Tips For A Cleaner, Healthier Home
We all know, now, that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can live on some surfaces for days, so use the following tips for a cleaner, healthier home.
21/04/2021
A clean home has always been a tradition of “being house proud” and it's one that was passed down through generations but, unfortunately, no matter how clean our homes are, it hasn't stopped infection during COVID. Clean turned into ‘Corona Clean’ in 2020 with the fear of contagion driving us to improve our domestic cleaning methods in light of the fact that COVID-19, can live on some surfaces for days. Thank goodness that good old household soap can literally burst the virus’s protective bubble and that our trusty household cleaners mostly proclaim victory over 99.9% of harmful germs.
We 'Jik it' more than ever before and it's no surprise that in 2020, household bleach sales increased by a massive 138%.
Healthier Homes - Healthier Attitudes
A healthy lifestyle has become the main focus of The New Normal as well as creating a welcoming sanctuary, one that offers safety and wellbeing. Sanitising and mask-wearing have become extreme acts of love and respect, to self and others. But having a healthier lifestyle is about more than applying disinfecting and bleaching products. For more information go to #TheHealthierHome
It's now time to ask the hard questions about the products we choose: where they come from, what they’re made from, and how are they disposed of after use. Green living is no longer a nice-to-do. It’s a must-do.
Living Green
When sanitising is the question, porcelain tiles are the answer. When compared to all other tiling materials, porcelain is the ultimate solution if you are looking to create a safe and hygienic home with spaces where we spend a lot of time. It’s a material with natural origins (clay or kaolin) and does not contain harmful substances.
Thanks to the firing process at between 1 200°C and 1 400 °C, eliminating biological residues and VOCs, porcelain tiles do not release toxic substances and do not retain water, dirt, dust, bacteria or dust mites. Porcelain floor and wall tiles are perfect for environments where there is a constant water presence, such as bathrooms, swimming pools or spas, because they are impermeable to bacteria and fungi, resistant to liquids and moulds, and also have excellent anti-slip performance.
Porcelain tiles can withstand all the cleaning, sanitising and disinfectant products used to keep a home clean and healthy.
Grout Keeps Germs Out
Grout, along with the correct adhesive, is an ingredient crucial to the success of your flooring and wallscape. But, ultimately, grout is all about beauty with a purpose. Like the Litikol Starlike Defender range from Italtile that is developed to kill 99% of germs. It’s a level of continuous action you can trust for the long-term protection of your family. It has been scientifically proven to attack and kill bacteria and mould.
Contagion-Free Kitchen
Let’s face it. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially since it is the traditional gathering place for the family. But it's also the gathering place for bacteria, mould and other contagions. Porous materials in a kitchen are a no-no and everything organic has no place in the kitchen. Go for non-porous materials for countertops, walls and floors.
Beat The Bathroom Blues
Mildew and mould is a common occurrence in many a bathroom. At Italtile you can invest in a shower head that won't be bothered by limescale - a big problem in many bathrooms. Developed and engineered by Almar to be waterwise with a superb eco flow, its tiny nozzles - called nipples - are anti-limescale. And easy to clean. Or what about rimless toilets by Laufen. A toilet bowl with a rim offers nasty and unwanted germs a place to hide, but Laufen has designed an awesome range of loos that will put an end to those germs that hang around the rim.
Last Words On The Healthier Home Journey
There’s so much to mention about creating a Healthier Home – airflow for healthy breathing and control of asthma and sick building syndrome; indoor plants as poison filters; doing away with harmful chemicals and adopting organic cleaners; energy-efficient power; removal of synthetic materials that give off VOCs; taking off your shoes when walking through the house; meditation with noise-cancelling headphones.
Keep windows open. Be fuss-free. Minimise drama and negativity: obsessive behaviours breed fear. Search out eco-friendly and non-toxic products, services and activities that encourage and enable a relaxed environment. Put house rules in place for hand washing and laundry. When everyone knows what to do, and everyone’s moving in the same direction, peace is the word.
Encourage and reward mindfulness especially with littlies (once again, cats will not take part in your sustainable games). Hug more. Smile more. Forgive more.
Live beautifully, mindfully and healthily.
