All of our lives have changed significantly in the last month or so. The Corona virus crisis has shaken up our normal routines and created new challenges in our home. The “lockdown” has not only limited our ability to get out and about it has also put extra pressure on our standards of hygiene. So now more than ever we need to think, how can we make our home healthy to maintain the health of our family.
Top of the list for limiting the spread of the Covid virus into our homes is to wash your hands. Although this advice sounds condescending it makes a huge difference in the spread of the disease. Hands need to be washed every time you come back into your home, after using the toilet, before preparing food and after blowing your nose or coughing or sneezing into your hand. Washing your hands using plain soap and water for 20 seconds is recommended as the best way to kill the virus, in fact it is also a great way of killing bacteria too. Try to avoid antibacterial hand washes as they can lead to dry, cracked and sore hands, leaving your skin prone to infection.
Covid-19 is predominately a respiratory disease so avoid using products in the home that will put extra stress on your airways. All aerosol products, be they for cleaning your home or for personal hygiene, should be avoided, as they can cause asthma and breathing difficulties. Indeed a lot of chemical cleaners can lead to lung damage, so avoid these wherever possible. Instigate a regular regime for dusting to avoid allergens (pet dander and pollen) building up on surfaces, that may irritate your airways.
Definitely don’t use a spray polish! A dry microfibre cloth is the best way to effectively dust as it will capture the dust in the cloth and not allow it to escape back into the air.
It’s important to regularly clean high-touch surfaces, such as door handles, work surfaces, tables and light switches. These are prime sources of bacterial and viral buildup and hence reservoirs for the spread of germs.
We all know that soap and water works as the best way for washing your hands and so it is also the best way for cleaning our homes of the virus too. Don’t bother buying expensive and potentially environmentally harmful cleaners, simply make up a solution of warm water and washing up liquid to clean surfaces. Apply with a rung out cloth, then go over with a slightly damp, high quality, microfibre cloth to remove the bubbles and excess liquid. As with your hands, remember to wash for 20 seconds to ensure the virus is disrupted and killed.
Try and keep surfaces clear; de-clutter regularly, making it easier to carry out routine dusting and cleaning.
You may now have a few extra family members living in your home and the house may become dirtier and more untidy quicker. If the chores still come down to you remember to pace yourself. After the routine jobs, maybe aim to clean one room a day. And though you want a clean and healthy home for your family you won’t be getting visitors any time soon so it doesn’t have to be spotless 24/7!
