Tips that could help you during the Pandemic

This blog offers simple tips that could help everyone during this pandemic, and is especially important for individuals with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and other illnesses.  

Grocery Shopping

Always wear a mask when grocery shopping; bring a moist washcloth that has a little soap on it. Place this dampened washcloth into a plastic bag and leave it in the car to use upon returning after you finished shopping.

Make a list of what you need to purchase before going grocery shopping; try to stick with the list to avoid overspending.

Most grocery stores should have sanitizing wipes to clean the shopping carts; please wipe the handle and dispose of the used wipes in the trash.

Start shopping at the outer isles (usually vegetables, dairy, meat, and bread are placed there), then proceed to the middle isles (generally frozen prepared foods, ice cream, coffee/tea, dried goods such as cereal, pasta, and rice are found in these isles).

Try to stay away from frozen prepared meals; instead, make healthy choices with fresh vegetables, chicken/meat, whole grain bread, and lean towards purchasing items on sale.

Social distancing policy

Remember to respect the social distancing policy per the grocery store rules.

Upon returning to the car, place the grocery bags in the trunk or on the back seat (where you’d normally put them), then wipe your hands with the dampened cloth that you brought from home before starting the car. Replace the used dampened cloth into the same plastic bag before driving home.

Unpacking and cleaning groceries

When you arrive home, take the groceries into the house and place them on one half of a designated empty counter, and keep the other half for the clean products, which you will wipe before putting them away; do not allow any bags or uncleaned items to touch or contaminate other household products such as utensils, microwave, or dishes.

Use a clean damp cloth and spray some cleaning solution on it (our homemade mixture contains approximately 5% bleach, 5% all-purpose cleansing liquid, and 90% water). Wipe each container (boxes, cans, or bottles), and put them on the clean half or a separate counter, away from the soiled area; let stand for 60 seconds while you thoroughly rinse the cloth to wipe off and remove the cleaning solution on each container for the second time (you could also use sanitizing wipes). Let air dry before putting into the refrigerator or in cupboards.

Washing fruits and vegetables

As for fruits and vegetables, you can use vinegar or dishwashing soap to wash with. Thoroughly rinse off the bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, peaches, eggs, and so on and let them dry before placing in the refrigerator.

Cleaning up

Wipe off the entire counter with the cleaning solution and put away the plastic bags (if you are saving the plastic bags for later use, date them and do not use for a month).

Now start cleaning the car with the premixed cleaning solution especially the areas that’s frequently touched, that is the door handles, steering wheel, radio, mirrors, seatbelt, your seat, and so on; ensure that the liquid stays on for 60 seconds before rinsing the cloth to re-wipe each area to remove the cleaning solution.

Next step is to change your clothes and wash all exposed areas especially your face and hands, even clean your ears and nostrils with a dampened facecloth with some soap on it.

This takes much time and energy; therefore, try to reduce trips to the grocery store and remember to make a list so that you will not forget any items, which could lead to another trip with more cleaning.

Depending on how much groceries you bought and if you have any help with the cleaning, the entire process should take about 15-30 minutes to complete everything from unloading the grocery bags, to cleaning each item, and lastly cleaning the car. The idea is to reduce any transmission of bacteria, germs, or droplets from COVID-19 into your home.

Remember to clean the door handles in your home (inside and outside), and the frequently touched areas and objects such as light switches, TV converters, computer keyboard etc.

Also, remember to practice removing the shoes you wear outside and change into house slippers or another pair of shoes you only wear in the home. This will help to prevent contaminating your living environment from dust and the virus, which may be on your shoes from the places where you went. These are added measures to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 if you come into contact with it unknowingly.

Teamwork

We all have a part to play in containing and reducing the spread of this virus to protect ourselves and everyone around us. It is challenging for one person to always do the cleaning; thus, we encourage teamwork to prevent burnout for that person. Please do not take each other for granted as this pandemic could last longer and we need each other’s support; it is almost a year and the numbers are still increasing. Keep visiting our website and share it with others; we are currently running a Black Friday and holiday sale on all our products and services until January 1, 2021. Stay healthy.