In life I have discovered that it’s a good policy never to assume that something works, that the door is locked, that you have your ticket and passport in your backpack as you head to the airport. Over the last 20 years of inspecting homes, offices, hotels and everything else from Chinese restaurants to schools, the mantra of check first has saved me on numerous occasions.
I have turned on ovens and cooked a food processor, turned on a clothes dryer only to hear (too late) the unmistakable sound of paper and pens being mixed up (they had cleared everything from the kitchen, including all their bills and bank statements into the dryer to make the kitchen look good).
Dishwashers are another favorite hiding place for bread, breakfast cereals etc. Having discovered these things I have learned that it’s better to always open the door and check the interior before operating the stove, dishwasher or dryer.
Checking that the AC is not covered with a board and a rock, that the electric panel is not “live” before touching. Bringing all these thoughts to a conscious stream was last weeks dishwasher. Opening the door before operating it, I was amazed at what I found. It was full of everything from the kitchen including an electric toothbrush ! You may ask where is this going?
Home ownership involves ongoing maintenance, which can have unforeseen consequences if attention is not paid to everything you do. If you leave a ladder set up, check it again before you climb on it to make sure it is safe and secure.
If you are working on plumbing, that the water is actually shut off before you remove a faucet. That the breaker off and taped over with a notice before you do electrical work on the circuit elsewhere in the house.
Whatever you are doing around the home do not assume that there is no wiring or plumbing where you want to hang that picture, always check twice and do it once. Otherwise you will have to learn everything my way, the hard way, it just takes more time.
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