New Cleaning Routine for Lock Down

Today’s post is based on all the cleaning questions that have been facebook messaged to us. It has taken me a bit to frame and re-frame my thoughts around this pandemic, but I will do my best to tell you what we’re doing with the hope that it brings you a little calm in this time of our lives. At the time of this post, no one in my family has or has been knowingly exposed to the Coronavirus. As with everything you read here, this is my opinion and just what we’re doing, the entire Selangor state is only allowed to do anything essential. This is my perspective from my own experience.

First things first, this is uncharted territory. None of us know how it will turn out, how long it will last, and no one really has the perfect plan for how to navigate this new kind of life at home. I’m choosing to realize that I have no control over what goes on outside our home – when the kids go back to school, when activities will be rescheduled, when restaurant will be open again, when we can go out in public and do those little things that suddenly seem dangerous. What I can control? What goes on inside our home, how our house feels, how I face and react to uncertainty, what we choose to occupy our time doing. 

New House Rules

no shoes on in the house. take them off outside the door. if you haven’t done this in the past, now is the time to start. you can carry in all sorts of germs, pesticides, and just plain dirt on the bottoms of your shoes into your house or apartment.

wash hands upon entering the rest of the house – even if you’ve just been playing outside. remember, you just removed your shoes. this is a normal household rule for us, but if it isn’t for you, i’d recommend adding it!

change clothes when coming in from somewhere else – even if its grocery or just a short trip to tapao food. you’ll never know what your clothes can catch from that mini trip out.

change hand and bath towels daily. this is something that we already do with hand towels but i’m adding the bath towels in now too. not everyone takes a daily shower and yes, it might seem excessive but this is what we’re doing at the moment. do what is right for you. i wash all sheets and towels on a weekly basis.

everyone helps! there’s no point setting houserules if everyone else in the house is not following it. make sure your kids know what to do too and cooperate.a couple things i’m doing/already do to prevent illness

whole house air filter is running 24/7 – i usually do this during the sick season anyway.

hepa filters in vacuum cleaners – this is important to get small particles and contain them so you aren’t breathing them in. look out for this feature when you’re shopping for one.

wipe down most-touched areas frequently/daily – i use rubbing alcohol for most areas and i use hydrogen peroxide or clean well disinfecting wipes on areas where i can’t use rubbing alcohol. dettol disinfecting spray works well for me too.

using the sanitize option on the dishwasher – i do this all the time anyway, but if you can select that, this is the time to start. if you’re able to, run down the dishes with hot water too.

Laundry

do at least a load of laundry from washed and dried to folded and put away. this is a daily task, but it’s so helpful to keep up with this if it works for you and your family. now is the time to try it!

launder each family member’s clothes separately.  this keeps any potential germs contained. i also use 1/4 cup of white vinegar in each load of laundry to soften the laundry and keep things fresh.

clean the washing machine weekly. this is something i normally do on saturday after all the sheets, towels, and cleaning cloths are laundered. there’s items sold in daiso or mr diy for cleaning your washing machine.

clean laundry baskets. this is especially important if someone is sick. use steam, take them outside and spray with hydrogen peroxide or wipe with a disinfecting wipe or clean with soap and water and let sit in the sun.

What i use to clean frequently

first and foremost, wash hands frequently – before meals, after meals, after using the bathroom, after you come home from outside, and periodically during the day.

most detergents will remove germs when applied properly – even soap and water will remove germs. i recommend spraying and letting sit for 10 minutes and wiping with a clean microfiber cleaning cloth. you can use rubbing alcohol or disinfecting wipe on a cotton pad on those most-touched areas like door handles, light switches, remotes, phones, etc. personally, i do not use using any cleaners that have harmful chemicals and fragrances in them even in this scenario because they have endocrine and immune disruptors and can contribute to superbugs.

steam cleaning/sanitizing/disinfecting – i bought a simple steam cleaner devide a couple months ago and love using it to sanitize and disinfect hard and soft surfaces. if you have little ones and are concerned with soft toys or anything that can’t go in the washing machine, this is a great option. steam to this temperature will kill 99.99% of germs and viruses. i hope this post provides a little hope and guidance in this time of uncertainty. reach out to your loved ones and check in on those who need it most.