Electric Blanket Safety; 4 Simple Rules

12/28/2017 (Permalink)

Winter is here and so it is the season for snuggling up and staying warm; a job accomplished nearly perfectly by an electric blanket. Here are a few simple, easy to follow tips to ensure you stay nice and toasty, safely this winter, under your electric blanket.

1. Use a newer electric blanket (prior to 2001). Newer electric blankets have a shutoff mechanism to prevent the blanket from overheating or catching fire. Older blankets may not have this feature, and therefore run the risk of overheating. Older blankets are considered a fire hazard, and cannot be recommended. Electric blankets will save you money, so go ahead and spend a few bucks for a newer, safer blanket if you don’t already have one.
2. Don’t’ let your electric blanket get “bunched up”. Keep your blanket as flat as possible. Keeping your blanket flat will avoid air pockets, which can trap hot air and cause excessive heat build-up, particularly when your blanket is being used at higher settings.
3. Don’t lay objects on top of or underneath your electric blanket. An object, like a cell phone, can trap heat between itself and your blanket; potentially causing your blanket’s coils to overheat and possibly burn.
4. Don’t use an electric blanket with your infant or small child. It is not safe to use an electric blanket with infants and young children because of the risk for burns. Likewise, anyone who is helpless, paralyzed, insensitive to heat or incapable of understanding the control’s operation should not use an electric blanket.

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