Creating a coronavirus-free entryway is all about limiting the number of outside bacteria that can come inside your home. Before you wash your hands, there are a few preventative measures you can take when you first enter to help stop the spread. Yes, you should still wash your hands, but you should also be washing your clothes and removing your shoes. Read on to find out how to create an entryway that will help stop the spread of coronavirus in your home.
Shoes Off
Taking off your shoes at the front door is a common routine for many homeowners. If this isn’t something you normally do, now is the time to start. Whether you choose to take them off before you enter the home, or once inside, they should not go further than your entryway. By removing your shoes before passing your entryway, you are stopping the bacteria you collected outside from coming into your home.
Keeping your shoes on, even just to run to the bathroom to wash your hands, will spread more germs throughout your home. This is why it’s so important to take your shoes off at your entryway. Create a designated zone for your shoes such as a bin or shoe rack to keep them organized. Ensure if you or someone else does walk through your home with their shoes on, that you disinfect the area. Tip: To be extra careful, remove your socks as well.
Clean Clothes
Much like your shoes, your clothes can carry a lot of bacteria from the outside world, including germs that cause coronavirus. If you’ve been out and about running errands, you should put those clothes into your laundry basket soon after coming home. Don’t lounge on your couch wearing the same clothes you wore to the grocery store. Instead, do a quick change into clean indoor clothes and put your outside dirty clothes in the wash.
With the hot summer weather here in full force, you may be wearing clothes that expose more of your skin. An extra step that can be beneficial is taking a shower soon after coming home and then changing into clean clothes. This way if there are any germs on your arms or legs, they will be washed away. Keep your dirty clothes separate from the clean ones, and do not re-wear your outfits before running them through your washing machine on high heat.
Scrub Surfaces
It’s inevitable that you will have to touch something in your home before washing your hands. Remember the surfaces/objects you touched when coming home and be sure to scrub them clean soon after returning. Be sure to wash the inside handle of your front door, light switches, and any countertops or walls. If you shut your front door one day and open it the next, the virus could still be on that surface. Make sure you wash your home surfaces as diligently as you wash your hands!
Creating a coronavirus-free home starts with the first areas contacted. Keeping your shoes and clothes in designated zones, disinfecting all the surfaces you touch, and washing your hands regularly will help you stay virus-free. Remember, it’s better to be overly cautious than not cautious enough!
