Clean for Your Allergies

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Clean for Your Allergies
The Dos and Don’ts of Handwashing


Clean Communications: April 2018

Allergy season is in full force at the moment, and if you’re an allergy sufferer, you know the damage they can do! While there’s not much we can do about the pollen swirling about outside, we can attempt to make our homes and offices as allergy-friendly as possible. Here are some cleaning tips to keep your allergies at bay:

 Vacuum 2x a Week

Regularly vacuuming up the dust, dander, and tracked-in pollen is paramount when it comes to keeping allergens out of your space. Be sure to go above and beyond the average vacuuming, however, and don’t be afraid to break out those attachments! Move furniture to vacuum behind it, vacuum any upholstered furniture, and get every nook and cranny!

Remove Shoes at the Door

Spring this year has brought some killer outside allergens, and shoes are liable to track them in and all around your home! To avoid this, remove shoes in a mudroom or designated area.

Keep the Bathroom Dry

Mold and mildew is a huge source of allergies that is often overlooked, and bathroom moisture can easily result in both of these. Wipe down the bathroom floors and walls after showering to keep mold spores from floating about!

Wash Your Bedding Weekly

When you think about it, we spend a lot of time in our beds, so it’s no surprise that they quickly fill up with hair, pet fur, dust mites, skin cells, and oodles of other not-so-savory things. Washing your bedding weekly, using a allergy-sensitive detergent, helps to keep your linens fresh and clean. And don’t forget to consistently vacuum your comforter (especially if you have a pets sleeping on your bed)!

Don’t Neglect Your Window Coverings

The average person doesn’t often think about removing and laundering their curtains, but they essentially become dust traps if not tended to regularly! It’s important to vacuum or launder your curtains once a month, and if you have blinds, be sure to wipe down or dust them at least bi-weekly. Your sinuses will thank you.

Clean Your Fan

As the weather heats up, many people turn to a ceiling fan to keep cool. Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget to tend to it, with it being so high up. The result? Blades full of dust bunnies, pet fur, and dirt swirling around and catapulting it into the air. Not a pleasant thought- especially if you’re sleeping beneath it! Be sure to dust and wipe your fan down weekly to avoid a whirlwind of allergies (literally)!

 


 Top Dos and Don’ts of Handwashing

 

Washing your hands is more important than the average individual believes. Hand washing is one of most effective ways to protect yourself against infectious diseases or illnesses. Although the process seems easy, studies have shown that only 5% of people rinse, lather and wash correctly. Only 5%! Continue reading for the Dos and Don’ts of hand washing to keep yourself healthy on the go!

Dos:

Use clean water and soap

Although these two factors seem obvious, studies have found that 33% of people using public restrooms did not use soap. Simply rinsing your hands with water is not sufficient. In order to eliminate the majority of germs you must incorporate soap into the hand washing process. This will ensure that almost all of the bacteria lingering on your hands will be washed away. Be sure to lather the soap on the back of your hands, in between the fingers and underneath the nails- getting every crevice!

Lather for at least 20 seconds

Believe it or not, studies have shown that the average person using a public restroom spends 6 seconds hand washing their hands. Whether or not it is because the individual wants to get out of the restroom as fast as possible, his is less than half of the proper time for hand washing. Of course one gets busy with the demanding day-to-day tasks, but it is crucial to devote the extra 20 seconds to your restroom routine. Ask yourself- would your rather be out of work sick for a week, or in the restroom for twenty extra seconds a few times a day? A good tip to make sure you are washing your hands for the proper amount of time is to sing the happy birthday song twice to yourself. See, washing hands can be fun!

Rinse and Dry thoroughly

Once the lathering has been accomplished, it is now time for the grand finale. When rinsing the soap off, be sure to wash off any left over suds. These suds can contain the germs that you have worked so hard to get rid of. In order to complete the process properly, rinse your hands until all visible soap is gone. The final step can be taken with two routes: drying with a towel or air dryer. When using paper towels to dry, be mindful of how many you have used. The last thing you want is to waste paper towels that trees have died for!

Don’ts:

Just wash after the restroom

All this bathroom talk may have you forgetting another crucial time to lather up. Be sure to wash your hands every time before eating. Whether you are handling food with bare hands or silver ware, having clean hands is a must! Germs and bacteria travel fast so in order to avoid sickness, get to washing! If you do not have access to a sink prior to eating, carrying hand sanitizer is a great alternative. Alcohol based hand sanitizer is recommended.

Immediately touch unclean surfaces

We get it, it is not always easy to decipher between a clean or dirty counter-top. Germs are invisible, however if a surface is visibly dirty try to stay clear. While we go throughout our daily activities, it is hard to notice the amount of germ filled objects we handle. If you can avoid one less bacteria-filled surface after you’ve washed your hands, please do!

Forget to remind others to wash-up

Whether you are calling out your friend or co-worker for not washing their hands, or simply placing a reminder on the mirror, don’t be shy about prompting hand washing. Some individuals avoid washing their hands on purpose, but others simply forget. By reminding individuals to lather up, you are not only helping them out, but also the next person they shake hands with!

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May 2018 Clean Communications

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