While flu can strike at any time of the year, the colder, winter months are when it can do its most damage, and if you want to do everything you can to keep the virus out of your home this winter, you can follow the tips below:
Wash your hands properly, and often
We’re all familiar with the proper way to wash our hands, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and this is proven to be the most effective way of keeping germs and bacteria from entering your system, and your home.
Clean touch points frequently
Light switches, door and cabinet handles, toilet flushes, remote controls for TV and sound systems, all of these places are touched frequently by the hands within your household, and sanitizing them a few times a day, can greatly help reduce the transmission of viruses.
Use disposable sanitizing wipes or a damp cloth soaked in soapy water to clean items and areas that get frequent usage in your home, and where necessary, use a Q-tip soaked in alcohol or soapy water to get into smaller spaces such as the areas between the buttons on the TV controller.
Wash towels and bedding frequently, and in hot water
Make sure that towels and bedding are washed once a week (or more often if someone in the household is sick) on a hot wash (always check the manufacturers guidance) and with color-safe bleach where appropriate. Try not to share towels or blankets, and if possible, let damp towels air dry between showers and baths, to dry them out and prevent bacteria from breeding on them.
Clean your vacuum thoroughly, on a monthly basis
Whether your vacuum has a bag or a container you need to empty, be sure to do it often enough to ensure that anything nasty gets thrown away and isn’t allowed to just sit in the vacuum, breeding or waiting to be transmitted elsewhere. Clean as much of your vacuum as you can, and make sure the filters and hoses aren’t clogged up. This will also help ensure that the vacuum can do its job properly.
Hire a cleaning service
This is one of the most effective ways to combat viruses and keep them out of your home, as professional maids will have all the right tools and know-how to sanitize it thoroughly from top to bottom.
Clean or swap toothbrushes
It’s always important to change toothbrushes regularly (experts recommend this be done every 3 to 4 months), or clean them by boiling the bristles and soaking them in warm water and vinegar. A clean toothbrush is especially important if someone in the household is sick.
Pay extra attention to cleaning your bathroom and kitchen
As these are the most frequently used rooms by everyone in your household, it’s important to pay extra care when cleaning them if someone in the home is sick, or during the winter months when the flu virus is at its most rampant. Use bleach or your own homemade cleaning solution to keep faucets and handles clean, and you can always keep a few packets of disposable sanitizing wipes in both rooms for others to use before they leave the room.
Whether you decide to keep your home hygienically clean yourself, or hire a cleaning service, keeping a clean home can go a long way towards a germ-free home, and happier, healthier inhabitants.
