In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and with the virus still a present threat, many of us are becoming more concerned with keeping our families safe from viruses, microbes, and bacteria. You therefore may be wondering what you can do to keep your household fresh and free from germs.
Make Sure Your Laundry is Clean and Fresh
Given that laundry is some of the materials that we have the closest and most frequent contact with, it’s naturally important to keep clothing and bedding fresh and free from germs to keep your family healthy. Other than washing laundry regularly, there are a number of things you can do to keep your laundry clean and hygienic. First, make sure you clean your washing machine periodically, too ideally, once a week. Many of us can assume that because its purpose is to clean we do not to monitor the machine itself. However, washing machines themselves can also harbor viruses and bacteria if not properly maintained. Fortunately, cleaning washing machine products are now easily available for this task.
You should also avoid drying clothes in dark and damp conditions, as this can foster the growth of microbes, dust particles, and bacteria. Hanging laundry outdoors is ideal, but if this is not feasible for any reason, try to dry clothes in areas with good ventilation. Finally, particularly dirty laundry, like gym kits and towels, should be washed at higher temperatures (60C) than other materials, to ensure they are fully clean.
Wash Towels Regularly
Towels, in particular, need to be monitored from a hygiene perspective, because, for kitchen and bathroom hand towels, they will likely be touched regularly by multiple members of your households and guests. If one of your family then has been in contact with germs, a towel can easily transmit them throughout your household. Even if towels are only being used by one person, towels can still quickly gather dust and bacteria over multiple uses. To mitigate this, make sure personal towels are watched diligently and that you regularly replace hand towels that are used communally. You should aim to wash bath towels once a week and gym towels while switching communal towels every 3-4 days. It’s also good practice to wash your kitchen towels separately from your other laundry, so they do not transfer any viruses or bacteria onto your family’s other clothes.
Take Shoes off Before Entering the House
You might not anticipate shoes as being a major vehicle for germs, but research suggests quite the opposite. In fact, research from the University of Arizona suggests that the average outside of a single shoe has over 400,000 units of bacteria on its surface, including numerous harmful types like E.coli. Naturally, it is, therefore, a good idea to avoid having family members or guests wear shoes indoors wherever possible. If a member of your household does wear shoes inside, consider cleaning the surface with disinfectant. This is because shoes can leave their germs impacted deeply on your household surfaces. Therefore, using traditional cleaning methods can end up only serving to spread the bacteria across the whole surface. Household cleaning product companies now also sell shoe-specific disinfectant sprays, to remove germs directly.
Focus on Common Touchpoints in Your Home
As with towels, one of the most important ways to keep your family’s hygiene is to make sure the surfaces which are regularly touched by multiple members of your family are highly clean. This is both because, by being touched a lot, they are more likely to accrue harmful germs, and, because they can act as vehicles for transmission. Examples of these common touchpoints include door handles, stair banisters, and communal electronic items, like desktops and television remotes. Ideally, these should be sanitized on a weekly basis using disinfecting products where possible. This will go a long way to preventing the spread of viral germs like those that cause COVID-19 and common forms of flu. You should do this even more frequently if you have guests, or one of your family is sick. Dusting these touchpoints regularly is also good practice from a health perspective, as large amounts of dust can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma.
Keep Bins Tidy
Unsurprisingly, bins can also be a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful substances. Not only that, but large amounts of spoiled food can attract insects and other unwanted wildlife. It’s therefore good practice to use bins with covers for food waste, and try not to overfill them. This will prevent pests from accessing the bin and bacteria from proliferating.
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