Keeping a clean home is something that most people have always done. A shiny, clean kitchen, for example, is something to proud of, and you already know about the importance of good food hygiene.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has made many people rethink their home cleaning routines. The threat of an invisible virus with the potential to kill has made everyone more aware of the need for a clean home.
You may have cleaned your house from top to bottom when news of the coronavirus first broke. But deep cleaning your home every day is not feasible for most people. So, how can you keep your home free of viruses and bacteria now and in the future?
Well, the good news is that, with a few simple changes to your routine, you can keep your home sanitary with ease. Here are five simple habits to get into that will help you keep your home clean and hygienic.
1. Remove Your Shoes as Soon as You get home
A study carried out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that COVID-19 can be carried into the home on the bottom of people’s shoes. And it’s not only COVID that you could be taking into your home on the soles of your shoes. There is a whole host of unpleasant things that you may have walked in when you were out. So, make it a habit to take off your shoes immediately when you walk through your front door.
2. Wash Your Hands Regularly
You will have no doubt seen the advice about washing your hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But are you heeding this advice when you are at home? Wash your hands the moment you get home, and wash your hands regularly throughout the day, whether you are out or at home. Washing your hands prevents germs from being passed from one surface to another. Good hand hygiene will prevent viruses from being passed from your hands to a door handle and then on to another family member.
3. Clean High-Touch Surfaces Daily
Viruses can remain active on hard surfaces for a long time. The common cold virus, for example, can survive on hard surfaces for several days. So, as well as frequent hand washing, it is advisable to clean all high-touch surfaces in the home at least once a day. Things that might get contaminated include door handles, light switches, handrails, and devices like the TV remote control. Get into the habit of going around the home, wiping down these surfaces with an anti-bacterial or alcohol-based cleaner every day. When you use disinfecting products, read the instructions. Some cleaning products need to be left on a surface for a while to be 100% effective, or may not be suitable for all types of surface.
4. Sanitize What You Bring into Your Home
Every time you bring something into your home, you can potentially bring bacteria and viruses in with them. The packaging on the products you buy from stores may have been handled by many people before you, for example. Many people started to wipe items purchased from stores with alcohol cleaning wipes before putting things away during the coronavirus outbreak. This type of cleaning would be a good habit to maintain in the future, too. It would also be best to clean all reusable shopping bags thoroughly after use. Remember to also clean any countertops that you place your shopping down on when you first get back home from the store.
5. Clean as You Go
The easiest way to keep your home clean and sanitary is to clean up after yourself as you go. For example, when you use the bathroom sink, a quick wipe over with some disinfectant afterward will make the sink clean and germ-free for the next person. When you clean your countertops after use, don’t wipe them with a damp cloth. Instead, use a kitchen cleaner that contains bleach. Don’t forget the most critical bathroom hygiene tip of all. Always put the toilet lid down before you flush and wipe over the cover and seat with disinfectant after use. Get into the habit of disinfecting as you go. You will then minimize the risk of catching viruses, like COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold.
Conclusion
The need for home hygiene has always been there. The COVID-19 pandemic merely reinforced how important it is to keep the home clean. Adopting the above habits will make it easier to keep your home sanitary during a pandemic. But, if those habits become ingrained, you will probably find that you and your family have far fewer minor infections in the future as well.
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