Stay safe in the kitchen while preparing that holiday meal

Stay safe in the kitchen while preparing that holiday meal

Ready or not, the 2021 Holiday Season is upon us. With Thanksgiving coming up fast, many of us are already planning for the big feast and will soon be spending extra time in the kitchen. If plenty of meal prep and cooking is in your near future, you may want to keep in mind the following kitchen tips, that can help make your holiday safe and memorable …

• First, it doesn’t matter how good of a cook you are, your kitchen still needs smoke alarms that are in good working order. However, they should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home as well. For the best protection, your alarms should be interconnected so they all sound if one sounds. Before you fire up the oven and all those stovetop burners, make sure your smoke alarms are working properly.

• Next, make sure your oven and stovetop are free of grease and dust. You should also clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly (if you have not done that lately, pre-Thanksgiving would be a great time). Finally, make sure to vacuum the refrigerator coils every three months to prevent potentially dangerous dust build up. All this cleaning can help prevent grease fires.

• Here’s another tip that may sound simple, but it’s important to keep in mind, especially this time of year: When you’re entertaining holiday guests, it’s easier to forget that something is cooking on the stove or in the oven. So, it’s a good idea to use a kitchen timer to make sure your Thanksgiving dish does not become a fire hazard.

All your friends at GRDA wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

GRDA is Oklahoma’s largest public power electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.