The Unseen Dangers Of Coffee Cup Warmers

Summary: Coffee cup warmers will sell in every major supermarket by the year 2010, and they are more dangerous than electric blankets. More than 22% of house fires start by electrical item such as the coffee cup warmer. Most Americans today find some convenience in the common household coffee cup warmer. Our fast-paced lives do not allow us to slow down, stop at the microwave and reheat for the tenth time our chilled coffee. So low and behold the coffee cup warmer. Just plug this in a...

Coffee cup warmers will sell in every major supermarket by the year 2010, and they are more dangerous than electric blankets. More than 22% of house fires start by electrical item such as the coffee cup warmer. Most Americans today find some convenience in the common household coffee cup warmer. Our fast-paced lives do not allow us to slow down, stop at the microwave and reheat for the tenth time our chilled coffee. So low and behold the coffee cup warmer. Just plug this in anywhere you have an available outlet, seems easy enough. What most of us do not realize that in this fast-paced atmosphere we also do not have time to baby-sit this wonder product? Every label on electronic items like the coffee cup warmer reads, “Do not leave unattended”. Why this is so confusing to us, I do not know. Repeatedly the news blares out yet another incredible house-fire from electrical items left unattended. Office Dangers Most fast-paced work areas have use for an item such as the coffee cup warmer. It is much more attractive to have right at you desk with-in an inch of your mouse a heating element that conveniently keeps you from running to the microwave. Unfortunately, there are office meetings, phone calls, lunch, and just plain being busy. We are far too busy in fact to keep our eye on the coffee cup warmer. Just one piece of mail or small sticky note falling onto the heating element, this is all it takes and you are the next big news story. Elderly and Coffee Cup Warmers Some may think that the elderly have nothing but time to keep their eye on this very compact death unit. I must contest this sort of wayward thinking. The dangers of our poor little grandmas and grandpas using a coffee cup warmer are a little more straightforward. As we get on in age, the tendency towards dementia is a little more apt to happen. More than 10% of Americans today are living independently with some form of dementia. Coffee cup warmers are a popular gift to our elderly relatives. These little units have the capability of getting as hot as a 250-degree oven. This is hot enough to stick the skin right to the unit. One might think that it might hurt a little when an incident like that happens, but we Americans still keep buying these little miracle units. Consider yourself warned!