Tips for Moving During A Pandemic
After months of working from home, shopping from home, cooking at home, and hours upon hours of staying at home, you may be ready for a change — maybe even a change of address. But whether you’re daydreaming about relocating or knee-deep in boxes and bubble wrap, there’s more to moving than meets the eye: viruses and bacteria, to be specific. Here are five helpful tips for cleaning and disinfecting during your move so that you — and your stuff — stay safer.
Moving is Stressful Without a Pandemic
According to University Hospitals, “the five most stressful life events people experience are:
- Death of a loved one
- Divorce
- Moving
- Major illness or injury
- Job loss
You’ll notice that smack in the middle of this list is moving. On the plus side, the idea of a fresh start sounds great. The logistics of relocation, however, are stressful — and never more so than right now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While moving is stressful — and there’s really no way around it — the best thing you can do is to take steps to make the process less stressful.
5 Tips for Minimizing Stress During a Move
The solution to logistics is usually a well-conceived plan, which takes the guesswork out of the process and makes it more manageable. Here are five tips from the professionals at Moving.com that will help keep your household goods and your new home safe from any germs they’re exposed to during your move.
1. Stock up on your supplies.
When it comes to cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting surfaces, the old adage, “Use the right tool for the right job,” definitely applies. And when it comes to moving, we recommend having plenty on hand.
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The cleaning process removes dirt, dust, and germs — but it does not kill germs. Think of it as your first step in your plan of attack. This can be done with soap and water or any other cleaning solution, so be sure to stock up and have plenty on hand.
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Sanitizing products reduce the amount of germs to a safe level defined by public health standards, making them the tools for step two in your process. Always check the labels on your sanitizing products and use them as directed for maximum efficiency and safety.
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The tools you’ll need for step three are disinfecting products. Ranging from diluted bleach solutions to specially formulated home disinfecting products, they kill viruses and bacteria on nonporous, hard surfaces. Again, following label instructions is crucial when using these EPA-registered products, especially when it comes to the contact time, the length of time the surface needs to stay wet for the product to be effective. Some formulas can take as long as 10 minutes, so again, invest in plenty in the event you need to reapply on your surfaces for maximum efficiency.
Other items you may need include a broom, mop, clean cloths and/or paper towels, rubber gloves, face masks, hand sanitizer and/or hand soap, and microfiber cloths to minimize streaking. Always work in a well-ventilated area, and take plenty of breaks in fresh air to protect yourself from possible fumes.
LEARN MORE: Cleaning vs. Sanitizing vs. Disinfecting: Understanding the Differences
2. Have hand sanitizing wipes handy for everyone helping with your move.
Whether your family and friends are helping you with a DIY move, or you’ve booked a moving company to handle everything (literally), make it easy for everyone to keep their hands clean during the process by placing plenty of hand sanitizing wipes throughout your old place and your new place, particularly by your front and back doors. Nice 'N CLEAN® SANI-HANDS® Antibacterial Hand Wipes are a great choice because they kill and remove 99.9% of bacteria [1] on hands. Our hand wipes also clean away dirt and grime — something gel sanitizers don’t do. And because they are infused with aloe and vitamin E, they won’t dry out or chafe skin with frequent use. Keeping them in sight will serve as a reminder for everyone to use them as they come in before they start touching surfaces. (We also recommend keeping hand soap and paper towels in the bathrooms and the kitchen for their use as well.)
LEARN MORE: Hand Sanitizer: Wipes vs. Gels
3. Leave the doors and windows open.
By keeping the doors open during the loading and unloading process, you’ll not only make it easier for everyone to carry items in and out, but you’ll also help prevent everyone from touching doorknobs and the doors themselves — high-traffic areas that are common transmitters of bacteria, viruses, and germs. Having all your windows open will allow for better ventilation in places where several people may be working at one time.
4. Disinfect high-traffic and high-touch areas frequently.
Moving takes time, whether it’s done by your friends or by the pros. More time indoors means more touching of surfaces like doorknobs, railings, banisters, light switches, toilets, tables, chairs, phones, tablets, and more. Every so often, clean and sanitize these surfaces during the loading and unloading of your items with wet wipes — like Nice 'N CLEAN® Disinfecting Wipes — to help protect everyone involved. Nice ’N CLEAN® Disinfecting Wipes are proven to kill 99.9% of viruses [2] and bacteria [3], including the COVID-19 virusɸ in 3 minutes. Use as many as necessary for these surfaces to stay wet for effective disinfection — and use a fresh wipe for every surface to avoid cross-contamination. After your move is finished, be sure to clean and disinfect all these surfaces again in your new place.
5. Wipe down your moving boxes.
This may come as a surprise, but in a 2020 New England Journal of Medicine study, researchers found that the virus that causes COVID-19 can remain stable and detectable on “cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours.” Before you open your plastic bins and moving boxes, use Nice ’N CLEAN® Disinfecting Wipes to wipe them down, and allow them to air dry. Once you’ve unpacked, be sure to remove the cardboard from your home as soon as you can. As you open and unload boxes and bins, you can use Nice 'N CLEAN® SANI-HANDS® Antibacterial Hand Wipes to clean your hands until the process is done. After everything is unpacked and all the cardboard boxes are thrown out, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Make Moving Less Maddening and More Manageable
Moving is hard, but you can take steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your belongings with our tips above. Feeling more in control of a stressful situation can help you power through.
Nice 'N CLEAN® Disinfecting Wipes are now available in store at Costco warehouses nationwide. They are an easy and convenient way to clean, sanitize, and disinfect nonporous surfaces and items — from your old home to your new one.
[1] Kills 99.9% of the most common household bacteria.
[2] Effective against common cold virus caused by Coronavirus and common flu virus caused by Influenza A H3N2 Virus
[3] Effective against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella enterica (Salmonella), Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria), Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep), Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
ɸKills SARS-CoV-2 on hard, nonporous surfaces
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