The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey is allowing access to current self storage tenants to retrieve essential items that may be needed during this uncertain time of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, we’ve found that most of our storage rental customers are opting to follow the “stay at home” and “social distancing” parameters issued by the state and federal governments .
Due to the virus outbreak and the resulting shutdown of many public places, people are getting restless and looking for things to do around their homes. Given the circumstances, one of the biggest no-brainers is spring cleaning and disinfecting.
Here are a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control on how to disinfect your home. Cleaning and disinfecting are two very different things.
The CDC recommends we all do a bit of both, even if nobody in your home is sick.
Cleaning is about removing contaminants from a surface.
Disinfecting is about killing pathogens.
Do both daily if anything or anyone has entered or exited your home.
Person-to-person transmission is a much greater risk than transmission via surfaces, but the CDC recommends we clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in our homes at least once daily.
Target Your Home’s High-Touch Surfaces
COVID-19 is capable of living on surfaces such as cardboard for 24 hours, but up to two or three days on plastic and stainless steel. So cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces is a step we should all take.
High-Touch Surfaces to Clean and Disinfect Daily:
Doorknobs, table surfaces, hard dining chairs (seat, back, and arms), kitchen counters, bathroom counters, faucets and faucet knobs, toilets (seat and handle), light switches, TV remote controls, game controllers, and any other surfaces that you come in contact with frequently.
First Clean, Then Disinfect:
First, clean the surfaces, removing any contaminants, dust, or debris with soapy water (or a cleaning spray) and a hand towel.
Then apply a surface-appropriate disinfectant using disinfecting wipes or disinfectant spray.
If a disinfectant product has an indication for killing influenza, RSB, SARS virus, or other coronaviruses, then it should work against COVID19.
Disinfectants:
Disinfecting wipes (Clorox, Lysol, or store brand will do)
Disinfectant spray (Purell, Clorox, Lysol, all make sprays that will work)
Isopropyl alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Does the Laundry Machine Work on Clothes?
Yes – Wash your clothing with regular laundry soap and drying them at a higher temperature than you might have otherwise is all you have to do to disinfect your clothes.
Be sure to disinfect surfaces the laundry comes in contact with, including the hamper and your hands—especially if you have a sick person in the house.
Don’t forget to clean your coat and backpack. Wiping the inside off with a disinfectant wipe should do the trick unless your jacket is machine washable.
Should You Disinfect Packages and Mail?
According to the USPS, mail and packages are relatively low-risk for transmitting the coronavirus, and packages from China pose no special risk compared to packages from anywhere else. That said, researchers have found that it can live on cardboard for around 24 hours, so giving packages a once over with a disinfecting wipe isn’t a bad idea.
How to Disinfect Your Devices
Your devices might be all that’s keeping you sane during your self-isolation but, as we all know, they’re magnets for germs. Disinfecting wipes are the best way to clean your devices, hands down. But some devices have special considerations.
How to Disinfect Your Phone or Tablet
Disinfect an iPhone or Android phone with a disinfecting wipe or alcohol solution (at least 70 percent). Make sure you pay special attention to the screen, the buttons, and anywhere dust and pocket lint tend to get trapped. Remove any case that’s on your phone or tablet, clean underneath, put it back on, and clean the outside. A once-daily disinfecting isn’t going to hurt your devices.
How to Disinfect Your Computer
Laptop displays aren’t always made of glass (matte displays are plastic) so avoid using a disinfecting wipe on the screen. Instead use isopropyl alcohol (70 percent) solution and a soft towel. Make sure you wipe down the keyboard, the trackpad, the exterior, and where your wrists rest on the laptop.
Most desktop computers are already in sore need for a cleaning. The best way to do that is with a disinfecting wipe or isopropyl alcohol solution and a soft towel. Again, avoid disinfecting wipes on the monitor. Make sure that you wipe down the mouse, keyboard, and mousepad.
Stay Home, Stay Safe
There’s a lot going on right now. It’s stressful. It’s scary. It can be hard to know what you should do or what’s going on. The staff here at The Storage Inn hopes that these tips may help you get through this trying time. Stay safe out there, and please, if you can, stay home.
