Home Safety Tips: Change Your Clock Change Your Batteries #StillGoing

Is November 6th, 2016 marked on your calendar?

If not, make sure it is because it’s the official “fall season” Daylight Savings!  On November 6th, all clocks are turned backward 1 hour, making sunrise and sunset about 1 hour earlier. Or – as I like to think of it – the morning will be lighter and the evening will be darker.  It’s always right around this time of year when I start to really miss the warm and bright summer months!

With Daylight Savings (almost) upon us, it’s also the perfect time to keep in mind your family’s safety at home and keep your family organized. As you’re in the routine of changing your clocks, allow this time to be a great opportunity to also change the batteries in devices around your home and to stay on top of twice-annual organizational home to-dos.

First up? Home safety, which is the most important for me and my family.

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With 5 kids, safety is my top priority for them and it’s such an important time of year to stay on top of all the devices in your home that protect your family and keep you safe.

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As part of the annual Change Your Clock Change Your Batteries™ program, Energizer encourages you to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks.

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It is a simple, life-saving habit that can keep you and your family safe in your home. With the winter months ahead of us, home fires are more apt to occur, so it really is imperative to make sure you’ve checked and changed the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It can save your life and your family’s lives. For 29 years, the Energizer® brand has partnered with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to help keep families safe through the Change Your Clock Change Your Batteries™ program.  The National Fire Protection Association reports that 71% of smoke alarms which failed to operate had missing, disconnected or dead batteries. This truly does reinforces how important it is to take this time each year to check these safety devices.

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Now with the growing number of devices we rely on to keep us safe and secure, it is also a good time to check your smart thermostat, home surveillance cameras, door lock management device, bedside flashlights, portable chargers or home security system for working batteries. Don’t overlook these items! We learned a valuable lesson when the boys were little and we first moved into our home. The power went out one night and we hadn’t changed any batteries in our flashlights, it was so dark and we couldn’t get to the boys as quickly because we couldn’t see! To this day, the boys still remember how frightened they were. Since then, we’ve always made sure to continuously check and change the batteries in all of our flashlights – and now keep them in every single bedroom upstairs!

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Also, it’s important to note too that Home Safety and security has evolved beyond smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Many families (like us) rely on other home devices connected to the Internet or their smartphones, also known as the Internet of Things, to enhance safety and security. We have our home security system synced to our smartphones, so we’re always in the know and connected – even when we’re not physically home. I love that Energizer provides smart energy for smart devices with a variety of battery sizes and products across their vast portfolio that powers these connected home devices.

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As you’re checking and changing the batteries in all of these important devices that keep you safe, connected and powered up, take a look through this list of these twice-annual organizational home to-dos to add into your Daylight Savings home routine:

    1. Flip the mattresses in your home. Rotating your mattress can double the life of your mattress. My parents did this throughout my childhood and we’ve done this with our kids’ mattresses since they transferred to “big boy” beds.
    2. Deep clean your major appliances – fridge, oven, dishwasher, microwave. As every homeowner knows, you constantly are cleaning and staying on top of your appliances. Twice a year it’s important to really take the time to do a deep cleaning.
    3. Steam clean your carpets – we do this 2 times a year without fail! It saves the carpets and makes them look brand new!
    4. Fall cleaning and a spring cleaning – take a weekend and go through your house with your family and really take note as to what you don’t need – toys, clothing, books, household items, lamps, baby items, etc. It’s such a great opportunity to donate items that aren’t being used any longer.
    5. Clean all the vents. This is something my husband has really gotten into the habit of doing 2x a year.
    6. Wash (or change out) shower curtain and liner. It makes a huge difference!
    7. Wash curtains. All the dust you don’t see will disappear. It’s like hanging new curtains.
    8. Clean out the garage and attic spaces.
    9. Power wash inside and outside of the windows. My father-in-law loves to do this when he visits our house.

Make sure you’re staying on top of seasonal decor/inside and outside items. Store them away or take them out to be displayed. Don’t be the ones who have Christmas lights up year-round.

Hopefully this lists helps get you in the mode! Love for you to share any additional things that you do at home, too.

Make sure you keep these important reminders top of mind to keep you and your family safe, sound and comfortable throughout the fall and winter season. Join me, along with Energizer, in embracing change this season, and change your clock and your batteries on Daylight Savings Time, November 06, 2016!

Head over to Energizer here to see products, home safety tips, fire safety activities.

Disclosure: Sponsored posting with Energizer. All opinions are 100% my own.

 

 

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About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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8 Comments

  1. 11.1.16
    Saidah said:

    We used to use the time change to remind us to change our smoke detector batteries, but now it’s wired to the power in our home so there are no batteries. That’s so weird.

  2. 11.1.16
    Scott said:

    I’m so bad at changing them when we set our clocks. I don’t remember the clocks until bedtime, and no way I want to run around and change batteries that time of night!

  3. 11.2.16
    CourtneyLynne said:

    Ooooo great reminder here!!! When I go grocery shopping this week I will have to buy some batteries and change anything battery operated in the house!

  4. 11.3.16

    Oh, There is so much that I need to do. I haven’t been flipping our mattresses. Going to make a list and get some of these done ASAP!

  5. 11.3.16
    Carrie said:

    This is such a great reminder. We always changed our batteries when time changed as well. We actually changed time here in Norway a week ago. So no more falling back.

  6. 11.3.16
    Brandy said:

    It is that time of year! Changing the batteries in smoke detectors (and carbon monoxide detectors) is so important, especially this time of year when we will start running the furnace more.

  7. 11.3.16
    Pam said:

    We need to remember to change our batteries this weekend. I think that it has been awhile for us. I love all of your home safety tips. Cleaning out the dryer vent all the way out is an important one also. Glad everyone is getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend.

  8. 11.3.16

    You’re right, it’s the perfect time of the year to make sure your batteries are fresh all around your home! Thanks for the reminder!

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