As a homeowner, or home renter, you may be aware of the safety risks in your home- mold, lit candles, leaks, cracks, standing water, and so many more. But have you thought of the risks associated with common household items? While many of the items listed below won’t cause a direct threat to you or a loved one, when they come in close contact with fire (i.e., a candle, stove tops, or other open flames) they cause a severe risk to not only you, but your entire place of residence. To properly protect your home against the threats of a fire, keep in mind these extremely flammable common household items:
- Aerosol cans— The propellants in aerosol cans are combinations of ignitable gases causing them to be extremely flammable. Never attempt to spray an aerosol can that has been sitting in direct sunlight, the heat that builds up in the can may cause an explosion. An explosion can similarly happen if you spray the contents of the can in the direction of an open flame. It is always best practice to never use aerosol cans in the same vicinity as an open flame, as the contents can travel further in the air than you would expect.
- Cleaners— Many household cleaners like Bleach, Pine-sol, and any cleaner contained in an aerosol have been considered highly flammable. Always keep products away from children and pets, as they can also cause harm if ingested or inhaled.
- Nail polish remover— Ever get a headache when removing your nail polish, or painting your nails? That’s because the acetone contained in your nail polish remover has the ability to travel through the air as a vapor. These vapors, along with the bottle of nail polish remover itself, are highly flammable. Vapors from nail polish removers can travel a far distance in the air, so be sure to never use this product with an open flame nearby.
- Rubbing alcohol— This one is a pretty common flammable object, but did you know after it’s applied to your skin it is also highly flammable? Be sure to never touch or go near an open flame if you have gotten some of this stuff on your skin!
- Hand sanitizer— Since the days of Covid19, hand sanitizer has become a regular household product. This product contains alcohol, which we discussed above, and is also considered highly dangerous. It is recommended that hand sanitizer is not kept in the same pocket, or purse as cigarettes and a lighter if you’re a smoker for fear that the top of your lighter may still be hot after use, causing the hand sanitizer to potentially catch fire.
- Laundry products–Detergent pods, liquid, and powders are all highly flammable laundry products. These products should always be kept in cool locations away from pets and children.
Along with these common garage items:
- Oily rags— Just as you fear grease fires when you’re frying inside your home on your stove, oil and grease from automobile parts on a rag also pose a high flame risk.
- Antifreeze— Because of the chemical makeup of antifreeze it’s one of the most common garage fire starters. Be sure to always keep your antifreeze in a cool dark location.
- Pesticides— Are both highly flammable and highly explosive materials. Similar to gas and other household substances, pesticides give off fumes that may impact your lungs and respiratory system.
- Paints— More times than not, paints are oil based or contain high levels of solvents. These solvents and oils are highly flammable and should be handled with care and never around open flames.
- Thinners— Have very low flashpoints, causing them to be flammable. As stated by the Oxford dictionary: a flashpoint is the temperature at which a particular organic compound gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in air.
- Gas— Have you seen those signs around the gas pumps, “No Smoking,” this is the same concept inside your garage near your gas can that is filled up to top off your lawn mower or other lawn equipment. Gas is EXTREMELY flammable and should always be treated with care. Fumes from gas may also cause serious harm to your lungs and respiratory system.
