Viruses and germs spread in so many different ways, and there is always going to be plenty to get out of your home. While there is such a thing as cleaning too much, which can limit your exposure to regular germs and cause you to get sick more often, you should still clean and disinfect your home to ensure that your family can live comfortably. This guide will give you the best tips for cleaning your home or office so that everyone can enjoy a healthier environment and you can enjoy fewer illnesses whether you’re running a business or just trying to manage a family.
Post-illness sanitizing Is a Must
Whether at your home or office, if someone has been sick recently, you should have a plan in place to clean and sanitize as soon as they are well again. This can be cumbersome in the colder months when people are more frequently ill, but you can also prevent a lot more illness with proper sanitizing in the first place. Promote healthy habits like hand washing and discourage sharing when the risk of germs or illness is higher. If there is a huge outbreak at your office or if your entire family falls ill, a serious deep clean and disinfecting might be in order once everyone is on the mend.
Use Disposables When You Can
Get rid of clothes, towels, and other fabrics that just harbor germs. Sponges, for example, are a germ haven. Instead of having a bunch of damp places for germs to hang out, consider using disposable dishcloths, tissues, paper towels, and other disposable products so that you can dispose of the germs immediately and keep the moisture away to discourage future bacteria growth or other contamination.
Clean Regularly-Handled Items Frequently
From the door handles to your TV remote, you want to make sure that you clean everything that you touch regularly. The keyboard and desk in most offices are dirtier than the average toilet seat, according to research, and that’s saying something. When was the last time you used a sanitizer or disinfectant on your mobile phone or tablet? If you aren’t cleaning things you touch all the time, you’re creating a serious germ problem in and around your home or office.
Change Your Air Filters
When someone gets sick, you should get a clean air filter for the furnace system in your home. Once they are well, replace the filter a second time to get the remaining germs and contaminants out of the air. It might cost you a little extra money, but it will give you much cleaner air to breathe. While you’re at it, spring for the high-end filters that offer premium protection from allergens, dust, dirt, and other contaminants. The health and wellbeing of your family is worth it.
Clean High-Traffic Areas Daily
While some areas of your home or office might only need cleaning every once in a while, there are other high-traffic areas that should be cleaned every day. If you have communal bathroom and kitchen spaces, make sure those are wiped with sanitary cleaners every day to get rid of germs and other potential dangers. If there is a hallway or space with carpeting that needs to be vacuumed, do it regularly and use carpet refreshers that destroy odors, or regular baking soda, to help kill even more germs and stop the spread of viruses throughout your home or business.
Wash Bedding Regularly
You won’t necessarily have this at the office, but this is a big tip for keeping viruses from spreading around the home. Too many people don’t wash their bedding often enough. Some people might wash their sheets, but they never clean their pillows or mattresses. You have to make sure that you clean all of your pillows, toppers, sheets, blankets, and even your mattress, to keep out as many germs and potential virus threats as possible. Bedding should be washed every couple of months, at a minimum, with sheets and blankets being washed at least once a month for optimum cleanliness.
Use Items You Have
There are brands that exist solely for the purpose of killing viruses and germs in the home. Still, a great number of home and business owners don’t realize that there are also many home remedies and basic items that you can use to sanitize and disinfect your home or business. For starters, you can utilize things like baking soda that was mentioned above, as well as white vinegar, peroxide, and even ammonia to kill germs and bacteria and help prevent viruses from spreading and taking out everyone in sight.
Know When to Fold
If you are sick, stay home from work. If your employees are sick, tell them to stay home. Although business needs to continue, you don’t need to perpetuate the spread of illness just for the sake of the bottom line. When you’re sick, you’re taking all of your germs to work and therefore exposing dozens, if not hundreds, of other people. In some situations, it may be better just to take a break and stay home until you’re feeling better or until a doctor determines that you’re no longer contagious.
In Summary
Right now, despite having as much advanced technology as we do, people are still worried about serious viruses because there are still outbreaks of new and unknown viruses occurring on a regular basis. The best thing that you can do is to prepare yourself and know how to keep your home or office clean so that you don’t spread germs any more than necessary.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort if you’re willing to invest a little time to learn and come up with an effective strategy for your home or business. Keep these tips in mind and make sure that you put the safety and well-being of your family or staff at the forefront of your mind so that you aren’t completely crippled in day-to-day operations when something does happen.
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