Home Sanitation Tips

Keeping a clean home right now is more important than ever. I went from vacuuming my entire house twice a day to about 5 times a day with the kids home 24/7. Because I am very particular about my home being clean (coronavirus or not) I wanted to share some home sanitation tips I’ve learned along the way! I’ve spent our quarantine as a family learning new tips and habits when it comes to bringing groceries in our home and cleaning the produce. There are so many techniques I’ve learned that I need to share.

One of my best tips is to keep cleaning products you love on hand at all times.  Always having great cleaning products makes the tasks at hand less daunting and more enjoyable!

• I own SO many of these MICROFIBER CLOTHS. They’re amazing for all surfaces and purposes; countertops, baseboards, bathrooms, your car, or the kitchen.
• I’ve started using this POWDERED TIDE mixed with hot water to clean tons of surfaces in my home! I learned the tip from an Instagram account called @gocleanco who has amazing cleaning tips on their page.
• I love MRS. MEYERS COUNTERTOP SPRAY for my kitchen and bathroom counters! This Lemon Verbena scent is amazing.
• This PINK STUFF CLEANING PASTE is great to have on hand for tough to clean messes like grease.
• TOOTHBRUSHES are one of my favorite cleaning utensils- especially for hard to reach cracks and crevices. I always keep one in my cleaning caddy.
• We use our DYSON CORDLESS VACUUM multiple times a day. I don’t know what I would do without it!
• Love this O-CEDAR SPIN MOP for cleaning my floors!
• STEEL SPONGES are great to have on hand- especially for in the kitchen!
• We always keep a good stash of these CLOROX WIPES on hand. They’re awesome for easy clean-ups or quick disinfecting.

Home Sanitation Tips

Washing Hands

Seems simple, yet it’s often overlooked in comparison to hand sanitizer. Washing your hands with soap and water for 20-30 seconds is more effective. My family and I have made it a goal to wash our hands before & after every new activity as well as moisturizing so we don’t dry our skin out.

High Touch Surfaces

Cleaning our high-touch surfaces is SO important. We may not always think about sanitizing surfaces like doorknobs, light switches and remotes. But if our cell phone surfaces carry more than 20,000 bacterias, then I can’t imagine how much these other surfaces are carrying. Don’t forget areas like cabinet handles, microwave and oven handles, buttons and handrails. 

Homemade Disinfectant 

Disinfectants can be hard to find during these times. If you’re out of Clorox wipes, Lysol or disinfectant spray, make your own! 

1 quart water

4 teaspoons bleach

Add to a spray bottle and spray on surfaces and leave it to do its magic for 5 minutes. Make sure to use hot water and a rag to wipe it down afterwards.

Wash Your Produce

This is so important and something I don’t think about often. I always rinse my produce before cooking & eating, but giving your produce a good spray after you purchase them is a great habit to create. Here’s the mix I use:

4 Cups Water

1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

I spray this mixture on my produce, let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly with hot water! It’s another simple step to add to your grocery routine and a great precaution to take!

Don’t Forget About Your Car:

Sanitizing your car and its surfaces is an extremely important step to remember! I’ve been using my car for necessary trips to grocery stores, restaurants and drives. I keep a pack of sanitizing wipes in my car and make sure I constantly wipe down all the high touch surfaces like handles, seatbelts, buttons and the wheel. I also keep a box of cloves and masks in my car. 

Giving Your Home a Good Clean:

Every day I make sure to wipe down surfaces like countertops and tables! But, I make sure to give a good, deep clean to my entire home at least once a week. It’s been nice to have my girls home 24/7 to recruit them into the cleaning process. This is a great activity to give to the family! 

Another great tip to incorporate into your home cleaning is to curate a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning rotation schedule! By doing this, you can create amazing cleaning habits for the whole family. It’s also nice to follow a cleaning rotation for an always clean home! Here’s an example:

Monday: Clean bathrooms.

Tuesday: Sweep/Mop and clean baseboards. Vacuum

Wednesday: Living Room & Bedrooms

Thursday: Kitchen and dust all over. Vacuum

Friday: Windows, handles, high touch surfaces

When you give your home a deep cleaning, here are some tips I swear by:

• Move rugs and furniture to clean underneath. Even though some furniture never moves, It’s important to clean under those surfaces for dirt and germs that have been swept under.
• Start off your day by taking 30 minutes to tidy up. This makes a huge difference in how I start my day as well as maintaining a clean home as the day goes on. Get your family involved!
• Open your windows! I love opening my windows when I clean to help circulate the air in my home and let the harsh chemicals in cleaning products so their job then makes their way out.
• When I mop, I make sure to change out the water in the bucket after each time it touches the floor. This way, you’re not just slathering germs across the ground. 
• Sanitize your electronics and utilities! I love giving my oven, dishwasher, washer, dryer and microwave a good wipe down daily.
• I do at least 2-3 loads of laundry filled with towels, blankets, sheets, stuffed animals and other frequently used materials every single day. 
• Shake your rugs out outside! This is a great time to rearrange some furniture and freshen up your home!
• Get your kids involved to help!!