Ever since the pandemic hit, many of us have opted to work from home to ensure we’re maintaining social distancing while still getting paid. However, not all of us have jobs that allow us to stay at home all day, and some of us still have to report to an office or a workplace almost every day.

Combine that will all the chores we have to do that require us to go out, like buying groceries or going to the bank, and it’s easy to worry that you’re possibly bringing the virus inside your home every time you get back from your time outside.

And we get why you worry. Your home is supposed to be your safe haven, the place you feel most secure in. That’s why when we meet someone we’re comfortable with, we say that we feel at home with them. Which is why, now more than ever, we have to ensure that our safe haven stays safe and secure.

Luckily, ensuring that shouldn’t be too hard, as long as we know what we should do. If you’re someone who goes out a lot, here are a few ways you can regularly make sure your home remains a safe place to live in.

 

Disinfect any items you bring out regularly.

When it comes to items that regularly go out with you, they’re also likely to be contaminated with the virus, and it’s best to disinfect them as soon as you get home. This includes your phone, your bags, your wallet, your name tag or ID badge, your glasses, and any of your work supplies.

Although the virus is more likely transmitted from having contact with an infected person, it’s still entirely possible that a person can get Covid-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

A preliminary study shows that the virus can survive on certain surfaces for a number of hours or days, depending on the material. According to the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the virus was detectable for up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

The possibility of the virus being on an item you regularly bring out is far higher than it is on an item that never leaves your home. With all that in mind, it’s the safest practice that you regularly sanitize or disinfect these items, especially when you arrive home.

 

Wash your hands immediately after arriving home.

Because the virus is most likely to stay on your hands if it ever finds its way on you, the best thing you can do is wash your hands the minute you arrive home. Rinsing alone isn’t enough — while water alone may wash away dirt, germs and bacteria are often too small to simply be washed away.

Soap, however, has been proven to effectively kill coronavirus, so we recommend washing thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. However, if soap isn’t available, you should use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, the optimal percentage needed to kill most viruses.

Some people also like to shower immediately after arriving home. This isn’t very necessary — because of the way COVID-19 is spread, which is primarily through the transfer of droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks comes from your mouth and lungs, the virus is more likely to stay on your hands than other parts of your body.

However, when it comes to keeping safe during these times, it’s still better to be safe than sorry. If you feel as if showering when you arrive home can help protect your home from the virus, by all means, go for it. Since the virus has been proven to be no match against soap and water, your regular soap, shampoo, and body wash should be more than enough to keep you safe from the virus.

 

When cleaning, prioritize high-touch objects.

As mentioned above, the coronavirus can possibly infect items, surfaces, and objects, and our hands are the most likely parts of our body to be infected by it. When we have the virus on our hands, it is possible to transfer it to other surfaces that we touch.

It’s why washing your hands is so necessary, but because it’s unrealistic to wash your hands every time you touch something new, something we can do instead is to prioritize high-touch objects when we clean our homes.

High-touch objects are items and surfaces in your home that are frequently being touched by you or any other members living in your home. These include, but aren’t limited to:

  • doorknobs or handles
  • light switches
  • countertops
  • tables
  • bathroom fixtures
  • remote controls
  • bathrooms
  • toilets
  • faucets
  • sinks
  • computers
  • keyboards

 

Clean your floors.

Unless you and your family or roommates play Twister on the regular, your floor is probably not as high-touch as the other surfaces listed above. However, the virus can still find its way unto your floor in different ways.

People can sneeze or cough unto the floor, droplets with the virus can fall unto the floor when someone is talking, contaminated objects can fall on the floor, and you can bring the virus from outside from the bottom of your shoes or slippers.

It’s important that we don’t forget our floors when cleaning our homes. Sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping your floors are an essential practice in ensuring your home stays safe and virus-free.

While soap and water should be enough to keep your floors virus-free, you can also invest in mopping disinfectants. Some mopping disinfectants you probably already have include rubbing alcohol and vinegar, both of which work well without leaving any chemical residue on your floors.

 

Consider hiring a professional cleaning service.

We know you’re probably busier than ever and you may not have the time to regularly clean your entire home. But you also can’t afford to get sick right now, especially since access to the hospital isn’t exactly the easiest thing right now.

So why not delegate the task instead and hire a cleaning service to take care of your home?

Whether it’s a two-story house or a condo, cleaning services know what they’re doing when it comes to protecting your home. Because we’re professionals, we’re properly trained in the most effective ways to clean, dust, sanitize, and disinfect your place.

We’ve got the skills and supplies needed to ensure your home stays a safe and secure place for you to rest in after a long day’s work. With our cleaning service, you can rest easy knowing your safe haven stays a safe haven, no matter how busy you are.

 

Conclusion

The pandemic has increased the worry and anxiety of many people, especially those who need to go out a lot because of their work. But thankfully, with a few proactive safety measures, we can ensure we’re keeping ourselves safe and protected during these times.

This pandemic won’t last forever, but while it’s here, we must never forget to regularly wash our hands, disinfect our belongings, clean our homes especially the surfaces most frequently touched, and maintain social distancing.