Spring Forward For Daylight Saving—And Check Your Smoke Detectors

This weekend, we all spring forward for daylight saving time, meaning at 2 a.m. Sunday your clock should actually be set to read 3 a.m.

Though we lose an hour of our precious weekend, the switch is a good reminder to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. According to Apple Valley Fire Chief Nealon Thompson:

• Change the batteries in your detectors whenever you're changing your clock for daylight saving time, so once in the fall and once in the spring. 
• Also take the opportunity to clean out the detectors and the area around them, since they can get dusty just like anything else in your home. Use a vacuum with a bristle attachment to vacuum out the devices, and don't use cleaning solvent or anything wet to wipe them out, as that could damage them.
• Replace the smoke detectors themselves every 10 years.
• Take five minutes to talk with your family about general fire safety, since the topic is at the forefront of your mind, Thompson said. Make sure family members know the best routes out of your home in case of a fire, and agree on a meeting place outside, he said.
• If you have a fire extinguisher, make sure that's accessible and in working order as well, Thompson said.