The entire world is being told to stay home right now, which is just about the wisest thing you can and must try to do at this particular point in time. However, what about the cleanliness of that same home you are quarantined in? There are other kinds of germs out there than just the novel coronavirus, and amidst all the chaos, it’s easy to forget how well they thrive in dirty homes. Put your time at home to good use and use the following tips to keep your domicile free of all germs for better health and a stronger immune system.
The First Rule: No Extreme Measures Necessary for the Cleaning
This is the most important part about keeping our homes clean in the middle of all this misinformation that’s going around. You do not need to take extreme measures to keep your home clean just because of the virus, you only need to practice regular cleaning methods more frequently. What people often forget is the fact that while the virus is a particularly potent killer for certain groups of people, it is still a virus that can be cleaned off from regular surfaces via normal means, until and unless it’s already inside your system.
Clean your floors, doorknobs, switches, toys, taps, toilets, keyboards, etc. with care and regularity to eliminate any trace of microbes that may have made it home with you or someone else. Germs including the novel coronavirus can stay active for days on even metallic surfaces, so cleaning regularly with alcoholic cleaners is highly effective and sufficient. Glass surfaces and windows are also one of the most common areas that homemakers tend to skip. Make sure you’re using the right set of cleaning equipment and to get these spots tidy. If we missed any of the high-touch surfaces, be sure to include them on this list here as well. This is a contagion we are dealing with, so anything you touch regularly should also be cleaned regularly with cleaning alcohol, more than once a day. Protect yourself when cleaning and disinfecting your home by wearing medical-grade disposable gloves and a face mask. The gloves will keep you from having direct contact with disease-causing germs while the mask will prevent you from inhaling small particles of your cleaning solution that are in the air. You may also want to designate a cleaning uniform or apron for this task. Bacteria and viruses can stay on your clothes for days, so should wash your cleaning clothes right after the job.
The Second Rule: Clean Right After a Trip to the Store for Essentials
A trip to the supermarket or the local grocery stores cannot be helped, and as long as you wear your gloves and avoid crowds, it shouldn’t be a problem either. However, right before and immediately after you enter your home, the following tips are highly recommended.
- Leave your shoes outside the home
- If it’s a disposable pair, dispose of the gloves in outside
- On getting in, remove all your external clothes and put them in the washing machine
- Clean the vegetables and fruits in the sink, under running water (DO NOT use cleaners on edibles!)
- Wipe off the packed food with baby wipes and hand sanitiser; a lot of people have probably touched that bag of cereal before you
- Clean the floors, doorknobs, taps, etc. right after
- Take a shower and you are done!
It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s necessary and absolutely worth it.
The Third Rule: Opt for Professional Cleaning Services
If your house is too dirty, and you have dust allergies or do not want to stir up all that dust and pollen, you are actually wiser than most people. The last thing you would want to do is sneeze and cough like anything while the neighbours shudder at the sound unnecessarily! It’s just a better option to call in professional help and get the job done. It is difficult to say whether your local area has an adequately prepared cleaning crew available to clean your home out during this emergency or not, but professionally trained cleaning services could very well be active and available.
Look for Local Help
Look for local companies that can help. For example, if you’re based in Australia, visit LinkU and create a posting for the type of cleaning service you need, and you will soon start to receive detailed quotes from professional cleaning companies, the safety precautions they are taking amidst the pandemic, and their rates. LinkU had a network of top cleaning services in Australia, so you can count on experienced businesses to get your clean task done. After the first deep clean is done, you can maintain the cleaning standards on your own from there on, with a little extra help from time to time as and when it is needed.
The strangest thing about viruses is that they are not alive, to begin with, which makes them all the harder to kill for obvious reasons. However, be it parasites, fungi, bacteria or even any of the other virus strains, there is no denying the fact that they all find it difficult to stay strong and active in clean areas. Now you know why the WHO is telling you to wash your hands so often. Keep these pointers in mind and the nightmare will blow over in time.
LinkU had a network of top cleaning services in Australia, so you can count on experienced businesses to get your clean task done.