How to Deal with Common Household Disasters

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   This is dreadful, isn't it? It’s even worse if it’s not your cat and it’s a stray that managed to get inside. Either way, you’ll need to control the urge to attack the cat– and aim for the carpet instead.
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   Protect yourself with gloves.
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   Soak up what you can with paper towels.
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   Spray the area with a vinegar and water solution (or simply dab if you don’t have a spray bottle).
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   Blot the area liberally with bicarbonate of soda and then spray with a laundry stain remover.
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   Allow the area to dry and vacuum well (several times over). You may need to brush the area to loosen dried bicarb. [You may also want to take your cat to the vet; avoiding the litter tray is the first sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI).]

Whether it’s a bird, a raccoon or a squirrel, a wild animal can do some damage. It’s not just a matter of knocking over your crystal champagne glasses either; they can damage furniture and carpets in their desperate quest to hide. And that’s if they don’t get too close to the people in the house. But you shouldn't go running for the broom (that will only frighten them more); instead you should:

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   Stop panicking and put on some boots.
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   Turn off all the lights and close all the curtains. 
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   Open all the doors (even if it is the middle of winter) and wait patiently in a corner until your guest has gone. After this, you should do a clean sweep of the house.
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   Look for any damages or waste the animal may have left behind. Then vacuum to remove any trace and hire a carpet cleaner as soon as you can.

Okay, you can’t use your knees as an accurate measure for when to panic. The truth is that you shouldn't even have a centimeter of water on the floor– any floor. The most likely cause for this is a plumbing malfunction (as the weather usually stays outside) and, unfortunately, you’ll need to keep your wits about you before that ulcer rears its ugly head.

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   Shut off your electricity at the mains. Most likely, these will be high off the ground, and you’ll be able to reach them.But if there are any plugs on the ground, or the water has risen over plug points, just get out of there.
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   Make sure that any and all plugs and wires are nowhere near the water.
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   If you can’t switch off the mains, call emergency services. Then call an emergency plumber unless you know exactly what you’re doing. You can’t begin cleaning or draining until the source of the problem is gone. Depending on the length of time your flooring was submerged, you may be able to salvage it.
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   Allow as much fresh air to circulate in the area (using fans if you need), while it dries.  But, hire a steam carpet cleaner before it is fully dried or you’ll always have a smell.

It happens to the best of people, and usually at the worst possible moment. That’s because, unless you’re genuinely rushed, you've taken precautions, like resting your phone safely on the counter. Unfortunately, neither the toilet nor the phone is usable until you separate them, so it's time to get stuck in.

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   DON’T flush the toilet!
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   Get your gloves on.You’ll feel better about it, even if you haven’t just used the toilet.
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   Reach in and pull it out.
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   If you can’t get it out on your own call a plumber (and yes, you’ll probably have to borrow a phone from the neighbors to do this).
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   If your phone is worth it, lay it open (with the battery and SIM card removed) on a towel.  Then, get it off to a repair shop. But, no matter what, you’ll probably need to rearrange your day to deal with this.

Oh, the idea of a roaring fire in winter.  There’s something about it that is just so comforting. But it’s still a fire, and it should be treated like the deadly disaster it can be.Which means you should never rush it.Take the time to make sure you've opened the dampers first.And, if you haven’t, then here’s what you need to do:

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   Try to open the damper with fire tongs. If you can’t, then limit the damage by closing doors and windows (which should also keep the fire calm for a few moments).
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   Get children and animals out of the house.
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   Use a fire extinguisher to put it out. Don’t use water (unless you’re planning a renovation).
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   Try to control the frantic beating of your heart. Unfortunately, you’re going to have a mess. Use a vacuum to remove residue from the floors; warm water and powdered detergent applied with a soft cloth is the best way to remove soot marks from the walls.

Now, you probably have no control over this whatsoever (unless of course you've not paid the rates, in which case you've got bigger fish to fry).And, usually, this happens in the heat of summer or in the frighteningly deadly cold of winter. But, whenever it happens, there are a few steps you need to take:

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   Uncover your alternate light sources (candles, emergency lights, torches).
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   Turn off any cookers, electrical heaters, hairdryers, etc. that were on before the power went off.
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   When you need to open the fridge or the freezer, remove anything that is starting to smell straight away, but don’t arbitrarily open the doors. There’s not much you can do in this situation.
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   While you've got natural light, tidy anything obstructing your footpath.
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   Take all weather related precautions, especially if you are caring for children or the elderly.

And you were having such a fabulous time, weren't you? Oh well, hopefully you've not had too much. You’ll need to take action quickly here, or you’ll be left with a stain. And, that’s never cheap. Although this isn't likely to do more than set your teeth on edge, you can certainly wow your guests with your supreme red wine stain cleaning methods.

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   Keep the area damp. Once it dries, you’re done for.
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   Blot the area with paper towel (or a clean cloth). 
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   Add water (at room temperature) to the area to dilute as you blot.
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   Mix a quick solution of 1 tbsp dish soap, 1 tbsp white vinegar, and 2 cups of lukewarm water and pat the area until it’s clean.^[1]- If you don’t have vinegar on hand, or you honestly can’t attend to the spill immediately, liberally sprinkle salt over the area and spray with water occasionally until you can attend to it.
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   Strangely enough, white wine will work in the place of water.Of course, now you’re down at least one glass of red wine, so you should probably hold on to that.

This is truly a pain, isn't it? And although it tends to happen more frequently with older plumbing, that’s no guarantee. This may be one of the most disgusting disasters to happen in your home, but it’s by no means the most dangerous. So instead of losing your cool be thankful it’s just a toilet.

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   Stop flushing the toilet. Once should be enough for you to see the water level rising.
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   Try to determine the cause of the blockage. If it’s a child’s toy or your cell phone, you’ll need to go in there with your hands.
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   If it is biological waste, or a paper clog, grab the nearest plunger.
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   Work slowly; frantic movements tend to make it worse. If you can’t remove the block within a few minutes– call a plumber. You've probably already thought of it, but you’ll want to grab some gloves and line the area around your toilet with newspapers or old towels.This really helps with cleanup if there is an overflow (and the gloves will help you with that nasty feeling you get when you have to stick your hand in the toilet).

It doesn't matter if it’s that glass of red wine that shattered or a vase with fresh flowers, this can be dangerous. From cut feet (and the blood that follows) to infection, this can be a disaster. Stop moving as soon as this happens. Root yourself in one place while you check yourself for any cuts and observe the floor around you. If you've got any injuries, attend to them first.

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   Put on some shoes.
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   Carefully pick up any large pieces of glass and rest them on a sheet of newspaper.
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   Use a broom and dustpan on the first pass over the area. Empty onto the newspaper. Carefully run a damp paper towel over the area.
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   Vacuum the area.
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   Gently wrap the newspaper over the glass, using as many sheets as you can.  Tuck this into a plastic bag and tie closed.

This may seem like a perfectly harmless household disaster, but it can actually be quite sinister.The truth is that what’s inside of a vacuum cleaner should never be in your lungs, and you’ll need to take steps to prevent that from happening.

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   Get yourself and everyone else out of the room. Try to seal off the area by closing doors.
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   Give the dust time to settle (as long as you can, close to an hour).
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   Clean up the bulk of the mess the old fashioned way.
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   Buy a new vacuum cleaner.
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