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HOME AND OFFICE CLEANING TIPS FOR A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

HOME AND OFFICE CLEANING TIPS FOR A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Each action we take, no matter how small, has an impact on those around us. Keeping homes and offices clean is now more important than ever to create a safe environment. From rental properties to the general public, these helpful cleaning tips make for a safer environment to live and work. 

THE BIG THREE IMPORTANT TASKS

The objective isn’t to reorganize every draw or system you have in place. That can come next when necessary or when boredom sets in – whichever comes first. For now, the goal is to create a safe work and home environment. For those working from home, it’s one and the same.  

It might feel daunting knowing where to even start. Breaking it down to smaller steps can make things a little easier. The three main important tasks are: decluttering, cleaning, and disinfection.

STEP 1 – DECLUTTERING HOME AND OFFICE

Clutter not only can be a source of stress in a home or office, but it also can impede cleaning. It’s very difficult to clean an area when items are blocking that task. 

One method of dealing with clutter quickly is to group similar items together and take them to a specific place.

Start with the common clutter offenders: 

  • Gather all dishes and place in the sink
  • Place dirty laundry into a plastic bag or hamper and take them to the laundry room or other designated area
  • Put all paper items in a box to sort through later
  • Gather up any items that should be discarded

If you have books about, place them in a box or on a shelf but avoid the temptation to reorganize that shelf. Same with shoes and coats. Again, organizing can occur at a later time. Try to stay focused only on the goal of getting items off of surfaces so you have access to clean them.

Important Note: special consideration is recommended that in times of infection wear disposable gloves (or dedicated gloves that can be washed) when handling items such as dishes or laundry.

STEP 2 – IMPORTANCE OF DEEP CLEANING BEFORE DISINFECTION

Now that items are grouped by type, moved, and surfaces have been exposed it’s time to remove the dirt and grime. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning dirty surfaces using a detergent or soap with water prior to disinfecting. Diving straight to disinfection before proper cleaning may thwart your disinfecting efforts. 

In each room: 

  1. Conduct top-down dusting, remove cobwebs, and clean ceiling fans and vents first so that the debris will fall on areas yet to be cleaned. 
  2. Secondly, clean walls and cupboards; again from the top down. 
  3. Move on to cleaning flat surfaces such as countertops and tables. 
  4. Lastly, sweep and vacuum prior to mopping.

In general, it is recommended to wear gloves when dealing with cleaning and disinfecting solutions to protect your hands from the harsh chemicals. In addition, consider creating cleaning zones and use different colored gloves for bathroom cleaning versus kitchen tasks. 



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