From global pandemics and quarantines to social unrest and ecological collapse, it’s safe to say that 2020 isn’t the year many hoped for. Despite claims that COVID-19 would be gone by the summer, it continues to affect the world, and in many places, continues to grow.
This has caused people to need to adjust to a new normal. But what are some of the most popular new sanitation processes that have developed?
Keep reading to learn about seven cleaning processes that people across the world have had to get used to.
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1. Washing Your Hands to Songs
As gross as it might be, if you asked the majority of people how long they washed their hands for last year, they would most likely tell you a couple of seconds. Now, that couldn’t be farther from the case of cleaning processes.
According to the CDC, you need to make sure that you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. That means scrubbing your palms and fingers with soap and water until they’re squeaky clean.
In response, people have adopted creative ways to ensure they’re washing for enough time. Some sing songs (happy birthday is the traditional one), while others say phrases (Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of the Andals…). Whatever works!
2. Sanitizing After Touching Anything and Everything
In the past, hand sanitizer was something that a few germaphobes carried around and offered to share. Now, bottles of hand sanitizer are like gold, with fights breaking out over them at your local grocery store.
When you can’t wash your hands, health experts say that using hand sanitizer is the next best thing. Make sure your hand sanitizer has at least 60% alcohol, and that it hasn’t expired (yes, that’s a thing).
Hand sanitizer isn’t as effective at killing all of the different types of germs, and it also won’t help if your hands are dirty or greasy. However, it can be a good way to get rid of most germs in a pinch.
3. Disinfecting Surfaces
COVID-19 has helped people begin to practice sanitation processes that we should’ve been doing all along. No, that doesn’t mean injecting disinfectant into your body, but it does mean wiping down surfaces on a regular basis.
Tabletops, doorknobs, and other surfaces that people often touch are a rendevous point for germs before they vacation to other destinations. By disinfecting these surfaces, you prevent germs from spreading to people and other surfaces.
In addition to your hands, your mouth also spreads a lot of germs. If you smoke or vape then share it with your friends, make sure that you clean your vape in between uses. Check out this guide to help you go about cleaning vape coils.
4. Disinfecting Your Phone
If there’s one object that people touch more than anything else, it’s their phones. Unfortunately for your phone, it often acts as a magnet that collects germs from all the other things people touch throughout the day. This makes it germy, and a potential way for the virus to spread.
Make sure that you sanitize it often, every day if you can. Wipe the front and the back of it, then take it out of its case to make sure that you’re getting all of the nooks and crannies. You’ll feel better the time next you swipe your finger across the screen!
5. Washing Masks
For many people, the concept of wearing masks, in general, is a foreign idea. Nevertheless, the science is clear: wearing a mask helps prevent the spread of the virus, and can therefore save lives.
If you can’t get ahold of disposable, medical masks, then using a piece of cloth or fabric to make a homemade mask is the next best thing. But if you don’t throw it out after using it, you need to make sure that you wash it.
As you wear it, your mask will accumulate a number of nasty things. Make sure you wash it, as you don’t want to harm yourself in your effort to protect other people.
6. Not Shaking Hands
Although it’s more of a tenet of social distancing than a sanitation process, not shaking hands helps people stay clean and avoid spreading germs.
Your hands are some of the germiest places on your body, and you don’t always have access to soap and water or hand sanitizer. This means that you don’t know what you’re transmitting or receiving when you shake hands with someone.
Next time you meet someone, try waving, nodding, or nudging elbows with someone. Not only will you look cool, but it’ll also help limit the spread of germs.
7. Wearing Gloves
In addition to wearing facial coverings, many people have begun to wear gloves when they travel to public places, such as grocery stores. As they keep your hands covered, they can be an effective way to avoid touching germs.
However, experts have mixed feelings about gloves. If you do touch a surface that has the virus or another nasty germ on it while wearing gloves, you can then spread that to any other surface that you touch. Removing gloves can also be a tricky and dangerous process.
Most health experts recommend that instead of wearing gloves, you avoid touching your face and mouth. Instead, wash your hands or sanitize as often as possible.
Stay Up to Date on the Latest Cleaning Processes to Stay Safe
COVID-19 has been a scary and uncertain time for many people, but by practicing the right cleaning processes, you can rest assured that you’re doing everything you can to stay safe. Do your part to protect yourself and those around you, and the world can heal.
Do you know of any other effecting cleaning and disinfecting tactics? Make sure to tell us in a comment!
If you enjoyed reading this post, check out some of our other articles for more guides and tips.
