While the pandemic is sweeping the nation, many worry about their safety during the move. One of the best defenses (other than wearing a mask) against the virus is to disinfect things. You might want to disinfect both homes when moving for other reasons as well. You might not know who used to live in the house, or you might be more comfortable after doing so. Doing it will require some effort, however, and prior knowledge. You need to organize the process well in order to fit the task into the already busy schedule. Luckily, your professional movers Fort Lauderdale are here to help you with this. In today’s article, we take a look at some of the necessary steps you will need to take. Keep reading to find out more.
Make sure you are prepared to disinfect both homes when moving
One of the worst things can do is to not be ready to disinfect and sanitize your home on the moving day. The process of moving a house is quite chaotic. You will probably feel like losing your head multiple times during it. That’s why you will just not have the time you need to get to the store, buy the supplies, and then start disinfecting.
Therefore, make sure you have the supplies with you when moving to your new house. Luckily, you do not need much. Covid-19 is very easy to kill compared to other viruses that plague us every year. Even simple home cleaning products and materials will do the job. Check the EPA websites for a list of disinfectants, and you should be good to go. You can also make your solution at home, using alcohol or a diluted bleach solution. You will also need hand sanitizer for you and the movers, soap and paper towels, gloves, and a mask.
However, it’s important to note that you should talk to your Hallandale Beach movers about what they will transport with them, and what you need to do yourself. Most movers will refuse to transport flammable substances – and disinfectants can easily classify as these. Make sure you do not get anyone into trouble by informing yourself about the thing you will need to move alone before the move. This way, you will be ready for it when the movers arrive.
High-touch surfaces should be your priority
When you get to your new home, the question becomes what you should focus on first. Usually, the most “dangerous” areas are the ones you will want to disinfect first. And these are the high-touch surfaces. Simply put, these are the things that you and other people touch most often. If a person has a virus, they can get it onto their hands, and then leave it on these surfaces. Afterward, you can easily collect it by touching the surface, and then getting it into your body by touching your face. And the chances for this happening are higher when it comes to surfaces a lot of people touch. Therefore, these should be your first target. Disinfect surfaces like:
- doorknobs and handles;
- tables and chairs;
- light switches;
- tablets, touch screens, phones, and similar electronics;
- remote controls and keyboards;
- toilets.
There are other things that you should consider disinfecting first too. These include stairways and staircase railings – since a lot of people touch these when using stairs – as well as your floors and bins. They should be easy enough to disinfect with a mop if you do not have carpets over them. If there are carpets, then you will need to proceed with a deep clean of your house in order to disinfect it completely.
How to protect your movers on a moving day
A lot of people had concerns over the movers – as well as questions about how to behave around them when moving. However, you should care about your local movers too and think about their safety too. Of course, getting a professional moving company means that they will work towards ensuring the safety of everyone involved in the process, but there is much you can also do to help.
For starters, CDC advises that you wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds in order to clean them. However, this isn’t always possible on a moving day. Luckily, you can use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Just ensure that it has at least 60 percent alcohol in the formula. They, leave it in the entryway, so people can use it when entering the house.
Another thing you can do is to keep your doors open during the move. This ties into what we already talked about high-touch surfaces. Basically, you can lower the risk by not having people touch the surfaces. Therefore, having your movers not touch the doorknobs will ensure that you can disinfect them easier later. However, do consider the safety of your home when making this decision. Have someone sit by the door so they can watch over it and not have strangers walking into your home on a moving day.
What about the moving boxes?
Another big concern that a lot of people have is about the boxes and supplies they are using. How long can a virus stay on them? Should you consider them as high-touch surfaces too? Well, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that says that the virus can remain on cardboard for up to 24 hours, while it stays up to 72 hours on plastic and steel.
Because of this, you will want to wipe the cardboard surfaces and plastic bins with your disinfectant before you proceed to open them. This way, you should be able to kill any germs and stop the spread of infection. Once you are done unpacking and removing the cardboard from your home, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect them too. Then, proceed with the efforts to disinfect both homes when moving.