You’ve already decorated your home for Halloween tomorrow. But it won’t hurt to do a last-minute check to see that the pumpkin lights are still attached to the gutters and the skeletons and ghosts are firmly dancing on the siding. Use these Halloween safety tips to keep your family, property, and trick-or-treaters safe this fright night.
Disarm the security system.
While your security system is designed to keep you safe, turn it off during visiting hours on Halloween night. Because the front door will be opening and closing often, prevent false security alarms by disarming the system.
Tip: But don’t forget to turn it back on once the trick-or-treaters have gone – you will want to scare off any Halloween pranksters intent on egging the windows or TPing the trees.
Keep pets away from the action.
Put pets in a room, preferably somewhere as far away from the front door as possible. Even the calmest animal can become excited by a lot of visitors. The flipside is that some of your guests might not be used to pets and feel a little intimidated.
Tip: Turn on some music or the television – don’t forget to include some dog chews, a few pet toys, and a bowl of water.
Shine some light and make it bright.
The whole point of fright night is to give your guests a scare. But you also want them to be safe. The lights by your entry door and any other lights on your property should be bright and working properly. To shed light on the pathway that leads to your front door, use batter-operated motion detector lights.
Tip: Check labels for bulb requirements and use the highest wattage that is recommended.
Swap candles for LED lights.
To eliminate a potential fire hazard, use battery-powered candles for your carved pumpkins. They resemble the real thing, but LED candles are a lot safer.
Tip: Whether they are LED candles or pumpkin lights hanging from the gutters, check for any safety certifications – only purchase decorative lights that have one.
Give your sidewalk a clean sweep.
Sweep away dirt, leaves, and twigs from the sidewalk, any pathways children have to access to reach your front door, and the driveway. To further prevent accidents, ensure decorations are off to the side and not on the actual pavement.
Tip: Remove anything from around pathways, the entry door, and the entrance to your property that could be an obstacle for little feet and hands.
Do a final walk-around tonight.
Before Halloween night walk around your property. Check for the following:
- Cords that cross areas where people will be walking (porch, sidewalk, etc.) are secured with tape
- Outdoor outlets aren’t overloaded
- If you have a gate, it doesn’t squeak
Tip: Since the decorations have been up for a while, make sure that they are still securely fastened to the gutters, downspouts, or siding.
A picture’s worth a thousand words.
In the event that something should happen you will want to be prepared. Take pictures of your property before Halloween visitors arrive. If something is damaged such as a porch column, gate post, or window, take pictures from at least two different angles.
Tip: Review your home insurance plan’s coverage to see what might or might not be covered.
