Organizationally-savvy individuals have an eye for both style and efficiency. Their homes are oftentimes well-designed, radiate a sense of balance, are somewhat minimalistic and are at its core, organized. What tips can you take from these individuals to incorporate into your own home? In this article, we are bringing you 5 things organized people do to keep their homes tidy.
With anything in life, having a simple and well-structured gameplan is key to achieving any task. Without this small, but highly effective list, we can find ourselves without a proper roadmap and render ourselves unable to reach our destination with ease.
The art of creating a list is something that should be kept simple, yet many make it complex. When creating a list for the home, it is important to first identify the intent of that list. Why spend time creating a list when you could complete tasks as they come and at a time that feels most convenient in that moment? For a time, operating in this mode may prove to be easy, but over time, you will find that the tasks come in at a time that is inconvenient for you, the process itself becomes daunting and tasks will begin to accumulate. A simple list can remedy this headache before it has an opportunity to invite itself in.
When creating a list for the home it’s essential to keep it concise and simple. Each task should be achievable within a 30-minute time frame. If a task goes well beyond this mark, dividing the task over a few days or perhaps delegating time-intensive tasks for the weekend could prove to be what allows you to complete smaller tasks throughout the week, allowing your weekends to be filled with more free time. An example task could be to spend 20 minutes cleaning out the refrigerator. This task is simple which makes it more likely to be completed. If the task were to say clean the entire fridge, wash all tupperware that was stored and wipe down shelves, there’s a higher chance that most wouldn’t dare to entertain, especially during the week. If the tasks are made simple enough they will be easy to complete during the week. This benefits the wellbeing of both you and your home.
As humans, we naturally develop an emotional connection with things that gives us a sense of happiness. This also extends to developing a connection with things that we believe could prove to be useful for us in the future, no matter how arbitrary that thing is or how little its reward could bear. Organizationally-savvy individuals have over time taught themselves that holding onto essential useless items won’t contribute to the wellbeing of their home over time. They may hold onto an item that captures temporary emotions, but in the end they are able to distinguish if that item is worth offering space in their home for it.
It seems difficult to reject these items from our home because we have formed a temporary yet recurring emotion with it. In this relationship, our feelings for these items only peak when we make contact with them, which isn’t often being that they are usually buried in a drawer or closet, making our emotions with them short lived. Items that many of us form these temporary yet long-term relationships with include items such as old phones and laptops, back up holiday decorations in excess, articles of clothing, etc. Hoarding can extend to various areas of the home. Let’s use the kitchen as an example. Things we may harbor in this area include a surplus of items such as utensils and dishes from various sets. Holding space for these items decreases the functionality of the kitchen and increases the amount of work needed to keep it clean. If we can cleanse the space of excess items, it allows us to obtain items with ease and decreases the amount of clutter to clean.
It is essential that we begin to learn that these items don’t hold as much true value as we may think and that it is okay to simply let them go.
People who thrive in organized spaces understand the importance of functionally. Things that are properly organized are simply at its core more efficient. This makes their usage easy and the experience somewhat enjoyable. It is more important than ever for organizationally-savvy individuals to weave a simple yet highly effective system into a space as personal as their homes.
These individuals will invest in items to help them achieve and maintain organization in all areas of the home. This includes under sinks, in drawers, closets, etc. Another plus about these organizational items is that they have a capacity limit, which encourages individuals to avoid hoarding. Check out our article 5 Organizational Items from Amazon That Will Make Your Life Easier to find items for the home that will help you organize various areas of your home!
Social media gives your brand a face. Through this medium, businesses can showcase their products and services and serve as a form of customer service. Understanding the impact that social media has for almost every business will help develop your social media plan. Check out these 4 reasons why social media plays a key role in business.
The social media world provides businesses with the proper stage and tools to showcase their business, services and products. There are many platforms to choose from, so choosing your preferred platform should be a breeze. Platforms businesses can choose from include Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat and many others. What platform a business chooses depends on what and how they choose to market. For example, a clothing brand would thrive on Instagram and Pinterest because those are platforms that are rooted in photography and aesthetic. There’s a chance that advertising a clothing brand on a platform such as Twitter may not do as well as it would on another platform.
Another example are blog articles. For this form of media, Twitter would be a great platform to publish this content on. Twitter is a text-based platform, so blogs and other articles are sure to thrive on this platform compared to let’s say, Snapchat. In picking your main platform, businesses will be able to showcase their brand for all to see. In utilizing social media businesses will be able to showcase their brand however they see fit. They may post what they like (under the rules of that platform) whenever they choose to do so. This freedom gives businesses room to try different strategies and post different forms of their content to see which does the best on a platform.
Social media provides businesses with an easy way to share new information, services and products with its target audience and customers. This demographic is able to see what’s new in the target market and keep up with all that’s going on. This also keeps the target audience and customers consuming that business’ content. Even if they don’t choose to make any transaction with that business at that moment, they can still be given quality content on their timelines in preparation for any potential future purchases.
Understanding this ties in with the responsibility of keeping up with your account and ensuring that there is fresh and engaging content on that account’s timeline. As previously mentioned, this keeps customers and the target audience in the loop of what’s going on with that company. This could include sales, new products, new team members, business reviews and much more. This content allows the target audience and customers to stay informed on the business, builds trust and credibility, and also allows them to keep any possible transactions they might want to make with this business in the future on tabs.
In today’s world, it is more accessible than ever to market your content on social media. Facebook is a great resource for many when creating ads because they allow users to extend those ads to other platforms, Instagram being the most popular one. When creating ads, you are able to choose the ad’s visual structure, text, image and what platform it will be marketed on. Each social media platform has the ability to track how successful your marketing strategy is by providing users with an analytics page. This page will show you how each post is performing. It will also target which post is outperforming the others.
When creating an ad, you are able to target it towards a desired outcome. For example, if you would like to drive more traffic to your website, there is an option specifically designed to do just that. Or if you would like to promote a particular post with a product or service there is an option for that as well. As mentioned before, users will be able to select the desired ad layout based on the layout options available.
Creating content is great for a business, but being able to properly market that content also holds great value and responsibility. We are lucky to live in a time in which marketing can be executed by the average person. If you are having a difficult time grasping the best way to create ads and how much to spend on them, check out some Youtube videos on the subject. There’s a plethora of extremely valuable information from people in the industry who give free information on how to navigate this field.
Last on our list is customer service. Social media paves a way for customers to reach a business quickly and easily. They are also able to inquire about particular products and send it along with their questions through Direct Messaging (DM). They may also write in the comments section. It is important for authorized business account users to keep on top of the comments and direct messages, as they show other potential customers how your business interacts with and assists others. Using social media in this way also allows the business’ team members to get more acquainted with social media usage if they are not so familiar with it.
As mentioned above, team members should ensure they reply to and are engaging with all who inquire. These members also serve as the “face” of a business’ brand because they are who both current and potential customers will bring their questions to and/or interact with. When you provide a comfortable space for this group to respond, they are more likely to have a better view of the business, and with this, there is a higher chance of them making a purchase or supporting the business in the near future. These customers will speak well of the business and may possibly recommend it to others. Esteban Kolsky reports, “72% of consumers say that they will share a positive experience with a brand with 6+ people”. 6 people per 1 person can accumulate tremendously and rather quickly as well. This increases your presence online, likeability, and of course, revenue. Great customer service on a business’ social media platforms is critical to reach both old and new customers, and to build a healthy relationship with them.
2021 has finally arrived. We seek relief from the challenges of 2020 and face the new year with a positive outlook. This frame of mind can be extended to the interior design world. Homes across the world will take this emotion and channel it into the design of their homes. Check out these interior design trends we can expect to see in the new year.
1) Getting in Touch With Nature
In 2020, we were faced with many challenges. In the new year, many are solely seeking solace in their space. With this, the trend of natural interior designs is projected to skyrocket. This design encourages us to get back to our roots and helps us better understand the world around us.
Pantone has named two colors as the theme for 2021, a soft yellow and cream. Creme represents a fresh start in the new year. 2020, as we all know, was filled with many challenges. In the new year, we hope to start anew. The soft yellow projects radiance.
And while we can't fully know what to expect from the new year, what we can do, is enter it with a positive outlook on life and use the lessons learned in 2020 in the 12 months to come.
Accessories that will thrive in the home of those who are interiorly inspired will be rattan and canned furniture. These materials are natural and fit perfectly with the refresh and reset theme projected to soar in the new year.
We can also expect a rise in consumer demand for more sustainable, artisan-made materials. Reusable resources become more demanded and integrated in every day life with each passing year. Bringing in a balanced sense of nature is an aesthetic that many will be drawn to and appreciate.
2) Diversity in Textures
In the new year, we can expect a diversity in textures to extend to the interior design world. Diversity creates space for a heightened design experience. This year we can expect to see a variety of textures incorporated into the home.
Popular textures include marble and paper elements. These textures cater towards minimalist designs, especially when paired with earth and neutral tones. A good example of this look is the picture placed above.
In this photo, we can see these designs throughout this living room. This space includes a variety of completementing earth and neutral shades. Objects such as the lamp, fireplace, and backdrop where the TV is placed, are all accented with a stunning stone texture.
This space’s simplicity is what makes it appealing to the eyes and heart. In 2021, incorporating the idea of minimalism and comfort is one many are looking forward to.
On the flip side, one’s interior design for the new year could be the complete opposite. In 1918 when the Spanish Flu hit, people of the time were faced with the same safety rules we have implemented today in the wake of COVID-19. Once the outbreak faded out, The Roaring 20s came in full swing. During this time, people we’re thrilled to dive back into the outside world. This inspired a wave of intricate and bold designs to surface, and there’s a possibility that we could also see this in the interior design world in 2021, continuing the The Roaring 20s.
3) Accent Walls
Accented walls serve as a beautiful way to provide contrast and texture in a space. A popular way this is accomplished is through color blocking. Coloring blocking is an easy, but highly effective way to block a section of the home with the color of your choice. This creates stunning contrast and really highlights that area of the home.
What makes this design so great is that it is a simple process and any color can be chosen to fit the aesthetic of any home. Great areas to include color blocking extend to practically anywhere in the home.
Popular spots include the dining room along with the bedroom. Select your color of choice, your preferred wall in your home, and simply paint the wall to achieve blocking.
Having a solid social media plan plays a critical role for most businesses. There are various forms of digital content to create and platforms to post each piece on. How can you as a realtor connect with your audience through these platforms? In this article, we are showing you 4 ways to increase your presence on social media and how to connect with your target audience.
1) Discover Your Desired Content
The first step in growing your presence in the digital world is discovering what kind of content you want to create. When creating content, it is essential that this content fits two requirements. First, the content you are creating and posting should be content you are passionate about. When creating content you have a natural interest in, the quality of that content will show in each piece.
The second requirement is that it is content both your followers and visitors will relate to and find interest in. Once this is sorted, the next step is identifying what type of content you wish to create.
The great thing about the digital world is that there are so many different forms of content you are able to put out to your sphere. If your strength is in writing, you should excel with ease in writing blog articles. If your skill lies in creating stunning visuals, then graphic design will be one of your strong suits.
Other forms of digital content include podcasts, videos, online pamplets, and so much more. If you have more than one field of interest in content creation, you have a wide array to choose from and implement into your social media timelines.
2) Find Your Desired Platforms
Our next step to accomplish is choosing which social media or digital platforms with which you wish to connect to your audience. Popular social media platforms include Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, Snapchat and so on. YouTube is also popular for Video and Video Advertisement aimed at Buyers and Sellers.
You’d be surprised at how well you can reach various audiences on each individual platform. For example, a perfume expert created his own Tik Tok account and makes short informational clips about the world of perfume. He talks about how to choose your signature scent, various brands, the best places to place your perfume for a long lasting application and so much more.
This expert has a successful social media page because he placed himself in an environment where short, informational and create videos thrive. More experts such as dentists, doctors and scientists have picked up on this trend and create similar content for their audience. People are intrigued by new information, and like to learn if it is presented creatively. If you present the content in a simple, eye catching and digestible way you are sure to gain new followers on various social media platforms.
3) Identify Your Audience
Identifying your audience plays a very important role in content creation, but even more important, marketing. It is crucial that you understand who your audience is and what they like. As mentioned in the first section, the content you create and post should be content that you are in fact passionate about, but understanding what works and what doesn’t work with your audience is essential for social media success.
This doesn’t mean you have to change the content of the material, but rather the form in which each piece is presented. For example, your audience may prefer infographics while another audience from a different platform may prefer short videos. If the content isn’t presented in a way that the audience finds easily digestible and pleasing to view, there’s a strong chance they will not keep up with your page, and perhaps after some time, unfollow your account.
Once you are able to identify audiences you will be able to target them through ads and allow them to reach more content such as your website and/or offered services.
4) Create a Posting Schedule
Creating a posting schedule is the easiest way to manage all of your content. Two platforms we recommend to help manage and schedule your content include Hootsuite or Facebook Creator Studio.
Explore each of these resources and choose the one you feel most comfortable using. With these platforms, you will be able to create and schedule posts as far out as you wish. If you would like to utilize a day to organize your content and prepare posting dates, these are great tools you can use to accomplish that task. Organizing your content in this way allows you to create a curated schedule of your content.
This also helps you plan for holiday posts in advance and takes the pressure off of posting the day of at a particular time because it is already scheduled for an automated post. Having this tool will allow you to multitask around the office and give you the peace of mind that a range of content has been prepped and ready to post on schedule.
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The housing market in Central Indiana was very strong in 2020, and very much in favor of Sellers. So, if you do choose to buy in 2021, be ready to pay top dollar. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Yes, you will be paying more than you might have paid 2 years ago, but your home will also hold it's value. And due to the Seller's market not looking like it will change anytime soon, this also means if you buy now, the value of your home is more than likely to increase in the coming years.
If you are exploring the idea of buying a home in 2021, there are a few basic steps you can take now that will ensure you are prepared to make a strong offer when the time comes.
1) Get Pre-Approved
Pre-approval from a mortgage lender is the essential first step to buying a home. You will speak with a mortgage broker, who will gather your information and determine the price of house which you can afford.
2) Find A Realtor with Experience
Everyone knows a realtor, however, everyone should not use that realtor that they know. Ask your Realtor, even if they are a friend or even worse, a relative, to walk you through their entire plan for you when it comes to assisting you in Buying a Home.
If you feel comfortable with that and feel they are experiened enough to handle a transaction in 2021, which will require putting in a strong offer and having it chosen among other multiple offers, then that is great.
If you want a realtor who is proven and experienced, and that also has the backing of a team of more than 90 other realtors, choose a Realtor from RE/MAX Advanced Realty.
Join the thousands of satisfied clients who have used our Brokerage in Central Indiana. Below are links to where you can begin:
1) Looking for Homes on our Website that's more user friendly than Zillow!
2) Speak with a Realtor to Learn About The Home Buying Process
Be well, and we hope to speak with you soon,
-RE/MAX Advanced Realty
In this article, we are bringing you 5 organizational items from Amazon that are sure to make your life easier. Check these out and tell us what you think of them in the comment section down below!
These popular items are fan favorites on almost every social media platform. These clear storage containers are an easy and aesthetically pleasing way to store dry goods. They will allow you to store your goods easily and with a clear view. Popular foods that many like to store in these containers include pasta, flour, dry beans, cereal, nuts, dried fruit, dry snacks etc. This set comes with a variety of sizes for each container to ensure you have the perfect size for every item. For example, there is a long and slender container that serves as a perfect container for bundles of pasta. The lids of the containers come in a variety of shades and are airtight, keeping the food inside fresh. They are made with food grade material and are BPA free. These containers are of course also great for the environment because you are able to reuse them, then recycle once finished.
This tool mount holder is a life saver for those who have amassed many cleaning tools such as brooms and mops over the years. Finding a proper home for these items can prove to be a bit of a hassle at times. Oftentimes, these items will fall over or won’t stack neatly when you are trying to store them away. This tool mount is the perfect solution for this problem. The Holikme Wall Mount runs for an affordable price of 10.66. It is lightweight and easy to install. This item helps you save space in your home and can be used in any room. Popular places customers have hung this mount for organization include the laundry room, pantry, bathroom, garage, utility room, garden and other related spots that need a helping hand. The mount can hold up to 40 pound, making it ideal even for hanging hardware tools alongside your broom and/or mop. Simply slide the tool between the two grips to organize any space around the home.
Underneath our sinks, many of us will find an array of items that are poorly organized. We just couldn’t find the proper spot for this item inside our home and resorted to placing it, along with many other items, underneath the sink (for now). Utilizing the space underneath our sinks isn’t a bad idea. Where may find error in this popular storing location is that we lack proper organization when utilizing this area. This leads to less space for a low amount of items and longer time to locate particular items because of the lack of organization. This undersink organizer is here to save the day! This undersink organizer is expandable and comes equipped with shelves. It is easy to assemble and comes with one box, four legs and one top. This organizer is fit for not just underneath the sink, but for various rooms around your home due to its adjustable and efficient design. Some recommend it for spice storage and other related items. It is made of high quality material that is sure to withstand the test of time and weight from various items. For example, it can hold cleaning supplies that amass to 40 pounds! Invest in this item to help keep items around your home organized.
Sometimes, our fridge, and especially the freezer can become overloaded with food items. This makes shuffling through food a pain, as it can be time consuming and cause items to fall about. How can we solve this problem? These freezer and refrigerator food bins are the perfect solution! Think of these items as an alternative item to the first item on this list. What was once only used for dry goods can now be expanded to items that need to be refrigerated or remain frozen until consumption. These bins are clear and stackable, making these an efficient and aesthetically pleasing way to store food in these spaces. They run for a price of 30.00 and come with six storage bins of various sizes and designs for functionality. Some examples include bins for snacks, eggs or cans of soda. Each of these items require a design fit for their structure in order for them to be stored effectively and these bins do just that. They can be stacked to achieve maximum space and have handles that cave inwards for grip and to conserve space. These containers are able to be stored in the fridge as well as the freezer.
This item is the planner of the future! This is a smart notebook and planner. Yes you read that correctly, a smart notebook and planner. This item sizes up at the standard size of notebooks, 8.5 x 11 and comes in a variety of colors to match everyone’s personality and style. Color choices include a velvet black, fiery red, charming green and much more. The book comes with 32 pages that have been designed in a dotted grid format, allowing for optimal space when planning out your day or taking notes. This notebook is environmentally friendly because each page can be easily cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth. As for your notes, no worries! They have been sent over to your mobile device and laptop where you can further edit them or print. The documents can be sent and stored using software such as OneNote, iCloud, Dropbox, Evernote and a few other popular storage softwares. This also makes it easy to share with friends or colleagues. This unique item runs for a very affordable price of 25.49 and has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating with over 29,000 reviews. Check this item out to take your planning and notetaking game to the next level.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise. With this, staying home is more critical than ever. While, home check out these self-help books to add to your reading list. Quarantine is the perfect time to dive deep into the topics of the books listed in this article!
The 48 Laws of Power is a fan favorite by many across the globe. If you haven’t taken the time to read this bestselling book, quarantine is the perfect time to get started. Author Robert Greene has amassed a collection of lessons from powerful historical figures throughout history. Through these lessons, Greene aims to help readers identify ways in which the idea of power presents itself into our daily lives.
Power is a societal entity that everyone has to battle with, even at the early stages of life. We see its formation in our daily lives, including our time at work, and with family and friends. At times, we can even have this battle with ourselves. Greene states that we are either fighting to hold onto power or we are being overpowered by those around us. Greene teaches readers how to play the game of power and explains key tactics on how to not be played as a pawn in the game of life. Examples of a few laws of power you’ll see in the book include turning weaknesses into strengths and the art of planning.
The War of Art dives deep into the heart of the creative and tunes into the fears that render their work incomplete (that is, if the work was actually begun).
Pressfield gives a deeper look into the hearts and minds of artists. He explains struggles artists may face, including battling a sense of low self esteem, financial hardship in attempts to sell created work and many more related topics that readers can identify with.
A key theme throughout this book is the idea of residence. In this context, what meaning does it give? In the field of creative work, creatives battle with residence, a feeling that, with great force, pulls them away from their craft. This force can present itself in various ways and Pressfield explains the various ways it can appear throughout the book. This idea of resistance is what pulls the artist away from their craft, keeps their self esteem low and what keeps them from properly growing in their field of passion.
Many who aren’t creatives can very much so see this form of resistance inviting itself in other spaces of their lives. With this, The Art of War presents itself as a book that could be beneficial for people of various interests, hobbies and/or passions. Pressfield allows readers to identify their fears, understand them and eradicate them from their lives in order to achieve their goals in life. Creative or not this book is a great read for anyone looking to overcome fear and enjoy their passions in life.
In essence, the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown is about a key subject that has presented itself in recent years: essentialism.
What is essentialism? Oftentimes, people want more of practically everything. Paired with this idea, instant gratification has left many people captivated by the idea of having things in excess. This has trickled into the way we view tasks and work. There’s a big narrative that we as a society have developed that more is better. This includes our work. Essentialism challenges this idea because it is the idea of getting the right things done, not excess tasks. Agmosts the younger generation, the idea of achieving more at a younger age has caused a low sense of self worth.
On social media, many young account users post accomplishments that most in that age range have not achieved. Examples include buying a large home at 18 or becoming a millionaire at 19. This has left a negative impact on our youth and also those up in age. Essentialism allives us from the burden of comparing ourselves to others and our personal achievements.
As mentioned earlier, essentialism is about achieving the essentials. This creates a solid foundation for things that need to be accomplished. With this foundation, we create a sustainable environment for achieving tasks at a higher level. Quarantine is the perfect time to sit down with ourselves to identify and understand our basic needs and how to accomplish them.
Created by award winning business reporter Charles Duhigg, this book deserves the attention of everyone in society. Duhigg allows readers to connect habits with science in efforts to understand how habits are formed, maintained and to understand the power that they hold.
The book allows you to dive deep into the minds of neuroscientists to unearth how habits work and the impact they have on the human brain. It also shows how top athletes, public figures and top business have implemented habit forming and used them to their advantage in order to advance further in their careers, organizations and life missions.
At its core, this best seller explains how to form habits in order to advance in our own lifes. This includes our endless (and unsuccessful) attempts at building our ideal body shape in the gym, perhaps admitting we struggle in speaking a language we’ve been learning for years, and the most famous habit of all, procrastination. Duhigg breaks down how these habits are formed, how to get rid of them and how to build proper ones. There’s no better time to read The Power of Habit than now!
With over 8 million copies sold in the US, The Four Agreements is a book that is praised by many, earning a spot in “O” The Oprah Magazine.
In this book, author Don Miuel Ruiz dives deep into four key ideas that play a vital role in how we experience life. Those ideas are: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions and always do your best. Ruiz explains each idea in detail throughout the book and challenges readers to keep the mindset encouraged in his book for just one day. Many may come to find that this is a challenge they will struggle with as they go about their day.
This book will help you learn more about what it means to live a life free of fear and how to acknowledge our self-worth.
Online Support is Safe and More Important Than Ever This Small Business Saturday in Indianapolis. Here are 5 of Our Favorite Small Businesses to Support Online this Small Business Saturday!
From Holidays to College Gear, The Shop Indy is your place for local designs specific and unique to Central Indiana! Visit Their Online Store and give the gift of Local you can wear!
Indy's go to spot for fun gifts, local jewelry, and tons of Indy Specific decor and gear! If you still have Christmas shopping left for someone you know that lives in Indy, this is the place to check out! Shop their site here!
Indy's Amazing Popcorn Shop! Popcorn is the gift you can give safely online, and the gift that keeps on giving when shared! Snag some popcorn and ship it for yourself, or that Indy person that would love it! Shop online here!
Juice Remedy is shipping juices all over Indy! It's easy to get off your health game around the Holidays, combat that with some juices sure to make you feel healthy and amazing! Shop here!
Is a vinyl record a great gift for that record lover in your life? Of course it is! This year especially, take advantage of holiday sales while supporting a local Indy favorite! Shop Records here!
Keeping your home free from harmful viral and bacterial matter is more important than ever. Each day, we track more bacteria inside our homes than we realize. It is vital that proper cleaning and precautionary measures are taken in order to keep ourselves and family members inside the home clear from harm’s way. In this article, we tackle how to stop germs at the front door and how to rid your home from the ones that slipped through the cracks.
Step one in keeping your home germ and virus free is to halt viral matters at the door. Items that collect dirt, such as shoes, must be placed at the front door. If the item or items belong in an area inside the home, then it is crucial to take the proper disinfecting measures.
Let’s use groceries as an example. You have just gotten home from doing your weekly grocery shopping routine. One thing you should do before entering your home is disinfect your hands. While shopping in the grocery store, your hands have come into contact with various items, items that hundreds of shoppers have also touched. Whether you can see it or not, your hands are quite dirty after handing the shopping.
A neat experiment to track the amount of dirt you accumulate on your hands while shopping (or when making runs in general) is to wear a pair of surgical gloves. Ensure they are light in color so you are able to see any residue accumulated throughout your time out. When finished making your runs or shopping, you will be surprised to see just how dirty the gloves became.
When coming home, the first thing you should do before opening your front door is sanitize your hands. Be sure the sanitizer you are using contains at least 60% alcolhol, as reccomended by the CDC, and use enough product to keep your hands wet for at least 15 seconds while rubbing the sanitizer into the skin. This ensures that your hands are properly disinfected, thus preventing you from tracking germs from your door knob to various areas throughout your home via your hands.
Germs and viral matter that have made their way into your home can last on surfaces for hours or even days. Keeping disinfectant spray and wipes on hand can help eliminate these germs.
The CDC recommends first cleaning surfaces with soap and warm water, and then disinfecting the surfaces with a proper and effective disinfectant. Cleaning with soap and water reduces the amount of germs and dirt. The disinfectant step that will follow next will rid the surface of the germs that were not washed away in ridding the surfaces of dirt and other impurities.
Important surfaces to cover include high contact surfaces. High contact surfaces are surfaces in which members of the home often come into contact with. Those surfaces include door knobs, light switches, counters and tables, phones, keyboards, remotes, faucets, toilets, etc.
Like when using sanitizer for the hands, it is also important to keep the surfaces of these surfaces wet for a period of time to ensure the disinfect is given the proper window of time to complete its job. The lengths of time needed for surfaces to be wet can vary by product.
With this, it is important to read the directions of each product to ensure you are using it correctly to properly disinfect surfaces. If you live with more than one person, ensuring that you keep up with properly cleaning and disinfecting these high contact surfaces is crucial to keeping yourself and house members out of harm's way, especially during these times.
If someone develops an ilness in the home, it is more crucial than ever that they are separated from the other members of the home. This ensures that other members of the home are not being exposed to pollutants that could potentially cause them to develop the same illness.
An important factor to keep in mind is that illnesses affects each individual uniquely. Minor symptoms experienced by one could turn into major symptoms for another. It is important to keep this fact in mind in ensuring you take the proper precautionary measures to ensure the health of all members of the home are being properly protected.
The first step to take when someone becomes unwell in the home is to section off the home so that they are in their own space. This serves as the “mask” of the home, creating a protection barrier between the one afflicted with illness and protecting those who are not. When entering the room for important matters such as delivering food and/or medicine, ensure that the person who is ill is wearing a mask along with the person entering.
When collecting dishes, it is important to wash these dishes separate from the rest. Use hot water and ensure you do not use the same towel or sponge with any other dish or piece of cutlery. When removing trash that contains tissue from this bedroom, be sure to wear disposable gloves.
Once the person recovers from their illness, disinfect the space using the methods above. Also be sure to clean all bedding in hot water and use a disinfectant spray on the mattress.
Cleaning the bathroom isn’t fun for anyone, but keeping a proper and steady routine will make this vital chore a breeze. Although the bathroom is a space for cleaning our bodies, lots of bacteria can be found in this area of the home.
When cleaning the bathroom, it is important to protect your hands with cleaning gloves. This eliminates the chance of you spreading germs to yourself or outside the bathroom in your home, and protects you from getting chemicals on your skin.
Starting with the toilet, apply your preferred cleaning agent that will effectively clean the toilet. Use a good brush when scrubbing the bowl. Once finished, let the product sit for about 5 to 10 minutes then flush.
You can see the pattern of letting products sit on the surface for a while to allow them the space to work effectively. From hand sanitizer to our cleaning products, these products need to be allowed a window of time in order to work.
Next, let’s move onto the sink. As also listed above, the faucet is another high contact surface that is a key spot to disinfect. Apply an effective cleaning agent, scrub and allow the product to sit for a bit. A good way to utilize the time in which a product is sitting is to move on to the next area. Once finished with that area, the previous has already had enough time to get the job done.
Be sure to sanitize all bath mats and clean the flooring by sweeping and mopping with a disinfectant agent as well.
It’s important to note that not all cleaning products accomplish the job they are advertised to do. How can we ensure that we are purchasing and using aqduete cleaning products to ensure our space is properly disinfected?
Referring to the Center for Disease Control Prevention is the best way to track that the cleaning products you are using are effective. Starting with hand sanitizers, as mentioned above, these sanitizers should contain at least 60% alcohol to properly rid the hands of germs.
Be sure to take note of the information presented on product labels. For example, Germ-X states that their hand sanitizer kills germs “within 15 seconds”. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean use a pea size amount and rub your hands together for 3 seconds. In order for this product to properly sanitize, an adequate amount of sanitizer needs to be used in order to rub into the skin for the required amount of time. If there is visible dirt on the hands, it is best to simply wash them with an antibacterial hand soap if you are able to do so. The motion of rubbing your hands together for 20 to 30 seconds breaks the bonds of the bacteria and the water rinses them away from the surface of your hands. This is why it’s preferred to wash your hands with soap and water versus hand sanitizer if you can. If unable to, use sanitizer according to its specific directions.
Cleaning products for the home also need to be given a window of time to work. It is also important to note that many of these products are water activated. For example, in order for the toilet bowl cleaner to effectively do its job, the toilet bowl brush must be dipped into the water for a few seconds before scrubbing the bowl. If you were to just scrub the bowl “dry” then flush, the product wouldn’t be able to do its job because the product has not been activated. Be sure to read all product instructions to ensure you are using products correctly and creating a clean space for yourself and other members of the home.
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8313 W. 10th St
Indianapolis IN 46234
dennis@indyhomepros.com
317-316-8224
