These days, decluttering has become a byword. But for safety, entertaining and overall comfort, having these 10 essentials on hand can help ensure you are prepared for most anything:
- First aid kit – A fully-stocked first aid kit in the kitchen makes it easy to treat those cuts, burns and bruises when they happen. Be sure to check it every now and then to see what needs replacing.
- Rubber gloves – These hand protectors are a must for any kind of dirty work you need to do in your home or garage, from cleaning the oven to repairing the mower.
- Power outage needs – Keep flashlights in several rooms of your home, as well as easily accessible bottled water, candles, batteries, canned and/or packaged foods and a can opener.
- Fire extinguisher – Keep one in the kitchen, and in a two-story home, keep one upstairs as well.
- Basic tool set – A basic tool set consisting of hammer, nails, tacks, measuring tape and regular and Phillips head screwdrivers in several sizes will have you prepared for an infinite variety of household tasks.
- Baskets – Baskets can help transport and store all kinds of stuff to keep your home looking neater. Also, if unexpected guests show up, you can fill a basket with items you don’t want them to see and stash it out of sight.
- Bucket of rags – From cleaning up spilled messes to regular household cleaning, rags are a must-have tool. Made from anything from old towels to old clothes, they can be tossed into the washer for clean-up.
- Overnight guest basket – Overnight guests will appreciate the thoughtfulness of a basket stocked with toothpaste, toothbrush and bath essentials.
- Frozen cheese – Brie, blue cheese and hard cheeses freeze well and defrost quickly. They’re a great go-to when you have unexpected guests.
- The right knives – Cooking prep is easier when you have the right, well-sharpened knives on hand; paring knife, bread knife, chef’s knife and slicing knife.
