Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. this Sunday (March 13, 2022) – which means you’ll need to remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night (and perhaps to plan on drinking a little extra coffee Monday morning).
But changing the clock isn’t the only thing you should do this weekend. It’s also a perfect time to conduct a whole-home safety check. Below, find a safety checklist, provided by the experts at the St. Tammany Parenting Center, to keep your family protected.
Change the clocks, change the batteries. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors save lives – if they're powered on by a fresh battery. Safety experts recommend replacing smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year, so celebrate the time change with fresh batteries all around.
Make sure you have a fire escape plan and practice getting out of your home in less than two minutes. (Note: If you don’t have working smoke alarms, contact your local Red Cross and they will come and install free smoke alarms complete with 10-year lithium batteries.}
Replace light bulbs. Since you'll have stepladders out to reach smoke detectors and clocks, double up on safety (and energy savings) by checking for light bulbs that need changing.
Consider replacing conventional bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent or LCD bulbs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that replacing standard bulbs with energy-efficient ones saves over $30 in electricity costs over their lifetime.
Prepare for colds, flu ... and COVID-19. Check the medicine cabinet and assess your stocks of over-the-counter medications. Do you have sufficient COVID home tests, non-aspirin fever reducers, cough syrup, and decongestants on-hand? Has the thermometer gone missing? If your household will need specialty equipment or medical supplies, add items like “pulse-ox reader” or “disposable masks” to the shopping list.
In the pantry, a stockpile of canned soup and lemon-lime soda can ease cold symptoms and fight off dehydration – and don't forget to stock up on disposable tissues for all those coughs and sneezes. In the kitchen, work to stockpile a two-week supply of easy-to-prepare foods to feed the family in the event of illness or lockdown.