Winter is just around the corner. You know what that means. No, we’re not talking about the holiday season. We’re talking about flu season.
Yes, once the weather gets colder, it ushers in the flu season. Typically, it’s not really something to fuss about, but with the coronavirus still around, we need to give it some serious thought this time.
As a gentle reminder, here are a few things you can do to make your home virus-proof so that you do not compromise the health of your loved ones.
9 Ways to Virus-Proof Your Home This Flu Season
1. Leave your shoes at the door.
Even if you do your best to stay indoors most of the time, you will still need to go out to do some essential things. Anytime you step out of the house, make sure that upon returning home, you leave your shoes outside. Have indoor slippers by the door and change into them immediately. This helps prevent you from bringing germs inside the house.
2. Clean and sanitize high-touch surfaces.
We all know how the coronavirus can stay on surfaces for days, depending on what type of material an object is made of. It takes the virus up to 24 hours on items made out of cardboard and up to 3 days on stuff made of metal and hard plastic. Cleaning and sanitizing the different types of surfaces around your home, especially ones that are frequently touched, will help minimize the risk of the virus’s survival.
3. Disinfect as much as you can.
More than just keeping surfaces clean, you also need to disinfect them with approved disinfectant wipes and sprays. Be sure to read the label for how long you need to let the disinfectant sit before you wipe it off.
4. Have a fixed cleaning schedule.
Create a cleaning schedule for each area of the house. You don’t need to clean everything at once lest you want to end up exhausted every day. Set a schedule for cleaning floors, ceilings, walls, windows, furniture, and other areas around the house. This is, of course, on top of keeping all frequently-touched surfaces clean and disinfected.
5. Rearrange stuff in the bathroom.
Since studies show that the coronavirus thrives in environments with dry air and low humidity, you also need to pay attention to your bathroom. Keeping your bathroom as clean as possible can help lower the risk of transmitting any virus.
Always wipe countertops, mirrors, knobs, and handles after use. Keep toothbrushes separate from each other. Add some hand towels for drying your hands, too. Just make sure you also replace and wash those towels frequently.
6. Don’t forget to clean and disinfect laundry holders.
When it comes to laundry, experts recommend washing your clothes with warm water. Use the warmest heat settings on your washing machine and dryer as much as possible.
Other than immediately washing and disinfecting the clothes that you use for going out, you also need to clean and sanitize your clothes hamper when you do your laundry.
7. Use hot water when cleaning the dishes.
Similarly, when doing the dishes, it is also recommended that you wash them with soap and warm water. If you have a dishwasher, it is best to use it as it runs on warmer water compared to what goes out of the faucet.
8. Let the light in.
Sunlight also contributes a lot to keep your home free from germs, bacteria, and viruses. The sun’s UV rays help eliminate microorganisms and viruses that cause different kinds of sicknesses. So open those curtains and blinds and let the sunshine in. Not only does it help keep viruses at bay, but it also makes you feel good, too.
9. Get an air purifier.
Lastly, make sure the air quality in your home is safe for you and your family. An air purifier captures and kills different kinds of germs and viruses to keep the air clean and safe. It also eliminates allergens and traps cigarette and tobacco smoke, which is very helpful in keeping you and your loved ones safe from lung cancer.
Consider getting one for your home if you don’t already have one.
Until we get to the point that we already have a cure and a vaccine for COVID-19, we should never take any sickness lightly, even something as common as the flu.
It pays to be preventive. We need to ensure that we do everything we can to not compromise our immune system so that we minimize the risk of our families contracting the dreaded coronavirus.
