Tag Archives: healthy home

Spring Cleaning during COVID-19

Cleaning Table

This first month of spring 2020 has been one for the history books. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the social distancing orders, and the urge for people to stay at home has changed our world. History shows us though that during the most trying times there is always a light of hope and even some positive opportunities. Although many of us find ourselves working to become accustom to new routines, spring has still come, nature is still budding again, and you can still keep many of your typical seasonal goals even if it takes some modification, like spring cleaning!

What did your previous years of spring cleaning look like? A warmer sunny day to open all the windows and get some fresh air in? Window screen washing in the sunshine? Rag washing trim and a good thorough polishing of surfaces? I’ve been guilty (when time allowed for it) of emptying an entire room to wipe everything down and then put it all back again to truly start out clean and fresh. I thank my mom for the drive to do that as she did so as often as possible to help combat our childhood allergies. Luckily, everything I just mentioned you can still do! For those who are staying at home hopefully you even have a little more time there to work on spring tasks, maybe even spacing them out so you don’t have to do so much all at once.

Maybe this year gives you more time “stuck” at home that you finally get to do some new things that are not so routine. When was the last time you truly went through your clothing collection, tried everything on and sorted out piles: Keep, Donate, Dispose. How about the last time you actually had time to sort out all of your personal records and get rid of the drawers of papers that you don’t need? Although you may not be able to run right out to the store for bins to pack the keepers in, luckily there are amazing people out there still working so that we can order these items and have them delivered to us, or even call ahead and go pick them up curbside.

The same goes for DIY projects. Spring cleaning is so much more than just cleaning. It is organizing, restructuring, and even purging or building for some! What projects have you been putting off because your previous schedule of work, cook, clean up and sleep did not allow for it? Even if you dedicate just a half hour a day to little tasks like making the wish list of projects, researching how you want to tackle each of them, then writing up the materials list for each. In no time you’ll be able to clearly look at them all, estimate the time to complete them and fit them into your new schedule.

Yes, there is much tragedy and struggle during this time, but for many there is also opportunity, like the opportunity to finally tackle important goals, finding happiness and pride in completing them, or the opportunity to create a cleaner home to help move forward with a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. Whatever you tackle during this time don’t forget to thank those who maybe don’t have the time themselves because they’re essential workers doing their best to keep things operating so we can spring clean and be healthy.

Winter’s Toll on the Health of Your Home

winter_health_homeIt’s almost time to break out the winter weather shoes. Some are stylish, some are rugged, but all good winter weather shoes have a heavier tread on the bottom compared to off-season shoes. These treads and deep groves make foot travel safer and easier, but are also perfect for collecting soil and debris. With freezing temperatures and snow, salt and extra sand is added to the mix of fiber damaging substances collected in these great treads.  With cleanliness and health in mind, winter months may require a little more effort to maintain interior spaces.

First off, what is soil exactly? Soil is unwanted substances that lodge themselves within fibers, carried into spaces with traffic.  Typically, analysis on general soil samples show that it is comprised of abrasive particles, dander, and vegetable fiber. Add in oily or sticky substances and you’ve added a binder, allowing the soil to glue itself to fibers.

Keeping a building clean and healthy during the winter months all starts within the first 5-6ft of the entry way. This is where most of the damaging soil accumulates. Lay down a matting system that will be resistant enough to the soil that it will be easier to clean than carpet, but heavy enough that it will keep the soil from spreading past that point. You’ll want to cover the first 10 feet around the entry way (five feet on either side of the door).

Next, make sure you have your carpets sprayed with a protective coating after each cleaning. This is actually suggested as a year round maintenance item to keep your carpets looking their best and staying their healthiest. Original factory protectors eventually wear off or are cleaned off.  We have a lot more detail on why this is so important in our article How can I keep my carpets, area rugs, and upholstery looking their best.

Make more time to put extra effort into keeping the exterior travel routes clear. Sweep, rake, or blow outside walkways more often. Depending on how much traffic you experience, think about adding exterior matting or grates to collect more soil before the door mat.

Last but not least, have your carpets cleaned and vacuum often. Clean them a little more frequently than you do in the other seasons. Not only do you have the extra soil from winter shoes, there’s also holidays, decorating, and more time spent indoors to track it all around. By adding mats, keeping the exterior walkways to entrances clean, and making sure your carpet is protected, you’ll have a healthier cozy winter.