Is going out of your comfort zone a life-threatening risk now?
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the pandemic has wreaked tragedy for most people as the number of cases run riot, day to day, globally. The cases have been rising steeply across the world since the middle of last year with death rate of more than 3.5 million people so far. Even though 5.9% of the population in the world have been vaccinated, which are known to be 95% effective, the vaccines are not completely curbing the spread of the virus. They are substantially effective against infection and likely to prevent you from getting sick with covid, but it is still uncertain to what extent they will keep you from spreading the virus to others.
Before the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, a majority of the world’s population were ordered to self-quarantine in their homes and practise physical distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. The remote working trend accelerated, online education became a buzz word in the field of education, more and more people turned to online shopping during those unprecedented days caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. But as more people got vaccinated, plunging the case rates, they have started to reenter the “normal” life by going back to workplaces, grocery shopping, hospitals and even educational institutions.
Even though most people have become somewhat accustomed to the lives they have built and the routines they have created in their “Covid caves” and are not looking forward to a return to normal, but circumstances and reopening of everything is pushing them to step out of the house.
But are things actually back to normal?
More than 2 million vaccine doses have been administered worldwide which equals to 29 doses for every 100 people and even if you are vaccinated, there is a high chance that someone you come in contact with is not vaccinated. That means they can still pass the virus to you via respiratory droplets from a sneeze or cough or physical touch and you might carry it home and pass on to your family members, your coworkers or your friends.
What about when guests visit your home, carrying the virus along with them? Even though experts believe that the virus spreads mainly from close contact with an infected person, it may also be spread through touching surfaces that are contaminated with the COVID-19 virus. The infected person could touch the objects in your home such as doorknob, counter, utensils and sit on your couch and bed, leaving trails of the virus making them contaminated. This can infect another person who touches those surfaces and then their face, rub their eyes or eat without sanitising their hands. This can happen without your consciousness and the most substantial solution would be getting into the regular habits of cleaning and sanitising your home to save lives and be your own saviour.Moreover, keeping your house clean would not only protect you from the virus but all the other bacterias and germs that can make you sick.
Mental health checklist!
Researchers have found that cleaning have positive effects on our mental health as well. It helps us to calm and improve our mood, so if you are someone who is going through anxiety and depression due to the pandemic, know that this could be your medicine.
Let’s get familiar with the right cleaning and sanitising techniques.
First and foremost, before you start to clean, know when you need to clean.
- Regularly and consistently : Make up your mind that this will be a regular task and you have to maintain Cleaning your house everyday is definitely a big hassle but it’s important if you are going out every day or having people visit your house. But well, if you are too lazy, avoid cleaning everyday but make sure you do it at least twice a week or half an hour every day, just dusting and vacuuming the corners. To ensure your tasks are organised, dedicate a particular time of the day only to clean your house and add this to your weekly schedule or set up a reminder.
- Clean and sanitise when someone is sick : Situations like this need extra care and attention as there are already more than enough microorganisms and germs present in the house, making someone sick. So, cleaning and disinfecting the entire house every day is a NECESSITY at this point since you don’t want the disease to get transmitted or worsen. Focus on all the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen and leave out the living and dining room if you don’t spend most of your time there. Don’t forget to maintain a safe distance from other family members when someone is sick.
- Right after the guests leave : Do this immediately after they leave as it puts you at a risk of getting the virus. You don’t want to get it and you surely don’t want to spread it so just clean even if you are exhausted. All you need is a little bit of effort to save you from getting infected with the virus.
- When you need a happy pill! Cleaning is such a mood-lifter. You gotta clean your house like you are cleaning your mind from all the toxic and negative thoughts. Dust, sweep, mop, spring clean and wait till you feel that dopamine rush in your body! This is a great motivation to make cleaning look for like a healthy exercise than a hassle.
Now that you know when you need to clean, let’s get into how do you start the journey?
- Write a cleaning schedule first if it feels too overwhelming. If you need to clean the bathroom, do all the bathrooms at once and then switch to all bedrooms. Once you figure out your cleaning groove, you will most likely get more efficient and faster for every next task.
- Get all the necessary cleaning tools needed to help your cleaning process efficient and put them on a cart such as a cleaning agent and sanitiser, a good sponge to clean the basins, towels or microfibre clothes for the counter, furnitures and glasses, broom, dustpan and mop for the floor, scrub brush for dust hiding in the corner and a vacuum.
- Put on some good tunes! It’s amazing how much music increases your tolerance of a not so desirable task. Jam to your favourite playlist, dance around a bit while dusting all the dirts, sweeping and mopping the floor.
- Wear a mask and hand gloves and get started! DUST, SWEEP and MOP!
Let’s start cleaning!
- Get rid of clutters! Put them in a bag or box and give them away.
- Organise your vanity, desk, kitchen utensils and wardrobe.
- Remove the bedsheets, pillow covers and curtains and keep them aside for laundry.
- Start dusting each and every corner, start from the surface of every object in your house and dust wherever you see dirt particles and don’t stop till you are satisfied!
- Vacuum the floor or use a broom to sweep the dust off the floor.
- Disinfectant all the rooms and toilets with the best disinfectant that will work effectively by killing the germs or viruses present on the tiles.
- Use microfibre mop and good floor cleaning liquids and the best one would be that is eco-friendly.
- Use a microfibre cloth to clean all the glassy surfaces like the dining table, mirror antiques and windows.
- Routine wash all your cleaning tools with the best disinfectant.
- Put on bed sheets, pillow covers and curtains. Light up some scented candles and enjoy your stay!