But in the age of COVID-19, nothing could be more important than cleanliness. Keep in mind the virus can stay on surfaces for several days. If a friend stops by to use the bathroom and happens to be a carrier without any symptoms, he or she could infect the faucet, the toilet handle, or anything he touches. This in turn could infect you. That’s why it’s so important to regularly sanitize everything in your Athens Ohio apartment, especially if you have roommates or if any friends stop over.
Daily
- You should go over any door knobs, faucets, or other commonly touched areas with disinfectant wipes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s a good idea to leave bottles of hand sanitizer throughout your house. Use them often — encourage roommates and guests to do the same.
- Make up your bed. Your room will just look better, and it may be psychological, but you’ll feel better and sleep better if the bed’s made up before you crawl in. Change linens at least once a week.
- Empty the trash. Don’t let food sit around indoors getting smelly in the garbage can. Take it out and put it in the bins.
- Wash the dishes. Leaving dirty dishes around is an invitation for a bug infestation. If you have a dishwasher and don’t use if every day, make sure dishes are well rinsed before you stow them in the dishwasher.
- Pick up your clothes. Less is more, and the less mess you leave around your small room, the roomier it will look. Put dirty ones in a hamper; hang up clean ones or fold and put them in a drawer.
Weekly or Semi-Weekly
- Vacuum, sweep and mop. It kind of depends on how many of you there are and how much dirt you generate as to how often you need to do this. You will also need to clean the floors more often if you have shedding pets. Invest in a small vacuum cleaner for carpet; use a Swiffer-type mop to go over hard floors, but water works just as good as the chemical the company sells, and you can also use washable mop covers instead of the throw-aways.
- How often you need to dust and polish depends on how much dust and dirt you generate. Once a week may do the trick.
- Clean the toilets. A couple of times a week should be sufficient for most households.
- Keep organized. Try not to let papers, books, magazines and bills pile up on your desk, the kitchen table or wherever. Every few days, cull, throw away, file, or put in a stack where you won’t forget to deal with the important things.
