Top 5 ways to stay safe from Carbon Monoxide this winter #PGmom

The Big Questions Before a Sleepover Happens

Before we became parents I know we didn’t think of safety as important and we took those risks you never want your child to take. Good thing we had kids because that changed everything. I will never forget the first time Miss C was going for a sleep over at Nana’s house. It was her first sleep over ever and Daddy walked around the house checking all the fire alarms. To our surprise Nana and Grandpa didn’t have a Carbon Monoxide detector. Daddy made it top priority and brought one for them as soon as possible. Since than Miss C has spent the night at friends and yes that is the question we still ask the parents. Are your fire alarms tested? Do you have a Carbon Monoxide detector? It may or may not seem silly but our children are our blessing and we take every precaution to put their safety first!

Did you know? Ontario recently made installing Carbon Monoxide alarms in homes a mandatory act.

Since the colder weather is just around the corner and furnaces firing up once again, Duracell and First Alert have teamed up to share critical carbon monoxide safety tips to help keep you and your family safe.

Duracell and First Alert’s top five CO tips for winter:

1. Get a professional to check your furnace, your appliances and ensure your chimney is cleaned properly.

We have a calendar set for the end of each Summer to have our furnace checked. It cost about $150 but gives us the peace of mind everything is clean and in working order. Although for the most part we heat our home with our wood stove, which mean each Spring my husband sweeps the chimney to ensure it is ready for the next season.

2. Install at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal near the sleeping areas in your home, and have at least one alarm on each level.

When my hubby started putting alarms everywhere I thought it was a little over board but now I feel much safer knowing we are well prepared and putting our children’s safety first. 

3. During power outages, if running a generator be sure to operate it in a well-ventilated area.

This is a great tip. Although we haven’t had an outage that required us to start our generator, we used one each summer at the cottage and we kept it on the back deck. 

4. Use the time change this month as a reminder to test your CO detector and change its batteries with Duracell AA batteries.

We have been using this tip for years. Each spring and fall we change our batteries with Duracell. We have cheapen out in the pass and they never seem to last the 1/2 a year till the next change. The batteries we take out, we put them in a clearly marked baggie and use them for the kids toys. They usually still have juice left but we feel confident putting new batteries in all our detectors twice a year. 

5. While it may be tempting to warm up the car on cold days, don’t leave your car running in the garage even if the garage door is open.

We don’t have the luxury of putting our wheels in the garage but I am sure if it was, it would be much warmer than sitting in the driveway? 

Intrigued to learn more?

For more on CO prevention be sure to check out the First Alert website at www.firstalert.ca. Duracell 9V and AA batteries are available at mass retailers nationwide for a suggested MRP of $7.99 (2pk and 8pk respectively).

Thank you for reading In R Dream! 

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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