Behind the Scenes in episode 3: Secure That Kitchen!

Sue and the Crew in Wannabehippie's Kitchen

The Gingerys have a very open and inviting home. Their kitchen opens out to their living room and feels like the center of the house. Like many of us however, storage is an issue, particularly in the kitchen.

One of the very first things we noticed on our walk-through were the collection of heavy kitchen appliances stored on top of their kitchen cabinets.

Those appliances, along with unsecured cabinets, and a refrigerator that’s not anchored combined to make their inviting kitchen a very dangerous place to be in an earthquake.  That was why we chose the watermelon demonstration to make clear to them just how important for their family it was for them to secure their kitchen.  First we showed them the different variety of cabinet safety latches and helped them get installed. Next we assisted them in securing their refrigerator with a set of heavy-duty appliance straps. This was all after we got them to move all of their heavy appliances off the top of the cabinets. It presented some storage challenges for them, but it was definitely worth the effort.

Take a look around your kitchen. Are their simple things you could do right now to make your kitchen safer in an earthquake? Moving heavy items lower is free and only takes a few minutes. Cabinet latches and appliance straps can be found at any hardware store and are easy to install. turn your kitchen from totally unprepared to totally prepared today!

By: Elizabeth Rood