There are many gadgets on the market today that can make your apartment home or town home safer without breaking the bank in the process. Here are a couple quick and smart ideas to get you started:
- Kwikset SmartKey
- Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray
- HotStop Background
- The Nighthawk
The longer you live in your apartment or home, the more copies of your keys get circulated – that’s just the way it works. Neighbors walking Fluffy you’re vacationing in Barbados or bringing in your mail while you’re away for a few days on business are the simplest of examples. With the Kwikset SmartKey, you can rekey your locks yourself. “The technology is in the lock. It allows the homeowner the ability to rekey their own lock without removing it,” says Tracy Haugh, brand manager of Kwikset. Starting at about $30, new programmable keys are becoming easier to come by these days. www.kwikset.com
Obviously that bright red (and necessary) fire extinguisher doesn’t go with your bedroom jungle motif or your living room’s inner chi, but you feel uncomfortable stuffing it in a closet where it won’t be easily accessible in case of emergency. The Tundra is your solution. Working just like an aerosol can, no levers or tags, you simply point and spray. At $30, it’s right in your price range, but don’t expect this to replace your 4-alarm escape plan! www.firstalert.com
This smart shower device reduces water flow when the temperature of the shower water gets too high. Although many people do love scalding hot showers, this is designed as a safety device for those with extra sensitive showers (like mine) and households with children who may not be as adept with the shower dials. It is installed on the shower head or spout and is priced from $25 to $45. www.h2otstop.com
Odorless carbon monoxide kills roughly 600 people per year, and the cost of one of these Nighthawk C02 detectors is only about $30. Plug in models with battery backups are your safest bet, and install near your bed. http://www.amazon.com
Some other quick apartment safety tips:
-Apartment doors should all have peepholes; if yours doesn’t, ask your landlord why.
-When entering your apartment, be alert! Criminals look for weak/distracted targets, so stay off the cell phone and iPod around your building and look focused.
-A broom handle or long stick in the track of your sliding doors deters break in’s.
-Light timers are a great idea; we’ve always used them in my house when away on vacation. Have lights in different rooms turning on and off at different parts of the day to give the sense that someone is home. Don’t turn your apartment or home into a Trans Siberian Orchestra commercial, but one or two works wonders.
-Newspapers and packages are obvious; nothing says “I’M NOT HOME” like a pile of two or three days of newspapers on the step.
