Milford chronicle., 1959-04-24
Spring, Health Board
Says, is Time For
House Cleaning

Spring is traditionally the time
to clean up, clear out, paint up
and do a general sprucing up. Il
is also the time of year wher
people suffer a rash of needless
preventable accidents. Spring
Cleaning should be approached
with a safe and sane plan. In
stead of Growing everything into
two or three days, do a little at a
time. Fatigue mental and physical
often cause accidents.
One only needs to do things the
safe way to insure that this Spr-
ing's Spring Cleaning" will be
free from injury for every member
of the family
Your State Board of Health Off
ers the following suggestions to
help make your Spring Cleaning a
happy productive undertaking.
Inside the home: It's a very diff
cult to do good cleaning job when
the homemaker has to keep one
eye on her work and the other on
the small child. Detergents, clean
ers, polishes and a host of other
cleaning, polishing and sanitizing
agents will be brought out and all
too often placed within easy reach
of hte small child. These products
are useful and valuable servants
when properly used. But, Needless
accidental poisoning can often re-
suit IL they are swallowed by an
inquisitive child. Use only what
you need and return the product
to a safe place where the small
child can not get it.
Many homemakers will shortly
begin the task of moth proofing
their homes and clothing. This is
a valuable practice. Here, too,
however, parents should exercise
extreme caution by not leaving
moth proofing crystals, powder,
or mothballs where children can
get them. All these products are
extremely toxic to small children.
Check the equipment you are
using for defects. If you are using
a ladder, make sure there are no
broken rungs or splits in the wood.
Be sure, too, that your shoes and
the ladder are free of mud, grease
of oil and when climbing grip the
ladder firmly with your hands and
place your feet squarely on the
rungs. Tops of stepladders are not
meant for standing. Many people
are hurt every year by falling from
ladders.
Don't give fire chance to start
in your home. Clear out the accum-
ulation in the attic, basement,
storeroom and garage. Old news
papers, magazines, broken furni-
ture which you'll never repair, old
clothes, unused paints and solvents
all are potential fire hazards.
Clean them out today. And while
you're cleaning out, let's chuck
those old medicines you aren't us
ing any more! Most old prescrip-
tions have lost their original str
ength or Increased to dangerous
proportions. Saving them is not a
frugal practice but a foolish one.
Remember-falls kill an average
of $4,000 in home accidents ann
ually. When you wax your floors,
be sure and use a nOn-skid wax.
Apply your floor wax in a thin
coat and buff it thoroughly to
make it less slippery. Ask the man
of the house 10 go through your
home and check all your electrical
appliances and cords for defects.
Be sure and replace all worn cords
and defective equipment.
What are some of the "booby
traps" around the outside of your
home? Stumps. holes. and rocks
should be eliminated before they
cause falls or become a hazard
when you NOW your lawn. Nails,
old lumber, glass, wire and tin
cans cause falls as well as cuts
and puncture wounds. These haz-
ards can be eliminated with very
little effort on your part so,
let's get at it! Don't wait until
someone is injured before you do.
If you are going to burn your
trash, choose spot away from
the house and other buildings.
Pick a calm day when the wind
won't blow your burning trash.
Keep children away from the fire
and have a pail OF water and SHOW
ell ready in case your fire should
spread.
Don't leave your rakes, shovels,
lawn mowers and garden tools
lying in the yard. The thing to do
during the spring cleanup period
this year is to look around for the
little things that breed accidents :
both inside and outside your home
such as: pieces of equipment,
dangerous habits and eliminate
them. Take your time to do the job
properly and use your common
sense.