Everything has an expiration date, even the electronic items that are lying in some corner of your house. Sometimes because of our busy lives and sometimes simply because of our sheer ignorance, we tend to store a lot of electronic junk that could tomorrow pose major risks. It is always advisable to know what electronics you should remove from your home immediately before they cause any damage. Also, while you are at it, it is imperative to ensure the proper disposal of these electronics in order to avoid any environmental damage. The best way is to submit them to recycling centres.
So, here are 5 dangerous electronic items that you should remove from your home
Old Phones
Many people prefer to keep their old phones stored at home when they upgrade to new ones thinking that they might need them sometime. However, what most people don’t realise is how dangerous these old devices can be for the surroundings. Phones these days mostly come with lithium-ion batteries, which are highly susceptible to damage if keep unused over a long period of time. The batteries can swell and crack, which can cause fires, property damage and skin injuries.
If for any reason you have to store the old phones, make sure you charge them at least 50 per cent for situations where you might use them again and also check the battery every six months for swellings or cracks.
Mobile or Other Device Chargers
What nobody probably ever told you is that the charging cables of your electronics also have expiration dates. They lose their insulation properties with them which can pose serious issues for the surroundings. Keeping them unchecked in an unattended place for a long time can lead to shocks, sparks or even wire-induced fires. This is also true for old wires that are not in use for a long period of time. Thus, it is widely advised that wires including charging cables are disposed of carefully.
Old Routers
Why do you still have the old router lying under your desk if you have already got a new one? You might not realise this but old routers can very well be used by hackers to get your details. Routers are the least safe when it comes to your network’s safety and sometimes they can be the reason why cyber criminals breach into your system. The best bet is to remove these old routers from your home immediately.
Old Tubelights and Lightbulbs
Old and faulty tubelights and bulbs are very often found in Indian homes because of the simple fact that everyone forgets about them. Or sometimes they may not realise that the bulbs aren’t going to work anymore. But what no one bothers about is how dangerous these can be. Firstly, there are glass and metal devices and in case they accidentally break, they can cause serious injuries. Second, there are small parts in these lightning devices that are filled with chemicals and gases. Exposing them to the wrong temperature by mistake can again cause damage to the environment and surroundings.
Old Hard drives
These might appear harmless as there are no batteries involved, but that is certainly not the case when they lie at the back of your drawers for months. Hard drives have aluminium, plastic, protective polymers and magnets. These substances are mined causing tons of environmental damage. So, by simply opting to surrender them for recycling, you can do your part in safeguarding the environment. Also, hard drives with all your data if gets into the wrong hands can pose a data-related threat.