London’s fire brigade has warned residents never to leave their dishwasher on overnight after a family watched theirs catch fire.
Simone Anderson, a mother of two from Topeka, KansasHe recalled charging the kitchen appliance at night and turning it on before going to bed.
What she didn’t know was that at 1:25 am the dishwasher would catch fire and wake up the entire family.
Although the family of four escaped unharmed, firefighters warned against using the dishwasher at night.
Speaking to FEMAIL, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson said that if a fire breaks out when people are sleeping, there is a greater risk of not being able to escape.
An American family was lucky to have survived after their dishwasher caught fire in the middle of the night (pictured: the burnt body of the dishwasher)
Despite the frenzied incident, Gwilym Snook, a dishwasher expert at Bolton-based electrical chain AO.com, has revealed that leaving the dishwasher on overnight is “generally safe” (the family of four shared the remains of their kitchen on GoFundMe).
“While the vast majority of appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, are manufactured to a good standard and are perfectly safe, wherever practically possible people should avoid leaving appliances running unattended overnight,” they said.
‘If you have to use your appliances at night, it’s important to take steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke detectors, test them regularly and install a heat detector in the kitchen.
‘Do not overload sockets as this may cause overheating, and check the cables and plugs of all appliances for signs of wear. Clean all filters regularly following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Also, always make sure your appliances are registered, so that if a dangerous fault occurs that could lead to a fire, you are notified. You can get free, personalised fire safety advice for your home using Brigade’s online Home Fire Safety Checker.
Despite the terrifying incident, Gwilym Snook, a dishwasher expert at Bolton electrical retailer AO.com, revealed that leaving the dishwasher on overnight is “generally safe”.
He explained: ‘Leaving the dishwasher on overnight is generally safe as modern dishwashers are designed with multiple safety features.
‘However, it is not advisable to leave this appliance on overnight as there are other considerations to take into account than if you were to leave it on during the day.’
According to the expert, there are no immediate dangers associated with leaving the dishwasher on overnight, although he pointed out other reasons why it is better to turn it off.
‘Be aware that dishwashers can be quite noisy and running them at night may disturb your sleep or that of others in the house,’ warns Gwilym.
She added: “You also need to be careful of water leaks from the dishwasher, which can cause a huge mess when you wake up. If the dishwasher’s leak detection system is not working, a water leak could cause damage to your floor or kitchen.”
Simone and Paul Anderson appear in an undated photo on social media
Last month, Simone and her family were able to evacuate to safety when a fire devastated their home.
“We are devastated. Please pray for my family. Check your smoke detectors. Don’t turn on appliances at night. It’s not worth the risk,” Simone warned in a video posted on her social media account.
The fire caused thousands of dollars in damage and destroyed the kitchen, forcing the family to find another place to live for up to six months while cleanup, restoration and renovation work takes place.
Although the couple has home insurance, it does not cover all costs and they must shell out more than $3,500 along with additional moving fees.
Running the dishwasher overnight is a common mistake in households around the world and most are probably unaware of the risks, as the appliance can overheat and cause a fire.
The fire at Simone’s house serves as a warning to other households to use the dishwasher only during the day while they are at home.
Since dishwashers generate heat during operation, it is best to keep an eye on the appliance to minimise the risk of fire. This also applies to dryers and washing machines for the same reason.
In this case, it is not clear whether the device was defective or whether it simply overheated during the night and caused the fire.
Simone’s video has since been viewed more than 1.7 million times and hundreds of people have thanked her for sharing the warning.
A GoFundMe page has also been created to financially support the family.
“I run the dishwasher every night and will never do that again,” one commented.
“I didn’t even know this was possible. I’ve never had any problems,” said another.
“My mother always told me to never leave the house or go to sleep with an appliance on. Thank you for sharing and I’m so sorry for your loss,” added a third.
“I live in an apartment and it’s scary to think how many of my neighbors probably run appliances at night while they’re not home,” another person wrote.
“Thanks to your video, I was finally able to replace the batteries in my smoke detector, something I had been putting off for a few days. So thank you,” wrote another.
“I thought slow cookers were safe until one night, as the cooker was finishing up, I heard a lot of popping and sizzling noises coming from the unit. I unplugged it and went to look for the insert. The insert had literally snapped off,” another added.
