How can I make my kitchen safer if I have arthritis?

These ideas will make your kitchen safer. Good lighting reduces fatigue and the risk of accidents. Install under-cabinet lights in your kitchen work spaces.

The lights, available from hardware and lighting-supply stores, come in a variety of sizes and styles. Keep a small flashlight in the kitchen. A flashlight is not only handy in case the power goes out, but it makes it easier to find items in the back of deep cupboards.

Consider replacing heavy dishes and cookware. Replace heavy pottery mugs with porcelain, china or insulated drinking cups. Lightweight dinner dishes are easier to lift and carry.

Use lightweight cookware, gadgets with big cushioned handles, sharp knives and stainless steel bowls to help you conserve strength and energy in the kitchen. Choose a stove with controls on the front. Reduce reaching and make cooking easier by using a stove with controls on the front rather than the back.

(If you have small children, you might want to remove the knobs when the stove is not in use.) Tie a loop of fabric or cord around the handle, if opening the refrigerator door is tough. Avoid putting unnecessary strain on your hands and joints by using your forearms in the loop to pull the door open. The door is also easier to open if you place one or two strips of electrical tape across the bottom gasket; the appliance may be less energy efficient, but you’ll need less strength to open the door.

Use rubber waffle-type pads to keep jars from slipping when opening. With a waffle pad in one hand, hold the jar; place a second pad on top of the jar, grip and twist. Use this soft, grippy material wherever you need a little extra cushion, grip or nonslip control -- under drinking glasses, as a mat in the bottom of the sink, to keep things from sliding on a slippery surface; you will find many uses.

You can find waffle grippers and shelf liners in the kitchen section of grocery and discount stores. Use a cardboard carton to transport bottles to and fro. Fill a cardboard carton -- the kind used for a six-pack of bottled drinks -- with ketchup, mustard, salad dressing and other items (even flatware and napkins), and carry them to the table all at once.

You can store refrigerated items, even baby bottles, right in the carton to keep the bottles from tipping when you reach into the refrigerator.

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