Your home security system will alert you to the presence of anyone who has gotten inside your dwelling, but if you've mistakenly left the system off, there's a chance that you could come face to face with an intruder. Depending on the situation, your best bet might be to quickly escape out a back door and call the police. However, if you have children or a spouse in the house, you won't want to leave them behind — instead, it's time to take the fight to the intruder. Home intruders often want to grab something of value and leave quickly, and will rarely expect the homeowner to put up a fight. Depending on where you are in your home, you can use a variety of easily accessible household items to gain the upper hand.

Kitchen

If you're in the kitchen when an intruder comes face to face with you, the most obvious weapon to protect yourself is a knife. Grabbing the biggest kitchen knife you can find can send an unarmed intruder fleeing for safety. However, there are several other ways that you can deter an intruder. If you're cooking on the stovetop, throw a pot of boiling water at the person. Sure, it will leave a mess to clean up, but it will quickly send the person scattering. In a pinch, even cutlery could be used to attack an intruder and send him away.

Living Room

Perhaps you're in your living room when you realize someone has slipped inside your home. Again, there are multiple items that you can use to send the intruder fleeing. If you have a plate or a mug sitting on the coffee table, throw it at the intruder or swing it at him. Even grabbing the remote control, a heavy book, or any other similar item close at hand can be enough to send the message that you won't be a victim. At worst, these projectiles can shock the intruder enough for you to make an escape — perhaps to the security system's panel, where you can hit the "Alarm" button.

Basement

You might be relaxing in the basement when you hear someone enter the home and take the stairs down toward you. A basement often contains many implements that you can use to protect yourself and attack the intruder. If you have sports equipment stored in this space, a baseball bat, tennis racket, or golf club can be formidable in your hands.