9 Tips for a healthy + germ-free home!
Kick out the winter germs with these tips for a healthier home!
Use these household cleaning tips all year so that it’s already a part of your daily routine when cold and flu season arrives. If you’re in search of cleaning products you’ll love: we recommend grove products to keep your home clean! We love their commitment to sustainability and the quality of the products we receive each month. Now that we’ve shared our favorite cleaning products with you, we want to share ways to keep those germs contained and your family healthy. We wrote down some tips to help you keep your home clean.
Wipe down high-traffic surfaces daily.
The most commonly touched places in the home are door handles, light switches, cabinetry handles, counter-tops, remotes, phones, washroom facets, and appliances. Think about high traffic touch-points as anywhere that your hands touch when you enter your home, use the bathroom, or prepare to eat. Be mindful that hard surfaces tend to be more germ-friendly. It’s important to wash down all hard surfaces regularly!
Sanitize your phone, tablets, and electronic devices.
To expand upon the last tip - your phone, tablet, game controllers, and remotes are hard surfaces that act as breeding grounds for bacteria and germs. Regularly clean these items to avoid spreading sickness.
Wash your hands.
Your hands are dirty. They carry germs. Wash them regularly! It’s really that simple. Before you eat, after you use the restroom, when you get home.
Leave your shoes at the door.
An obvious reason to have a “no shoes inside” policy is that dirt, oil, and other contaminants won't be tracked throughout the home as easily. This rule will likely translate to less time spent cleaning and vacuuming. Leaving your shoes at the door may also help you extend the life of your floors.
Another reason to leave your shoes by the door when you enter your home is to reduce the amount of germs you bring in with you! Research has found that shoes can carry microbes like viruses and bacteria. Dedicate a pair of slippers to stay in the home to keep those toes cozy and clean!Deep clean the Kitchen and Bathroom
You probably already spend a lot of time cleaning the Kitchen and Bathroom, be mindful that they are also two places that have the most hidden germs, mold, mildew, and food-borne pathogens lingering.
Clean your dishwasher
Clean your Keurig
Don’t let water pool in your sinks or dishes
Dry your dishes
Disinfect sponges
Wash kitchen and bath towels
Use trash cans with lids
Wipe down any areas that may have come into contact with raw meat or other food products. (cutting surfaces, food prep areas)
Close the toilet seat when you flush.
Have you ever heard of the term toilet plume? It’s not something we love to talk about - but it’s important to know about it’s role in keeping your home clean. When you flush, the toilet plume occurs. We have seats with covers to contain this issue at home - but most public restrooms don’t have this feature. (Yikes!) A scientist from MIT explained it this way, “the toilet plume — an airborne dispersal of microscopic particles created by the flush of a toilet — is a real phenomenon and, in some cases, a valid public health concern. Flushing a toilet produces both aerosol droplets that mix with the air in the room and larger droplets that land on and contaminate surrounding surfaces.” Always close the seat BEFORE you flush. Perhaps keep your toothbrush in the medicine cabinet? Away from the toilet plume!
Clean your cleaning supplies!
Your mops, brooms, brushes, and towels will only keep your home clean if they are clean too!
Reduce Allergens and Keep the Air Clean!
Every system in your body relies on the air you breathe.
Wash your bedding, linens, pillows, and blankets weekly. Regularly vacuum rugs and carpets. Keep your windows clean, wash between the cracks. Air purifiers and plants help improve the air quality in your home. In the winter months, running a humidifier may help prevent sinus infections and aid in healing dry skin. Change your furnace filters at least once per winter season. If you can, open the windows regularly to let the stale air out and the fresh air in!
Clean your pet bowls!
For the same reasons we wash our dishes after each use - it’s important to wash your pets dishes daily. Especially those wet food and water bowls! If you have pets, be sure to wipe down and sanitize their high traffic surfaces regularly too.