LAST Thanksgiving, I learned a valuable safety tip: be careful when using a foil roasting pan. It can puncture and fat can drip in the oven, resulting in a fire.
All this caused quite some excitement because 22 people were waiting to be fed. We managed to save the turkey, though, and the oven suffered no long-term harm. But the incident reminded me that when we prepare meals and our homes for the holidays, most of us tend to concentrate on how nice everything will look and taste. We don’t really think about keeping our guests safe.
Cynthia Weber, a decorator in Ontario, remembers a similar situation.
She was at her aunt’s house for Christmas. “Boughs of pine were elegantly draped over the crystal chandelier above a stunning centerpiece of candles.” Everyone was seated at a formal dinner, complete with Waterford crystal and Limoges plates. Then, a candle lighted the pine on fire. Alarms went off and the security system started calling.
“We couldn’t swat at it because it was in midair attached to a crystal chandelier,” Ms. Weber said.
Her aunt, thinking quickly, went to get wet tea towels and smothered the flames.
“But everybody felt a little singed,” Ms. Weber said.
As the holidays approach, people start poring over decorating magazines and online sites and “get completely fixated on everything looking beautiful even if it’s completely impractical,” she said.
Most of us think first of beauty, then comfort, then safety, said David Mauldin, owner of the home repair company House Medic, based in Austin, Tex.
“That order should be reversed,” he said.
It may not be a Hallmark saying, but I strongly believe that a good holiday is one where you avoid the emergency room.
Start with the first impression your house will make. Is there adequate lighting, even in rain and fog? Is there a loose step?
As for beauty, take a hard look at your front door. Last year, my colleague Bob Tedeschi wrote a great article on how to spruce up your front door for the holidays, taking on everything from picking out a new doormat to installing new door handles and locks.
If you don’t want to do it yourself, Mr. Mauldin said his company, which is a franchise of HouseDoctors.com, can make a front door look almost like new in a few hours.
Although garlands draped over banisters can be festive, don’t forget that handrails serve an important practical function, Ms. Weber said.
“People are sometimes afraid to touch the banisters if they’re decorated,” she said. Securing a decoration to the outside of the rails allows people to still use them.
When your guests enter your house, make sure they’re not assaulted with an overload of smells. Hold back on the scented candles, Ms. Weber said, because the combination of food and perfume can become overwhelming.
We often entertain more people than usual at holidays and drag out card tables or folding chairs that we use only annually. Check to be sure that they’re in good operating order. At another Thanksgiving my family attended years ago, the beautifully laid table collapsed just as the turkey was placed on it.
And while dishes of colorful candies can be attractive, they can also be a choking hazard for toddlers, Ms. Weber said. Place them high enough so that children can reach them only with an adult’s help.
The bathroom may not be the first place you think of when entertaining, but it is a room a lot of guests will visit while in your house. Always make sure there’s a fairly full roll of toilet paper and if necessary, an extra one in easy sight. Finding the host to inquire about more toilet paper is never enjoyable.
Speaking of places to escape to, it’s not a bad idea, if possible, to set up a “quiet room” with no music or decorations for someone who needs to nurse a baby or recover from a headache, Ms. Weber said.
If you’re having houseguests stay over a night or more, the bathroom becomes even more important. Wet hair, steam and an unfamiliar shower can be a recipe for disaster.
“Most accidents happen when people are stepping from one wet surface to another,” Mr. Mauldin said. So make sure there’s a nonslip mat outside your shower.
Sometimes people want to go the extra distance to ensure their older guests’ safety in the bath and buy grab bars that stick to the walls with suction.
E-mail: shortcuts@nytimes.com
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/your-money/advice-for-keeping-holiday-parties-and-guests-safe.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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