Spring Cleaning In A Pandemic

Covid-19 is changing almost every aspect of how we live, including how we spring clean. With so much at stake, I want to make sure I get it right so I’ve compiled the best advice from experts including Martha Stewart, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CDC, NIH and the House Beautiful Institute. I hope you find this info as helpful as I have. Glove up, grab your bucket and let’s get clean!

WHEN YOU FIRST WALK IN THE DOOR

While most of us are only venturing out for basics, there’s still a chance we could be exposed to the coronavirus. Dr. Elizabeth Scott, Professor of Microbiology at Simmons University in Boston, says as soon as she gets back in her car after running an errand, she sanitizes her hands. If she’s coming back from a walk, she sanitizes her hands before she walks in the door. I’ve set up a sanitation station at my front door where I have hand sanitizer for me and baby wipes for my dog’s paws. Dr. Scott leaves her shoes at the door, never wears them inside, and if she’s wearing a jacket, she quarantines it so it can’t infect other items. She advises washing clothes right away or at least putting them in the hamper where they’re kept separate from clean clothes. To read Apartment Therapy’s full article with Dr. Scott, click here.

GROCERIES AND GERMS

You’ve just returned home from Kroger with your reusable bags chock full of Pringles, Häagen-Dazs and other essentials. Those bags could also be bringing unwanted germs into your space. The National Institute of Health reports the coronavirus lives up to 24 hours on cardboard, 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel, and can live in the air for up to 3 hours. CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta did a video demo in his kitchen showing us how he wipes down every single item he brings back from the store. Check it out here.  And don’t forget to wash and sanitize your reusable bags!                                                                                                                                   

GO OLD SCHOOL WITH CLOROX

Bleach isn’t just for your grandma. It’s an effective, time-proven workhorse you can use throughout your house. Just make sure it hasn’t expired.  Use it to disinfect everything from toilets and laundry to patio furniture and shower curtains.   Here’s the thing— you want to clean your stuff first with soap and water, then disinfect.  And make sure to only use Clorox on non-porous surfaces. For wooden cutting boards, use vinegar, lemon, salt, hydrogen peroxide or baking soda for that job.  Click here for more info on cleaning cutting boards.

When using a bleach solution, the CDC recommends leaving it on surfaces for at least 1 minute. The CDC’s recipe for bleach cleaning solution:  1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water. When doing laundry, use the warmest setting possible for that fabric. Martha Stewart breaks down how to use Clorox on everything from patio furniture to your kids’ bath toys.  Click here for the many uses of bleach.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING’S TOP 50 CLEANING TIPS

The notion of spring cleaning is always overwhelming to me. Who has the time?  Well, we do! The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, yes, there is such a thing, has a room-by-room guide on how and what to clean in your home.  They’ve got tips on how to make your white shirts and sneakers look like new again, DIY your own cleaning solutions, make cloudy glasses sparkle, launder your pillows and kids’ stuffed animals, speed up a slow drain and a whole lot more. There’s not an inch of your home they haven’t thought about. For all 50 tips, click here.

Best of luck with your spring-cleaning efforts!  May your home sparkle, shine and keep you and your family safe and sound.