The holidays are here, and cooking for them often requires a lot of electricity. It’s important to keep electrical safety in mind while you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner!

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), Thanksgiving remains the leading day for cooking fires, with three times as many cooking fires as an average day. In order to help our customers avoid a kitchen disaster, we put together 3 electrical safety tips to keep in mind while cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. 

1. Keep Your Kitchen Clean

Surprisingly, a clean kitchen plays a big role in reducing electrical fire hazards. Crumbs and debris can get caught in outlets and cause a fire. That’s why it’s important to wipe down countertops and other surfaces after cooking. We also recommend pulling out your refrigerator and other appliances to sweep out from beneath them. This will keep your electrical appliances free of debris.

2. Don’t Overcrowd Outlets

Let’s face it, you’ll probably have every kitchen appliance you own on full blast this Thanksgiving, but it’s important not to overcrowd outlets! For example, if you’re using the hand mixer and blender at the same time, don’t plug them into the same outlet. This precaution will prevent shortages from occurring. If you don’t have enough outlets in your kitchen, you can always give our expert electricians a call to install more!

3. Unplug Appliances

Always unplug appliances when you’re done cooking. While you don’t have to unplug built-in appliances such as your refrigerator or microwave, unplugging smaller appliances will help reduce the risk of an electrical fire. After the table is set, make sure all small appliances are unplugged and put away because no one wants to walk into a fire-blazing kitchen with a belly full of turkey! 

Electrical safety in the kitchen is always important, but it’s a good idea to be extra cautious when preparing a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner. If you need help preparing your home for the holidays, call our professional electricians!