Tag Archives: safety

A Cleaner Home For A Healthier You

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A Cleaner Home For A Healthier You

It’s no secret that most people want to maintain a clean home. No matter how hard you work on this side of your life, though, there won’t be much point if you’re not using the right tools, methods, and techniques to ensure that your place doesn’t just look clean, but is also hygienic. It’s easy to make something look good, but viruses like COVID-19 can’t be seen by the human eye, and they can last for a very long time on the surfaces and objects found within your home. Let’s take a look at some of the steps that can be taken to overcome an issue like this. This has been split into the rooms you use, making it easier to get started with the right methods in the right places:

The Kitchen:

Kitchens are spaces that have to be clean. With food preparation being the main purpose of a room like this, you could easily find you and your family members experiencing health issues if you’re not working hard enough to clean it. There are a number of key areas that need to be focused on when you’re going through this, and you can find each of them listed below. It’s always worth making sure that you use chemicals that are both safe near food but strong enough to kill hardy bacteria and viruses.

Surfaces & Cupboards:

The surfaces in your kitchen are designed to make it nice and easy to prepare your food, but you have to make sure that they’re cleaned before you use them. Anti-bacterial sprays are perfect for this, with companies like Detol offering options that can safely clean your worktops. The same effort can be applied to your cupboards, too.

Fridges & Freezers:

Any appliance that is used for storing food needs to be kept extremely clean. This makes it well worth disinfecting your fridge on a weekly basis to ensure that you don’t have anything growing unseen. Alongside this, you can find special air fresheners that can help to remove any unwanted odors from your food bearing appliances.

The Oven:

Much like your fridge and freezer, it also makes sense to clean your oven from time to time. It will be much harder for bacteria and viruses to live in a place like this, with the extreme heat killing most of them off. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that your oven shouldn’t be given the right kind of treatment.

The Bathroom:

Much like the kitchen, bathrooms can be very sensitive rooms. You will perform a range of different tasks in a space like this, and many of them will involve processes that have to be sanitary. Of course, though, alongside performing hygiene tasks in a room like this, you will also be using your bathrooms to get rid of waste, creating a challenge for those who want to keep this room as clean as can be. You can find some of the most crucial cleaning jobs you’ll have to perform in this room below.

The Toilet:

The toilet is probably one of the most obvious cleaning jobs you have in your home. The waste that goes into this vessel is extremely unsanitary, and this means that you will need a strong chemical like bleach to make sure that it’s hygienic. You can wash the whole toilet with bleach, though it’s worth making sure that you rinse it off where the skin will be touching the toilet.

Sinks, Baths, & Showers:

Alongside your toilet, you will also have sinks, baths, and a shower to think about when you’re cleaning your bathroom. It’s always worth making sure that these areas are kept clean, but you don’t have to scrub them as often as you’ll be working on the toilet.

Toothbrushes & Other Sanitation Tools:

Your toothbrush is an item that you will always want to keep clean, and it may shock you to know that many people live with their toothbrush very close to their toilet. Bacteria and viruses can travel through the air, making it well worth keeping your toothbrush somewhere that keeps it out of the line of sight of your toilet.

Communal Spaces:

The areas you share with your family and other housemates can quite easily become very dirty without the right care and attention, and these spaces are some of the most likely to aid in the spread of sickness. This makes it well worth spending the right amount of time cleaning these spaces. You can find a list of the tools and techniques you should use for this below, giving you everything you need to get started with it. Of course, though, communal spaces can be very different from one another, and this means you may need to apply your own ideas.

Tables & Other Surfaces:

Shared tables and other surfaces can be a hotbed for bacteria and viruses. Much like the surfaces in your kitchen, you should be disinfecting these places whenever they’re going to be used for food. Doing this as part of your regular cleaning routine can also be a smart idea.

Shared Tools:

Remote controls, computer keyboards, and other shared tools are another area to consider when you’re making your home more hygienic. Using anti-bacterial wipes to clean these elements of your communal spaces can be an excellent way to keep them sanitary, with each person giving them a wipe down before the next person uses them.

Carpets & Rugs:

Fabrics are surprisingly good environments for many bacteria and viruses to grow in, with moisture and food easily getting trapped between fibers. Professional carpet cleaning can be a great way to turn this around, giving you the chance to deep clean this part of your home without having to use harsh liquid chemicals on them.

Soft Furniture:

Alongside carpets and rugs, it’s also worth thinking about your soft furniture. As these are also made using fabrics, you will have to be careful to make sure that you’re cleaning them properly when people from outside your home use them.

The Bedrooms:

Having somewhere to sleep is crucial to normal life, and most people will get this done in their bedroom. It’s easy to neglect hygiene in a room like this, with many people only spending a small portion of each day in their bedroom. Of course, though, it’s well worth putting some time into this to make sure that you’re not going to make yourself sick. Children’s rooms should always be given extra consideration as you go through this, with your little ones finding it very difficult to keep up with cleaning after themselves.

Tables & Other Surfaces:

The tables and surfaces in the bedrooms in your home can be easy to ignore. Most people will spend very little time in rooms like this, but this doesn’t mean that they will be free from bacteria and viruses. You don’t need to give this space as much attention as you give the other parts of your home, but it’s worth using disinfectant from time to time.

The Bed:

Your bed can also play a role in this. Issues like bed bugs can cause major health issues, and leaving your bed dirty for long periods can be a good way to encourage them to find your home. Changing your sheets on a regular basis can help with this, but it’s also worth spending time cleaning your bed’s frame, too.

The Walls & Floors:

The walls and floors in your bedroom should also be cleaned on a regular basis, with carpets being vacuumed, and hard floors being mopped. The walls can be trickier to clean, and it’s usually best to be proactive with this. Whenever a mess is made, you should be ready to start cleaning.

This extra busy work will all be worth it. Keeping your home clean will make you feel better in day to day life, while also limiting the chances that you or your family members will get sick when they are at home. With issues like COVID-19 causing so many problems around the world, this sort of action could end up being essential in the future.

Thankfully, though, this article should give you everything you need to start making a difference, even if you absolutely hate cleaning. If you’d prefer to give this sort of work to someone else, there are plenty of cleaning companies out there that will happily do the job of cleaning your place. Though it’s always worth keeping in mind that this can end up costing quite a bit of money!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

At Home Concerts

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At Home Concerts

Hello! For those of you who don’t know, my “big girl job” is as an independent provider for people with special needs. I specialize in community integration and the development of daily living skills and have been an “essential” employee throughout the coronavirus pandemic. So, you can imagine how hard it is to do my job of getting my clients out and about in the community when there is a contagious virus and many of them are high risk.

My job has now been limited to the homes of my clients and that is A-okay because it’s what is best for them, their families, and myself. But, that’s not to say it hasn’t been easy, especially when cabin fever is kicking in for everyone. I am constantly trying to come up with fun ways to keep my clients entertained at home to combat the boredom blues and was particularly pleased with my brain blast last week.

My most senior client who I am with the most often during the week LOVES the golden oldies and always tells me about when he saw The Beach Boys and Sha Na Na in concert. After his recollection last week, he asked when we can see those bands live together. I told him as soon as it was safe, as always, and then I realized we kind of could see them in concert.

I told him I had an idea and pulled YouTube up on his TV. Then, I found some live footage of Sha Na Na performing as well as plenty of full length Beach Boys concerts. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his favorites performing right in front of him again. In fact, he was so elated that he told me to bring his brother up so he could see how much fun he was having. 🙂

My friend and I plan on having weekly “concerts” at home, compliments of YouTube. We have The Beach Boys on deck and who knows what will be next! It was amazing to see him so excited about something and, sometimes, the most fun things can happen right at home. ❤

Which bands have you seen in concert? Who would you love to see perform live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Keeping Sane In Quarantine

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Keeping Sane In Quarantine

Hello! Yours truly and my boyfriend have essentially been in quarantine mode since March nineteenth when the restaurants and bars in Ohio first shut down. Johnny was on furlough and just recently went back to work while I have been holding down the fort with my clients the whole time as an “essential” employee.

Our interactions with others (outside of work) has been very limited to occasional social distance hang outs with a friend or two and a weekly errand if we need anything from the store. This has, by no means, been the most fun I’ve ever had but with numerous high risk clients and family members, safety always comes first.

There was a point when cabin fever was really setting in and “this sucks” was my signature catchphrase for most of the day (Just ask Johnny!). So, what have I been doing to keep myself sane during close to four months of lock down? All of the following:

Writing Daily:

It has been really important to me to try and keep my daily schedule in tact, which means writing every day for lifewithlilred. Is coming up with content difficult when there’s literally nothing to do? YES!! But, it keeps my brain active and it’s fun for me. I have been continuing on with my schedule of getting up early before work to write and it is just the push I need to get myself up and going each and every day.

Reading A Ton:

There is only so much TV you can watch and video games you can play until your brain feels so mushy it would be a pleasure to read a dictionary. I have definitely been at that point, myself, in quarantine so I try to read a little every day. As usual, I have been loving reading my thriller/mystery books. The best part? A good whodoneit keeps my mind working once I’ve put the book down as I try to figure out what happens next. Bonus!

Perfecting Skills:

It has REALLY sucked not being able to go for my weekly figure skating practices because I looked forward to them so much. So, now, I have been focused more than ever on perfecting things that I can do from home. Like learning languages, for example. About two to three times a week I practice French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech while once weekly I work on American Sign Language.

Is sitting on my couch practicing languages as fun as hitting the rink? Yes, actually, in its own way. And, it gives me something to do on a scheduled basis which is why I think I have been so dedicated to Duolingo for the past few months.

Not Going Social Media Crazy:

With everyone butting heads with different opinions right now as well as constantly being flooded with news of the mainly bad kind – social media can feel overwhelming, especially right now. If scrolling through your newsfeed is making you feel more upset than entertained, then maybe it’s time for you to take a brief hiatus. Plenty of my friends have and I find myself shying away from checking my Facebook 24/7 too.

There’s only so much bickering and bad news you can take and if you’re seeing it all of the time, it’s no wonder why you might not be feeling your best! Take a break from your social and replace that time with something that makes you laugh online like your favorite comedy YouTube videos or dog related memes. :*)

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How have you been keeping yourself sane in quarantine? How have you been keeping yourself safe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

How Do I Go Out Social Distance Style?

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How Do I Go Out Social Distance Style?

Hello! A follow up question that Johnny and I usually get asked after “what do we do all day?” while in quarantine is “how do you go out?”. The answer? Very carefully, of course! Other than going to work, we limit ourselves to one to two individual errands per week and we always have our face masks on and hand sanitizer at the ready.

As far as grocery shopping goes, I try to do a big shopping haul once a month. My supermarkets are trying to social distance the best they can with one way aisles but I feel like not everyone cares to use them. So, if groceries are needed, I try to go first thing in the morning before stores get too crowded.

If there’s a random place we need to go to like the gas station, bank, etc. both Johnny and I formulate a game plan that will get us in and out the quickest. We also have masks and sanitizer on hand in our cars in case we need to make an unexpected stop. It’s just best to be prepared, is all.

Finally, as you all can see, I got my hair and my nails done. How did I do that? Very carefully, of course! Lol, actually, all of the salons I go to for my beauty treatments are being exceptional at following the highest safety precautions. I was informed by either the owners of the salon or an employee of what was being done to keep everyone safe and I felt comfortable with all of the measures being taken. Like the following:

  • Getting your temperature taken before entering.
  • Masks required by all (Employees and customers).
  • Washing hands required immediately after entering.
  • Limited number of employees and customers in at one time (Under ten).
  • Way beyond six feet of room between everyone for social distance standards.
  • Plexiglass between employee and customer (At nail salon).
  • Sanitizing after each customer.

With all of the amazing steps being taken to keep each salon up and running safely, I felt okay going in to get pampered. I spread each appointment out by a week or two so I wasn’t going out too frequently and I was so happy each time because I felt safe and totally awesome after going months without being able to go to a salon.

Johnny and I are taking all of this craziness in stride and are living our lives right now by doing only what makes us feel comfortable. How we feel might not be the same as everyone else but it works for us and that’s all that matters to me. ❤

What social distance standards did stores in your area put in place? Are masks required where you live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Friendly Reminder!

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A Friendly Reminder!

Hey everyone!! I recently went on a getaway staycation with my family in Lexington, Kentucky and, although the trip really just consisted of chilling, it was the most fun I’ve had in ages. I wanted to remind everyone that you can still have a great time despite taking extra precautions like face masks and social distancing. Especially since I can imagine we are all going a bit stir crazy right now!

During our trip, all of us stuck with what we were comfortable doing. If that was wearing a mask and going out, fine. If it was just hanging out at home in the air conditioning, that was okay too. It’s easy to feel trapped in this situation, which is why going out of state for a while felt like the perfect solution… Even if it was just to sit in a different living room and watch TV. 😀

Feeling stressed amidst the coronavirus pandemic? Try planning a small, safe getaway. Stay in a hotel for a night or rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere! Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the house or apartment you’ve been stuck in and experience a change of scenery. Keep your safety standards high and I promise you, it will make you feel like a brand new person. I know I do!

Are you planning a safe getaway any time soon? How do you destress during the coronavirus pandemic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Simple Improvements To Secure Your Home

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Simple Improvements To Secure Your Home

It is important that you feel safe and secure in your home. After all, a quiet evening on the couch after a long days work is what most of us crave! Feeling safer can be done with the following super easy steps:

Close Those Windows:

The very first thing that we are going to suggest is that you close all the windows in your home when you aren’t in. Even when you are, it is safer for you to leave them on the latch, and never leave them open at night time. If you live in an area that is known for having a high crime rate, then you want to make sure you are locking them too. We know it can feel like a pain to have to go around locking and unlocking the windows all the time, but you can’t really put a price on safety.

So, make sure that your windows are not left open at night time or through any period that you are not in the home. People who are looking to break in don’t typically want to enter a home when there are still people inside, so as long as it is obvious you are home, you should be okay.

Get Your Doors Checked:

You also need to look into getting all of the doors in your home checked. Now, this includes your garage door, so if you are at all worried about this, then you need to visit the better built door website where you will find a service that can help you with the garage door in particular. You want to ensure that all doors close properly, all of them lock, and a slight gust of wind isn’t going to blow them open. You don’t want to be in a vulnerable home and doors that don’t shut or lock make yours vulnerable.

Install A Security System:

Finally, you’re going to want to install a security system. There are so many different types on the market that you aren’t going to be limited in what you want. For example, you might want one that sets off a loud alarm to let the intruder know what they have done in the hopes that this will make them turn and back away. Or, you might want one that activates a silent alarm, sends a notification to your phone and the police so that they have a higher chance of getting caught by the authorities. It’s up to you, but a security system is definitely one of the best ways to keep your home feel secure.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know what some of the simple improvements are that you need to do in order to secure your home. Good luck, and ensure everything is done to the highest possible standard.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Face Mask Festivities: Actual Face Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Actual Face Mask Edition

Hello!!! My county board of Developmental Disabilities has been doing a wonderful job of educating and protecting all of their employees and the people we help. Earlier in May, a care package was delivered to me that was filled with games and activities to help entertain my clients while in quarantine.

This month, a box of personal protective equipment was dropped off and I was able to divvy up the goods between all of the families I serve. I even got to keep two cloth face masks for myself and Johnny. I was so happy because I’ve been meaning to buy cloth masks for a while but never did because Johnny and I have been using the disposable hospital masks.

I love that the cloth masks can be reused and, while they may seem thicker than the disposable masks, I feel that they are so much more breathable. I also am a huge fan of the paisley pattern on mine! Check it out:

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Normally, I would go for the plain black mask that I chose for Johnny but the bright orange and yellow on mine just made me happy. In fact, I didn’t even mind putting it on when I ran into the store. Summit DD provided me with a lot of pattern options from polka dots and paisley to rainbow and regular, solid colors. Each of my clients enjoyed picking out their favorite and I enjoyed knowing that they had an extra way to keep them safe.

Are face masks the most fun thing to wear? No! Especially if you wear glasses, lol. But, my new cloth mask certainly makes, what I feel is an obligation, a whole lot easier. ❤

What pattern is on your face mask? Do you prefer cloth or disposable masks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Embracing Your Inner Gym Bunny

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Embracing Your Inner Gym Bunny

While in lockdown, you may have been hankering for your work out sessions at your fitness gym and you now have to make do with some at-home exercise. This will suffice for now, but what about when you can go back to the gym? Times will have changed, and there will be a new normal that you have to adjust to. You will have to remain socially distant, classes may only involve a handful of people, you may need to buy your own equipment, and hand sanitizer will become your best friend. Take a look at why you should *safely* embrace your inner gym bunny when lockdown ends:

The Range Of Exercise:

If you are used to doing twenty minutes on the cross trainer, a 5k run on the treadmill, and pumping some iron in the weights area, then an aerobics class as seen at YouTube.com at home simply isn’t going to cut it. Being able to work a wider range of muscle groups and having the equipment to tailor your workout so that it is bespoke to you is only available at a gym. While you might not be paying your full subscription fee each month at the moment, you will relish having the chance to when you can get back to a spin class and enjoy your HIIT workout once again.

While you are indoors a little more, take the chance to hone a new workout plan for when you do head back to the gym. If you are keen to lose the weight in your arms or you want to strengthen your core, construct a workout plan specifically for these areas using the many free guides available on the Internet.

Gear:

If you are looking to head back to the gym, make sure that you look the part. You want to be turning heads for all of the right reasons, so go to a site like curvesncombatboots.com and check out their achingly cool leggings and awesome tops so that you look amazing when you venture to do some exercise for the first time in ages. Pair your clothing with some new running shoes. While you might not fancy heading to the high street or the mall, there are plenty of online retailers with some excellent discounts at the moment. Take advantage of them while they are trying to encourage more shoppers back to their stores.

Classes:

While classes may be smaller, having an instructor in front of you yelling at you to go faster can actually be inspiring and make you work harder. Finding your mojo at home when watching a YouTube session or when trying to go for a jog outside can be tough. Sometimes, you need that expert to encourage you. Classes range from Zumba to box-fit and from spin to circuits. Each of these classes will help you to shift the pounds and tone up. You will also find that your dopamine levels increase negating the cortisone levels in your bloodstream. This can make you feel more positive, content, and happier in these uncertain times.

Venturing to the gym was something that we used to take for granted. Follow this guide, and enjoy embracing your inner gym bunny in the post-pandemic world.

Featured Image By: Pexels

The Hidden Dangers Of The Daily Commute

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The Hidden Dangers Of The Daily Commute

Before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the economy, many of us used to travel to work. (Do you remember those days?) But even back then, the subject of the commute was a thorny one. Employers expected you to spend large parts of your day sitting on buses and trains to get to the office. And they didn’t usually pay for it (even if it was a necessary cost of the job).

The commute, though, could be more dangerous to you than you think. It’s not just a matter of getting to and from work and the time you lose. It could also be taking its toll on your health.

It Is Hazardous:

Getting on the train to go to work seems like a perfectly normal and safe thing to do. After all, workers have been alighting at railway stations ever since the Victoria era. Trains, though, are hazardous. Accidents are waiting to happen around every corner.

Research suggests, for instance, that the average worker faces risks around 32 times every week when they use trains to get to work. Being packed into a tin can with dozens of other people and having to navigate the step down to the platform is dangerous. The chances of a slip or fall are high, especially when workers are in a rush and their minds on other things. Data from the UK suggest that 1.7 million people have to take time off work every year because of injuries they sustain while commuting.

The risks are even higher than that, though, in some cases. One of the worst New York city derailments of all time, with more than 200 people sustaining injuries, occurred in Union Square in 1991, proving that accidents can still happen on the railway.

It Could Damage Your Body Clock:

Evolution designed humans to wake up with the rising sun and go to bed soon after it sets. Modern working lives, however, disrupt this natural process. We’re no longer in a routine. Instead, we organize our lives around our shift patterns – and they’re not always healthy.

The commute may actually make things worse. When you get on a brightly-lit train or bus in the morning or evening, you send signals to your body that it is day time, and you should wake up. Suddenly, your body releases a flood of hormones designed to perk you up and give you a buzz. When this happens in the morning, it is healthy. But when it occurs at night, it is anything but. You wind up fizzing all evening, and when you hit the sack, you can’t sleep.

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Pixabay Image

It Could Affect Your Cardiovascular System:

Finally, commuting to work could harm your cardiovascular system. The combination of sitting still for a long time with the added stress of being around so many people can lead to increases in blood pressure. When your body goes through this daily, it can lead to conditions like hypertension, which are risk factors in more severe diseases. Standing up more on transport may help.

Stay aware during your commutes to work and keep yourself and those around you safe.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Bath & Body Works Online Haul

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Bath & Body Works Online Haul

Hi! During the coronavirus pandemic, the foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works has been a godsend. They leave my hands feeling so clean without being stripped of moisture in any way. And, when you’re washing your hands way more frequently than usual, you have no idea how nice it is to have a soap that won’t turn your hands into bright red lobster claws!

I began purchasing B&BW soaps when I moved into my apartment last year and have not looked back since. My boyfriend, Johnny, loves them too and I love being in charge of which scents we pick out! Like all of these ones, when we had to restock online:

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Which Scents?

  • Sunwashed Citrus
  • Peach Bellini
  • Shell Yeah (Peach Passionfruit)
  • Stay Pawsitive (Iced Vanilla Cookie)
  • Pineapple Mango
  • Pomegranate Lemonade

Bath & Body Works was running a six for twenty-four dollar promotion on their hand soaps and you just can’t beat that. Of course, shopping online for scents is hard so I just went with what sounded good to me. I had to grab another Peach Bellini because it’s my favorite but I decided to get all new scents for the other five choices.

I absolutely love the adorable marketing on the Shell Yeah and Stay Pawsitive bottles and they both smell awesome. The Iced Vanilla Cookie one smells so much like the real thing that you just want to eat it, lol. I also am a huge fan of tropical/citrus scents, as is my boyfriend, so the Pineapple Mango and Sunwashed Citrus were easy choices to make.

The only scent that I am not thrilled with is the Pomegranate Lemonade. The lemonade part isn’t noticeable and the pomegranate portion is so overpowering and it just smells… Not great. Very old lady-ish, actually, so I definitely won’t be getting it again. But, five out of six ain’t bad and having clean, smooth hands makes one disappointment one hundred and fifty percent worth it!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? How do you keep your hands from drying out after a lot of washes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah