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Good Home Tips during a Quarantine
Dear Friend -
Good Morning from my Good Home to yours. I am quarantined in NYC where we are now the epicenter of of COVID19 in the United States. Fortunately we are indoors and have plenty of food and we are all well. I hope this finds you well too.
The COVID19 virus is extremely frightening - mostly because it is currently running rampant and there is so little information on how long it lasts on surfaces. Because of this I wanted to share with you my own cleaning practices at home during this time.
Quick Disclaimer: Fortunately we are not ill and do not have any signs of illness. If you have COVID19, you should use cleaning practices in accordance to your Doctors orders.
Good Home Tips
Always
1. I have not veered too far out of my normal cleaning routine. For my floors I continue to use a Haan steam mop which cleans by using hot steam. I use this on all my my wood and tiled floors. I spray our surface cleaner on the floor first and then go over it with the mop.
2. Good Home Glass and Surface Cleaner continues to be my go to for cleaning my kitchen, counter tops and bathroom surfaces. just more often.
Hand washing has always been a practice of mine and there is no reason to use an antibacterial soap. As the CDC has said - soap is soap - the most important part is to wash in warm or cold water, lather up and do this for a minimum of 20 seconds.
CDC - When and How to Wash Your Hands
I only use hand sanitizer if I am outside of my own home.
3. Several years ago I had two flus back to back. It was then I took my Aunt's advice of never to touch my eyes, nose or mouth with my hands. I can honestly say that has kept me flu + cold free for years now.
4. Remove shoes. always a good practice in any home. I do not know if it cuts down on the virus, but it does keep my floors cleaner.
Extra Precautions Now Taken
5. This virus has been shown to last on several hours on a multitude of surfaces and for this reason, I have added rubbing alcohol into highly touched areas. I give all phones, computer key boards, mouses, mouse pads, light switches, door handles and remote controls a good spray of rubbing alcohol and a wipe with a clean cloth. I do this daily or anytime I or a member of my household has stepped outside.
6. For clothing that is being exposed to anywhere outside of the house where there is interaction with others, I have switched from using only cold water, to warm/hot.
My rescue chihuahua and I on our morning walk
7. A dog pet from a stranger was a daily occurrence for us. Unfortunately I no longer allow any dog pets as it has shown the virus does stay on pet fur. For how long we do not know. If you live in a highly trafficked city like I do - it is a good idea to rinse off their paws after an outdoor walk.
8. I regularly air out my apartment by opening the windows, but now I am very diligent about it. Not easy as the East Coast is still chilly, but on warmer days above 50 - I open my windows for 15 minutes at least.
Essential oils, vinegar, Castile Soap and other natural ingredients are always good to use for daily cleaning. products like Bleach, Alcohol, and Hydrogen Peroxide have all been shown to kill the COVID19 virus, but if you do not have the virus in your home and you are not leaving - it would not seem prudent to use these daily.
Also of great importance is to keep your immune system up. Processed foods, chips, ice creams, frozen pizzas and candies may bring temporary comfort, but they are not helping you fight the virus. Make sure to stock up on plenty of whole fruits and veggies and avoid going down the junk food road.
I have added elderberry to my families daily vitamins, along with the Zinc, Echinacea and D3 we normally take.
Magnolias blooming in NYC Battery Park
And of course exercise and nature. We do get out every day for a walk - practicing social distancing of course - in nature. The increase in fear and stress will lower your immune system. It is extremely important to be in nature when you can and do movement that is healthy for you. This could look like chair yoga and listening to bird song on your phone if you are immune compromised or disabled and cannot risk going outdoors. A meditation practice - just sitting in quiet - or a guided one - will help tremendously.
My personal favorite for reducing stress and worry is practicing gratitude.
These are certainly challenging times, but one I know we can all handle. Being grateful to have a warm home, with every amenity I could ask for, plenty of food and most importantly health. Instead of fighting the slow down, I am realizing I like a slower pace in my life and plan to implement changes for this to continue.
We at Good Home are grateful for you and your support. We will continue to stay open as we are an essential business and to also offer a much lower price as long as we can. These are times to support and nurture one another and a wonderful time to create a future with love.
Thank you and be well -
Christine
Founder - The Good Home Company
I’m looking for your Lemon Breeze Floor Soap which does a beautiful job on my wood floors. I wonder if it is still available.
Thank you
Nice posting! As a registered nurse, I concur with the alcohol-based sanitizing recommendation. And bleach, in a 1:10 dilution pretty much kills off viruses. But I admit that Good Home household cleaners leave a much better smell! Stay healthy and lay low for the next few weeks. Hopefully as the weather warms up, this winter virus will suffer the same fate as the other regularly recurring viruses – it will die off!
Absolutely wonderful. One of the most sane and humane postings I have read during this period.
Thank you for such a beautiful email and all of your information! I love GoodHome products and use through out my home! Truly, what I thought while reading , you care! You were not selling, you are give insight to being safe in our homes!!
Thank you
Thank you for your helpful tips and thoughtful words during this challenging time in New York City. Stay well.