Miway provides tips for safeguarding yourself and ensuring that you are able to tackle household emergencies, whatever they may be, with confidence and the correct know-how.

1. Are Household Emergencies Common in Your Home? Here’s How to Safeguard Yourself
When it comes to household emergencies of any shape or form, whether your child grazes his or her
knee, whether you accidentally break your key in the lock, or whether you find yourself faced with
an unpleasant pest infestation of some or other description, it pays to be prepared. Here are some
tips for safeguarding yourself and ensuring that you are able to tackle the issues, whatever they may
be, with confidence and the correct know-how.
Household Emergency #1: Injury
It goes without saying that an injury, regardless of the severity, is one of the worst household
emergencies to have to face, especially if you do not have the necessary essentials on hand.
Ultimately, in order to avoid panic, and other, more serious consequences, the best thing that you
can possibly do is to invest in a first aid kit or, alternatively, build your own. Ensure that the kit
contains an array of items such as bandages, plasters, ointments and gloves, to name but a few.
Also, don’t forget to replace the items as quickly as possible if you find that you are running low or if
something is past its expiry date.
Household Emergency #2: Pests
Prevention is always better than cure – so it is definitely wise to take steps to prevent pests from
infiltrating your home, rather than taking action to get rid of them once they have already done so.
There are many all-natural solutions that can help to keep pests at bay. For instance, rodents despise
the smell of peppermint, so by simply adding a few drops of pure peppermint oil to some cotton-
wool balls, and placing them strategically around the house, you will be able to reduce the chances
of an unwanted mouse or rat settling down into a quiet cranny.
Household Emergency #3: Power Failures
Power failures have become commonplace within South Africa, which means that, in order to avoid
as much inconvenience as possible, it would be wise to ensure that you have everything that you
need ready and on hand in preparation for the time that the lights will inevitably go out. We
recommend checking out this YouTube video by Suzelle DIY on how to make a Load-shedding
Survival Kit.
Household Emergency #4: Blocked Toilets, Drains or Pipes
A blocked toilet, drain or pipe is a household emergency that, for most South African households,
happens quite frequently. As a result, it can lead to extravagant plumbing bills every few months -
for which you will not have budgeted. While knowing how to remedy the situation (should you be
faced with a blocked toilet, drain or pipe) is indeed advantageous, knowing how to prevent the
situation from occurring in the first place is much, much better. For example, take care not to flush
anything down the toilet aside from toilet paper – this goes for all things from sanitary products to
ear buds. In terms of drains and pipes, do a regular preventative flush-out with the help of a mixture
of a 125 ml of baking soda, 250 ml of white vinegar and one litre of boiling water. This solution
should help to loosen any potential blockages and keep the path clean and clear for longer.

2. For more tips and advice on how to deal with other common household emergencies, such as
leaking taps, burglaries or electrical fires, be sure to download the new MiWay eBook – ‘The
Household Emergencies Handbook’. With this on hand, you’ll always be prepared!