Spring cleaning should be about cleaning and not about calling 911 or visiting Urgent Care. A few safety steps can keep the spring in your steps.

LAFD News & Information - Will Spring Cleaning Force You To Call 9-1-1?

“While your parents may have paralleled cleanliness as telltale to other things, your Neighborhood Firefighters can say that getting your household clean will often - but not always - makes things safer.

Having seen many of our neighbors needlessly injured while performing seasonal chores, the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department suggest you take a few simple steps to prepare for spring cleaning tasks.

It's easier - and more important than you think!

Like firefighters, we suggest you first consider the tools, training and logistics necessary to get the job done safely and efficiently.

While you may be tempted to use a cigarette lighter on a leaky pipe - or your least favorite screwdriver as a chisel, please know that others once had the same thought... shortly before the LAFD arrived to extinguish their house fire or take them to the hospital.

So what are we suggesting?

Your very first trip to the Do-It-Yourself Store should be for one or more of these items:

- Goggles or Safety Glasses
- Sturdy Leather Work Gloves
- Disposable Latex Gloves (for handling paints, pesticides, etc)
- Disposable Face Masks (for non-toxic dust)
- Earplugs or Earmuffs (for hearing protection)
- Sturdy Work Shoes with non-skid soles
- Knee or Elbow Pads
- Flashlight or Safety Lamp
- First Aid Kit
- Fire Extinguisher
- Instructional Literature

When it comes to tools, we suggest E-M-S: Examine, Maintain and properly Store. …

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It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt… (well okay, spring cleaning isn’t all that fun, but you get the idea).

Being “safe” when doing spring cleaning may not be your first thought, but in hindsight you might wish it had been. As the team at the LAFD (Go LA! :) point out, it is be far smarter to be safe up front and avoid any problems then it is to deal with the aftermath of not…