As the spread of coronavirus disease i.e. COVID-19 continues to affect lives all over the world, it is essential to not only follow the safety tips for personal hygiene and care but also know what we need to follow to keep our home safe as well.

‘Safety beings at home’ – as the popular phrase goes – let’s admit it, all we want in this pandemic is to be safe rather than sorry. Take some precautions to ensure that you and your family are safe – not only outdoors but also indoors.

It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed our daily routines, the way we work as well as our reliance on technology. A majority of people have been working from home, students are attending classes virtually, and all of us assure to only step outside whenever necessary, don’t we?

So, whether it’s your daily groceries you need to stock up on or a visit to the doctor, here are some of the practices we have adopted and thought of sharing with you —and your family and friends— to keep our home a safer place than ever.

Do I need to sanitize surfaces?

The CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – suggest keeping surfaces clean i.e. you need to clean and disinfect commonly touches areas. What all areas would this cover, you might ask? Here you can follow a standard procedure for routine cleaning and disinfecting.
Typically these covers sanitizing surfaces and objects daily that are touched often such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles, phones, and toys. Doing this can help you kill germs on surfaces and lower the risk of spreading infection.

Are my groceries good to go?

Almost every hour your phone might beep and you might be notified about the latest news about Covid-19. Information about the lifespan of COVID-19 on surfaces continues to evolve. Now, you don’t need to wash or disinfect each grocery item you grab from the store, the CDC suggests certain for groceries and food safety:

• Sanitize the bag properly before bringing it inside your home.
• Ensure to keep your grocery bags in a separate area from the surfaces where you prepare food at home.
• Clean your groceries with a clean cloth before placing it anywhere.
• Do not put grocery bags on the counter where you’ll later have items for dinner.
• Get rid of the bag as soon as you take the groceries out of them.
• Keep washing your hands in between.
• Clean all surfaces the bags touched.

How often should we wash bedsheets and clothes?

Even though the whole country is under lockdown, you can’t help but step outside to buy essentials for every day. As soon as you come back home, you wash your hands and feet, take a bath – ensure you’re squeaky clean, right? But what about your clothes? Clothes and other surfaces tend to catch the virus too so, make sure you wash them as soon as possible after coming home.

In case, if you’re not able to wash them immediately then you can keep them in a separate laundry bag or basket which is covered so that they don’t come in contact with the other clothes.

It is a normal routine for all of us to wash our bed sheets once a week and more than that if we see any visible dust on it. But nowadays, as we all are home and spend most of our time on our bed. We should wash our bedsheets, pillowcases, bedspreads, and cushion covers twice a week to keep it fresher and more hygienic. 

Where should I store my shoes?

You slip into your footwear and step outside without a second thought that your shoes might need cleaning too. There is a possibility that they can come in contact with the virus when exposed to multiple surfaces. So, instead of tracking your shoes and germs inside your home, take them off and leave them outside. Store your shoes in a shoe cupboard, rack or on your doormat. If you choose to walk inside with your shoes indoors, be sure you have cleaned your floors.

What about deliveries – is it safe to order?

Avoid ordering things from outside to ensure utmost safety. But if you must, the CDC suggests limiting contact as much as possible. Choose the option to pay online or beforehand. While receiving the delivery, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t on hand, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and sanitize the carton or the package and keep it in an isolated corner for a while before you tear open it. Wash your hands before and after opening the package, and toss he carton immediately.