Avoiding accidents that lead to claims is an important part of keeping your home insurance rates low and also keeping your family safe. Make these safety checks part of your spring cleaning routine. 

Test Your Smoke Alarms 

Test each smoke detector in your home, including the ones you need a ladder to reach. Most have a test button that you push to make sure they will sound in an emergency.

You should also be familiar with your model of smoke alarm and how often you need to change the batteries. Some recommend a few months, others a few years, and others have you replace the entire unit instead of the battery. 

Check Your Fire Extinguisher 

Check your fire extinguisher to make sure it's ready to use. Most have a gauge to show if they're properly charged as well as an expiration date by which you should have them inspected by a professional or replaced. Be sure you know how to use your fire extinguisher and what types of fires it can handle. There are different types of fire extinguishers for things like cooking grease fires and electrical fires. Make sure your fire extinguisher is easily accessible and not buried in a closet. 

Remove Clutter 

If you trip over things in the dark, think about what would happen if you ever had a fire in the middle of the night. Remove any clutter and move any furniture that blocks you from having a clear exit path from each room in your home to an exterior door. 

Consider Childproofing 

If you don't have small children, you might not routinely childproof your home. But think about what would happen if your friends or family stopped by with their own children. As a manner of general safety, make sure your dressers, shelves, and other narrow furniture are properly secured to the wall to avoid them tipping over onto a person of any size. You may also want to make sure that bleach and other dangerous chemicals aren't reachable by a child who slips out of sight for a few seconds. 

Check Your Pool 

As pool season approaches, make sure your pool remains safe. Inspect any gates, fences, and screens securing your pool to make sure they're still in good shape. If you use an alarm to warn you if someone falls in, now is the time to test it.