If you’ve got leftovers sitting out on the counter right now, I’m gonna need you to put those away ASAP.

Angelica Martinez is the Latine Editorial Lead at BuzzFeed and covers a little bit of everything, from quizzes and true crime to celebrities and pop culture.

"I made garlic-infused olive oil once. Left it out because that’s how I always saw it on people's counters. Used it a few weeks later. I got botulism. I was out for four whole days, writhing in pain with nothing left to expel. Turns out, I could have died."

The USDA advises not to leave food out for more than two hours in cool weather and one hour if it's 90º or higher. Temperatures of 40 to 140º are the "danger zone" for bacterial growth, with the amount of bacteria doubling in as little as 20 minutes. 

"I had always heard about the dangers of being around running lawnmowers, but didn't think much about it. That rock could have blinded or killed someone. Now I know, but people think I am nuts when I tell them to put their kids in the house when cutting the grass."

"My father-in-law drunkenly pulled the emergency release red cord on our very old, SOLID wood garage door. The door fell down with such force that it dislodged the spring, and that thing shot right through the wooden garage door, shattering it into a million pieces! It was the most terrifying moment. Had that spring shot in the other direction, there would have been multiple fatalities, I’m sure of it."

"I about died from this as a kid. My grandma had a potato box in her kitchen, which is exactly what it sounds like. It was a wooden box about the size of a trash can and had a lid on top that she stored potatoes in. When I was 10 or so, I was playing in the kitchen, and I got curious about it. I was never especially interested because, like, it was a potato box. What do I wanna look at some potatoes for? But for whatever reason, I got curious, opened the lid, and woke up on the floor sometime later with my chest burning so badly that I could barely draw breath to cry for what felt like ages. I didn't find out why exactly that happened until I was an adult and saw a comment like this on Reddit, but I was scared to even go NEAR that damn potato box for the rest of my childhood."

"Cat scratches, too, especially for people with compromised immune systems."

Contrary to the name, both cat scratches and bites can lead to Cat Scratch Fever — a bacterial infection your cat can give you if they've been bitten by a flea.

"I worked in a dental office for a good while, and we had a patient with chronic periodontal disease and a small tooth abscess that wasn't coming in for treatments as directed, and wasn't taking prescribed antibiotics as directed. Next thing we heard, she was in the ICU with endocarditis, among other things that they linked directly to the infection in her mouth. She survived and got some of it treated in the hospital, but as soon as she could, she was in our office like clockwork for the rest of her treatments."

"Now I have to take supplements, drink lots of Gatorade, and put lots of salt in/on my foods, or my blood pressure plunges, and I have to worry about falling in the shower because my compression socks are off."

"Water toxicity isn't limited to babies, BTW. Once I got a migraine on a hot day. I called the doctor, and he told me to drink more water. So I did. It got worse, and I started to get nauseated. He said, again, to drink more water. So I did. He failed to ask, at the beginning, how much water I had already been drinking. Which was A LOT. More than most people. 

Cut to later that day. I came to in my sister's living room. I had made it there on the bus, but I didn't remember how. I was confused and acting really weird. I had thrown up several times, then I fell asleep. She thought I was just really sick. I realized later that I had water toxicity. I could've died, all because the doctor didn't bother to ask how much water I was drinking and assumed my migraine (which I got ALL the time) had been from dehydration. There is too much of a good thing."

When things like overconsuming water affect the sodium levels in your blood (like the latter story), it's called hyponatremia. When this, like in the former case, affects your potassium levels specifically (as potassium is an electrolyte), it's called hypokalemia.

Per NOLA Ready, "If using a generator during a power outage, follow the 20-20-20 rule: Keep generators 20 feet away from the house, doors, and windows. Power off and allow a 20-minute cooldown before refueling. Purchase a battery operated $20 alarm to detect carbon monoxide."

"I am so glad to see grapes here. I had a professor who worked at a children's hospital mention that grapes and hot dogs cause an unbelievable amount of choking deaths in children. Cut them long ways. Then cut them long ways again if they must have them, but I would avoid them altogether. It's not worth it."

"I'm sure most people know this, but it doesn't have to be linseed oil; basically any type of combustible liquid can have the same reaction. Oil, gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, etc. Always store your dirty rags in a metal, fireproof canister designed for that purpose.

Bonus items that can, under the right circumstances, burst into flames: grains, animal manure, hay, woodchips. While some people just want to see the world burn, some seemingly benign items do, too."

"My cousin nearly died in a house fire from this. My aunt's dog saved his life. And yes, they both survived."

According to NASA, this is a reaction known as auto-oxidation. Essentially, linseed oil — which is a "self-ignition combustible" — reacts with the oxygen in the air and can spontaneously heat, thus causing a fire. 

"When I was a kid, one of my friends died this way. The family was crossing a shallow river in a Landcruiser Troopcarrier with lifted suspension, and the undercurrent swept the car away immediately. The mom, dad, and sister escaped in time, but my mate (around 7 years old) couldn’t undo his seatbelt fast enough and drowned."

"Can confirm: pressure washers are dangerous. Mine stripped a layer of my sandal sole off when I accidentally blasted my foot with it, and it stung for about a day. It wasn't a super duper ultra-powerful pressure washer, either."

"I was just using one about a month ago, and like a dummy, I stuck my hand out and it sliced my finger wide open. It was just like getting cut with a dull knife, it hurt like a MF."

"I’ll endorse the confined space note. I’m a retired chemical engineer and was certified to train others on confined space and confined space rescue. There are fewer than ten gases that are lighter than air. Most fumes and gases will collect in low places, and it takes vigorous ventilation and continuous monitoring to make sure that it is safe to enter. Bacterial fermentation makes grain bins, sewers, and even basements of homes under construction potential death traps. Add any chemical reactions that deplete oxygen or vaporization of hydrocarbons that displace the air, and the pit under the bay to change your oil is at least as dangerous as walking against traffic on the interstate."

"When I was a little kid, there was a construction project at my school, and there were trenches. They did a demonstration where they took the strongest kid in the school of 1,000 students and had him lie down on the stage. Someone placed a bucket of soil on his chest, and then he tried to stand up. He couldn’t move it. They even supported the bucket to make sure he wouldn’t get hurt from it being too much weight. That was educational."

"I live in Florida. Just a few weeks ago, we had a family that was vacationing, and the little son was about 7 or 8 and dug a nice big hole and sat in it. When the waves came up, he was gone. The hole collapsed in on top of him, and they couldn’t pull him out in time. He died from just sitting in a hole playing on the beach. He wasn’t three feet from his parents when this happened, and it all happened so fast that he died before they even got him out."

Taking Tylenol as intended can provide pain relief, but taking more than the advised dosage can have serious medical consequences, such as permanent liver damage, seizures, coma, and death.

"This is why you don't use bleach to clean litter boxes!"

Bleach +  ammonia = chloramine gas, which  — when inhaled — can cause coughing, nausea, shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, pneumonia, and fluid in the lungs. 

"Always protect your head! I worked in a mental hospital with a Neurology Department. We had SO MANY kids and grown folks who had serious brain damage from a head blow that didn't seem that serious at first. In particular, I remember a little boy who was climbing a fence and fell, hitting the concrete below. He ended up in a wheelchair with a mental age of 2-3 years for life. 

In addition, you would be shocked at how many women ended up having seizures and brain damage from being whacked in the head by their men."

"Did that. Got a concussion and five staples in my head."

"I was always told falling your own height can kill you."

"My grandfather nearly died a few months ago because his doctor prescribed him a medication that interacted with one he was already taking, because he couldn’t be bothered to check. I’ve also had medications prescribed that would interact with ones I was already taking. Always ask your doctor about interactions, because they won’t always check."

"This is why it's important to fill all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy. If there’s a drug interaction, the system will catch it, and the pharmacist will reach out to the MD for a drug change. Source: I’m a pharmacy technician."

There are tons of handy drug interaction checkers online; however, always make sure to ask your pharmacist or doctor if you're uncertain. This is also true for over-the-counter medications and supplements, not just prescription medication.

"Read the paperwork that comes with your meds, every month (sometimes it changes), and pay attention. Research any OTC drugs you take. Look for interactions and cautions, especially."

Note: Submissions have been edited for length, clarity, and factual accuracy.