid any incidents, even if your dogs are friendly. You never know when a child may inadvertently upset an animal, and it’s not worth the risk. Clean the leaves off the porch so that no one slips and falls.
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