Dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak has not been an easy task. At least 30 states have issued stay at home mandates and panic buying has led to shortages on some of the most basic household cleaning products. This can be quite problematic, especially since President Donald Trump announced on Sunday March 29th, that “During this period, it’s very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines." Mr. Trump told reporters, with members of the government’s coronavirus task force nearby. “Therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to April 30 to slow the spread.” In other words, we will all be hunkered down in our homes for at least another month. However, it is important to state that simply staying at home is not all it takes to beat this outbreak. Even though you are staying at home presumably with family, roommates, or even loved ones, you still need to be conscious about the cleanliness of your home. This is especially true for the common gathering areas as well as the frequently touched areas in your home. I know this might be challenging considering that a lot of stores are completely out on most common cleaning products.
The best way to guarantee that you will be the first to receive new shipments of products as they come into stock is by backordering them. Plus, this also helps businesses plan for the demand needed to be able to fulfill all of their orders.
Obviously, you should opt for actual cleaning products and soap if possible but if you are in a pinch, here are two DIY recipes for the most basic cleaning products. Do not fear, they are so easy that even I was able to make each recipe!
DIY Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
This recipe comes from Cassie Johnston, Founder and CEO of Wholefully, a website dedicated to natural holistic methods for improving your health. For this recipe you will need the following ingredients;
- cotton cleaning wipes, or you can cut up an old beach towel into 8” x 8” squares
- Some sort of plastic storage container (Johnston reused a baby wipe container)
- 1 cup of warm filtered or distilled water
- ½ Cup Isopropyl Alcohol, commonly referred to as rubbing alcohol but you can substitute this ingredient for actual alcohol as long as it is over 70% alcohol/140 Proof. Everclear, Spirytus Vodka, and Golden Grain are some brands that meet this requirement
- 1 tablespoon of Liquid Castile soap, this ingredient can be substituted with liquid dish soap
- Optional Ingredient: 5 drops of lavender essential oil, Johnston uses lavender oil in her recipe but this is primarily for smell. When I made this product, I used lemon juice instead as I love the smell of lemons
Once you have your ingredients you will start by layering your towels on top of each other in your plastic container. This will then be set aside while you mix the remaining liquid ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the 1 cup of warm water, ½ cup isopropyl alcohol, and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap together until the mixture appears cloudy. At this time, you can also add the optional 5 drops of lavender oil or lemon juice for smell. After mixing your liquid ingredients together you will then pour the mixture over your towels to saturate. It is okay if the towels do not seep up all the liquid at first, just leave the excess liquid in your container. If you ever open up a store-bought container of disinfectant wipes, I am sure you noticed liquid in the bottom of them as well.
DIY Dusting Spray
This recipe comes from Jill Nystul, Author and Writer of One Good Thing, a website dedicated to providing useful and practical solutions to the everyday challenges of running a household. For this recipe you will need the following ingredients;
- cotton cleaning wipes, or you can use an old dish towel. This is primarily need for actually cleaning surfaces with your new DIY Dusting Spray
- A spray bottle, size does not matter as long as it is over 10 fluid ounces
- 1 cup of warm filtered or distilled water
- ¼ cup of white vinegar, this will have a strong smell so I highly recommend the optional lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil, it may sound odd but this actually shines and protects your wood surfaces
- 10-15 drops of lemon essential oil, once again the original recipe does call for lemon essential oil but I used lemon juice and had no troubles
If you thought the last recipe was easy then you will be able to knock this one out as well! Combine all your liquid ingredients into your spray bottle. You will then need to shake well before using. Once your ingredients are mixed and shaken up, simply spray on your hard surfaces and wipe off with a towel or rag. Your mixture may separate when you store it but this is to be expected as water and oil do not mix. Thus, you will need to shake well before each use.
Simply staying at home is not all it takes to beat this outbreak.
Bonus Tip!
I hope you find these recipes helpful during your time at home. In the case of dealing with a resident who has contracted COVID-19, follow the CDC’s recommended treatment plan for isolating the infected in your household. Be sure to be extra cautious when dealing with the items touched by the infected resident. An easy way to make this possible is by using disposable or take-out plates and eating utensils while infected. This will make it easier to keep others from coming into contact with the virus. Unfortunately, it looks like there is no definite set end date when we will be back to normal. However, by doing our part, we can work together to ensure that we reach that date faster than expected. Stay safe and thank you for your readership.
Need more information on adapting to life at home? Follow this link to read helpful tips on staying productive while working at home. You can also check out ICC’s website for any office or cleaning supplies you might need.
