Electrical Safety in the Bathroom: What You Need to Know.

Most of us consider it necessary to use electrical necessities in the bathroom-electric razors, curling irons, hair dryers and other grooming essentials. However, electricity and water don't mix-and the bathroom is probably the worst place in the house to use electrical appliances on a regular basis. Even so, you wouldn't give up your electric razor or stop blow-drying your hair-so here are a few tips for electrical bathroom safety.

Avoid using electrical items near the tub. It's almost a cliché-dropping your hair dryer or portable radio into a full bathtub can cause a quick demise. But there's a very real danger of electrocution from electrical items brought too near a tub or shower with the water turned on. For safety's sake, keep all electrical items not specifically designed for use in the shower or tub well away from it. If you don't, you could find yourself receiving a nasty shock. Store electrical items in a safe place. Never leave a hair dryer or curling iron plugged in on the counter while you're not using it. Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use and store them in a drawer or on a shelf well out of reach of children and away from water sources.

Use electrical appliances safely. Items such as hair dryers and curling irons made after 1990 should come with a reset button located at the end of the cord, there to prevent electrocution. Never use your hair dryer too close to your hair or keep the plug near anything flammable when plugged in, and never leave a curling iron plugged in or turned on and unattended. Keep hair dryers free of excess lint and hairs, as these can be a fire hazard.

Make sure your outlets are safe. Most bathrooms include electrical outlets near the sink. The problem with this is that using an electrical appliance near a sink can be as dangerous as using one near the tub or shower, especially if your faucets are turned on or your sink is full of water. To prevent injury from using electrical appliances near the sink, make sure all nearby electrical outlets are fitted with a residual current device. These devices switch off the electricity current if they sense a current imbalance that could cause damage.

Choose safe appliances. No matter how safe you try to make your bathroom, your electrical appliances may present a hazard. A short circuit in an electrical razor, hair dryer, curling iron or other electrical item could cause an electrical fire while you're using it or while it's charging. Choose electrical appliances that have been UL-rated and that have appropriate safety measures installed. Avoid leaving most appliances unplugged when you're not in the room-this way, you're more likely to be able to stop potential hazards before they get out of control.

Don't overload your outlets. Even though it's often necessary to plug electrical items into outlets in the bathroom, electricity and water don't mix. Avoid loading up your electrical outlets with power strips and plugging too many appliances into the sockets-this can put you at risk for an electrical fire. Unplug all appliances when you're not using them and only plug in a few at a time.

Avoid extension cords. The bathroom is a high-traffic area. Plugging an item in with an extension cord is asking for trouble; there are fewer places to keep an extension cord in the bathroom that will take it out of regular traffic, and walking over an extension cord can cause it to wear down and increase the danger of fire or an electrical shock. Electricity should be used fairly sparingly in the bathroom, so if you need to plug in an appliance across the room, chances are you don't need it as badly as you think.

The bathroom is often said to be the most dangerous room in the house. The damp environment creates risks in slipping and falling on wet floors as well as hazards from electrical appliances in close proximity to water. You can alleviate these hazards, however, by putting a few electrical safety measures in place. With these tips, you should be able to create a safe space in the bathroom for family members of all ages.