With the Coronavirus pandemic, a lot of us are practicing social distancing, working from home, and in general probably going a little stir crazy. Well, one of the best things you can do to keep you safe and sane is cleaning!
Below I’ve got some tips outlined from these CDC Guidelines with a few home restoration tips sprinkled in.
Maintain Personal Hygiene And If Possible Practice Social Distancing
No one wants to be stuck at home for an extended period of time, but it is important to slow the spread of the virus and help alleviate the strain on our emergency healthcare system. So wash those hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol), if washing your hands isn’t possible at the time.
You’ll also want to disinfect surface areas in your home that have human contact. According to the CDC, the coronavirus can remain active on a surface for “hours to days” on “a variety of materials,” so they recommend daily cleaning of high-touch areas at home. This could be anything such as countertops, tables, remote controls, keyboards, phones, etc.
You should also avoid touching your face whenever possible. These first couple of tips may seem obvious, but they really are the most important ones.
For Dirty Surfaces - Clean Before You Disinfect
Again, this may seem obvious, but let’s not take any chances here - Disinfectants don’t work if the surface is dirty. The CDC’s official recommendation is to use a detergent and water prior to disinfection “if surfaces are dirty.”
This doesn’t take a scientist or a detective to get to the bottom of, if it looks or feels dirty then it is and needs a good cleaning with an all-purpose cleaner or soapy water. We recommend an antibacterial cleaner, but if you don’t have it then no sweat, just follow up with a disinfectant afterward.
You Don’t Necessarily Need Fancy Cleaning Products
Much like toilet paper, specialty cleaning supplies such as Cholrox wipes can be hard to come by right now. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need them if you have some bleach or rubbing alcohol lying around.
The CDC’s recommendations for household disinfecting are to use diluted household bleach solutions and alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol.
If you go with bleach then make sure that it is still in date and that you properly dilute it. The CDC recommends using one of these two ratios for diluting bleach for disinfecting: Mix 5 tablespoons (⅓ cup) bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart (2 cups) of water. If you go with alcohol, then make sure the final product you disinfect with is at least 70% alcohol.
Wear Gloves And Wash Your Hands Often
This one is pretty simple - Wear gloves when you’re cleaning and disinfecting and then wash your hands immediately after removing the gloves. Also, only use that pair of gloves for the task at hand and not for any other household projects.
Get A Jump Start On Spring Cleaning
Okay, so this one isn’t as much about your physical health as it is about your mental health. If you’re going to be stuck indoors for the next couple of days or even weeks, then you might as well tidy up a bit and make sure that your house is in proper order.
A little light cleaning can have dramatic effects on your mental well being. However, don’t get overwhelmed with the prospect of cleaning and organizing your whole home. Instead, focus on one small task at a time and before you notice your home will be looking great just in time to open up for Spring.
I hope these tips help and be sure to let us know any other useful information that you’ve come across.
Also, now is the perfect time toorder some samples from us and test them around the house
