A Lesson Learned from the Fire Inspector

To me, one of the intimidating parts of the adoption process has been the home inspections. It is just a little weird to have strangers come into your house and poke around, ya know? We've had several inspections by different entities. One of these was done by our local Fire Inspector.

I have to tell you that I am super vigilant with fire safety. Twice we have had our next-door neighbor's house burn (both were gutted). I've actually become a little OCD about it. One Sunday, after getting to church, I drove the 10 miles back home because I did not remember unplugging the curling iron....the one with the automatic shutoff. And yes...I had unplugged it.

I was not terribly worried about the fire inspection.

We passed with flying colors. Our only problem was that the reflective numbers on our mailbox were 1/2 inch too small....I know, seriously?

Mr. Inspector was a gem, really. He reminded me of my dad. He gave me lots of great advice. I actually enjoyed his visit. There was one nugget of information that he shared that really surprised me.

Do you know what the #1 reason for 911 calls on behalf of children is? Get this...it is for ingesting dishwasher detergent. (At least in our area.) He said that it is some of the most caustic stuff in the house. When it comes into contact with moisture ~saliva~, it activates and causes severe chemical burns. He cautioned me to be extrememly vigilant with keeping it locked away.

I just wanted to share that with y'all. Those of us who stockpile have to be careful not only with the container we are using presently, but also with the containers that are stashed away for later. We've gotta keep those babies safe!