Healthy Homes - Kitchen
Health and safety tips
- Keep your kitchen clean and uncluttered. Wash cutting boards and knives frequently. Wash your hands frequently.
- Properly prepare and store foods. Thoroughly cook raw foods such as meats, chicken and fish.
- Promptly repair leaking pipes to avoid water damage and mold growth.
- Keep flammable objects away from the stove.
- Maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Install and use an exhaust fan vented to the outdoors over gas stoves/ovens.
- Keep cleaning products out of reach of children.
- Keep medications out of reach of children.
Healthy drinking water
Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems, private ground water wells, natural springs and bottled water. Clean water is essential to healthy living. Most importantly water is needed for drinking to support a healthy mind and body. Water in the household is also needed for cooking, bathing, clothes washing and house cleaning. - See more at: tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/healthy-homes/hh/drinking-water.
Household product safety
What’s under your kitchen sink? Learn more about what’s in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling from the Consumer Product Infomation Database on the What's In Products Website.
Know the Poison Center number!
Put the nationwide Poison Center phone number of 1-800-222-1222 on or near every telephone in your home. You should also program it into your cellular phone. If you think someone has been poisoned and they are awake and alert, call Poison Control. If the person has collapsed or is not breathing, call emergency 911. You can reach the Poison Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with your questions and concerns.
Fire safety
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the two leading causes of fire in residential structures occur from heating and cooking activities. Smoke alarms are the crucial first line of defense in preventing home fires. “Get Alarmed” is a great video from the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office that provides the know-how to make smoke-alarm installations successful.
Additional resources
Tennessee Deaprtment of Health
Environmental Health Topics
www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/environmental-health-topics/eht.html
Consumer Product Information Database
What's in Products
www.whatsinproducts.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Protect the Ones you Love – Poisoning
www.cdc.gov/safechild/Poisoning/index.html
Healthy Water
www.cdc.gov/healthywater
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Private Drinking Water Wells
water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/index.cfm
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Energy Right
energyright.com/residential/education-advice
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home
www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_11880.PDF
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5 Tips for using your Microwave oven Safely
www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm048953.htm