Thursday, October 13, 2016

4 Household Items That Can Save You Life During An Emergency

In case of an emergency or impending natural disaster, instead of rushing to the store and buying everything off the shelves, start building up your food storage and emergency supplies now. Buy a little extra the next time you go to the grocery store just in case.


However, you may be surprised to find that you can use regular household items in an emergency if needed. If you find yourself facing a disaster, check out these four useful items you can use:

1. A crayon can work as a candle
First off, you need to make sure you have a stash of matches or lighters. This way you can light candles if the power goes out. If the power is out and you have plenty of matches but no candles, have no fear: the crayon is here to save you. Secure the base of the crayon with some tinfoil (so it won't tip over) and light the crayon at the top of its paper wrapping. The paper serves as the wick for the waxy crayon. This childhood staple will burn for at least 30 minutes, depending on the size of the crayon.

2. Duct tape can fix pretty much anything
Duct tape can patch holes, fix things that are broken or be used to form a sling. It can reseal packages of food, serve as flypaper, wrap a sprained ankle or splint a broken bone and so much more. You'll want to keep several rolls handy in case of an emergency.

3. Salt has over 14,000 uses
Here are some of the more practical uses perfect for an emergency:

  • Alleviate pain from bug bites or stings
  • Combined with water, it will kill weeds and poisonous plants like poison ivy
  • A salt bath will bring down the swelling of small wounds and draw out infection
  • Throw in some salt when you wash your clothes so they won't freeze if you air dry them in the winter
  • It will preserve foods, especially meats
  • Salt melts ice
  • Salt in wet shoes will help them dry faster and reduce stinky smells
  • Combine salt with baking soda to use as toothpaste or a stain remover
  • Line windows and doorways with salt to prevent ants from coming indoors
4. Bleach can sanitize drinking water

Bleach will come in handy because it contains the necessary properties to sanitize your drinking water. First and foremost, it's important to keep a storage of purified drinking water. If all of your clean drinking water has run out in an emergency or you don't have any in the first place, use bleach to sanitize your water. Use ¼ teaspoon of bleach per one gallon of clear drinking water or ½ teaspoon per one gallon of cloudy, filtered drinking water. Before drinking, let the mixture stand for at least 30 minutes to ensure it's completely sanitized.

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