How should people with weak or compromised immune systems clean their homes? Can they avoid risks while still keeping their home looking spotless? There are some excellent adaptations they can make to standard cleaning practices that will help them meet their home cleanliness goals while still protecting themselves.
Keep on reading to see what the best methods are for home cleaning as an immunocompromised person. These can help you to stay safe while ensuring that you keep a hygienic environment for yourself and the people you care about.
Clean with Protective Equipment
The first step to take in cleaning your home safely is to wear the right gear. Ensure that you wear gloves that do not trigger allergies and that will protect you from germs and other irritants. You should also wear a face mask while you work, and the best kinds are those that provide easy breathing while filtering out germs. We recommend eye protection as well, such as a sturdy, comfortable pair of goggles.
It is also a good idea to wear protective clothing that you remove as soon as you are done cleaning. You can wear an apron or coveralls to keep your body protected and a long-sleeved shirt and long pants to protect your limbs. For your protection, you should remove these clothes as soon as you are done cleaning, place them in a laundry basket or into a washing machine, and then take a shower to get rid of any germs or irritants that might have stuck to your body.
Ensure High-Touch Areas Are Cleaned Often
It is important to clean those areas that people most often come into contact with. These are likely to be doorknobs, handles, countertops, chairs, and tables. These items are where germs will usually collect, and they are going to be the most dangerous places in the house for your skin to touch.
For your safety, you should disinfect them and wipe them down each day. If you want to clean less often, then at least clean these areas when you have someone come over to your house. After they leave, just disinfect those high-touch spots so that your home is less likely to have contaminants. If you are diligent with this practice, you can greatly reduce your risk of catching a virus or becoming ill.
Use Professional Cleaners when Possible
One great way to reduce your contact with germs and pathogens is to use a residential cleaning company. Let them do the cleaning so that you don’t have to touch the dirty carpets, shelves, and windows. They can handle regular cleaning tasks for you and make our home look spotless while you stay safe and take a break.
It may not be feasible for you to hire cleaners to come every week, but if you use them as often as possible, you will greatly reduce your risk of contracting a virus or becoming ill. You will protect your immune system better because you won’t be doing as much cleaning, and you will get a house that is well cleaned and hygienic.
One suggestion we would make here is to utilize professional cleaners during flu season or other times when you are most at risk. Use them after you have had guests over so that you minimize your exposure to contaminants, and make use of them at other strategic times where it makes sense to protect yourself and have someone else do the cleaning.
Use Disinfectants That Are Safe
The disinfecting cleaners you use may not be the best ones for your home and your health. Have you considered the type of disinfectants that you use? Are they safe for you or do they trigger allergic reactions or sensitivity problems? Are they powerful enough to kill germs and make your home safe?
Ask these questions about your cleaning tools so that you get the right ones and don’t waste your time on ineffective or harmful cleaning solutions. In order to keep yourself safe, use disinfectants that are plant based and that do not use toxic chemicals. If you take this precaution, then you’ll be less likely to have a bad reaction to the cleaners. It is wise to talk to your doctor about what type of cleaning chemicals are safe to use and which ones you should be avoiding.
You should be trying to avoid strong and harmful chemicals like parabens, chlorine, sulfates, ammonia, and similar ingredients that may not be safe for you. What many people do with autoimmune diseases is use cleaners that they make themselves from safe components that they can trust. When you control what goes into your disinfectant cleaners, you control what lingers around your home.
Keep Dust and Allergens away with HEPA Filters
The final piece of advice you want to give you is to use HEPA filters in your home to reduce dust and allergens. These filters do an excellent job of stopping contaminants and irritants from entering the airways. They improve your environment and boost the air quality in your home, leading to a healthier space for you and your family.
Check the air filters in your home to see if they are HEPA filters or not. If not, then you will definitely want to replace them, but if they are, ensure that they are changed out regularly so that they are clean and effective at all times. With the right kind of filters, you may notice a big difference in your home’s air quality. It should be easier to breathe, and you should encounter fewer irritants in your home.
This also makes the home easier to clean, reducing dust. Many of our points in this article are designed to help you have a cleaner home and a smaller workload. By reducing the effort it takes to clean your house and creating a more hygienic environment, you should be able to live an easier and healthier life with fewer risks to your immune system.
