Combatting Bacteria & Allergens as an Apartment Renter
When you’re living in an apartment, it’s important that you work to stop the spread of germs and other allergens. Germs can remain on flat surfaces for long periods of time, and during the spring it’s easy for allergens, like pollen, to spread around. If you don’t act to deal with the allergens, you could be putting your health at risk. With the recent virus spreading around, it’s more important now than ever to practice healthy habits.
The best steps you can take to stay healthy are to practice good hygiene and spend a lot of time cleaning your apartment. Besides washing your hands, here are some effective tips and tricks that can help you stay healthy.
Wash Your Bedding Once a Week
If you don’t want to get sick, one of the best habits you can get into is washing your bedding at least once a week. Since we use our beds every night, it’s easy for germs to latch onto sheets, pillow cases, and comforters. Cleaning your sheets is crucial if you share a bed with someone else in the apartment.
Take the time to pull out your sheets, and wash everything in hot, soapy water. The water should be somewhere around 130 degrees. The combination of heat and soap will kill any bacteria that may be clinging to the bedding.
As an extra precaution, you should take the time to wash your pillow cases and bathroom towels as well.
Sanitize Commonly Used Areas
You should also get into the habit of wiping down commonly used areas. Doorknobs, TV remotes, cabinet handles, keyboards, and appliances are all things that are shared by people who live in an apartment space. Therefore, it’s easy for germs and bacteria to build up on them.
Every day, you should set aside a few minutes to wipe down these areas with sanitizing sprays or wipes. Scrub as thoroughly as you can to make sure that you don’t let any organisms remain. Try to keep a container of sanitizing wipes in an easy to access area so you can grab some wipes whenever you need them.
Set a Spot for Your Shoes
Germs also have a habit of latching onto the bottom of shoes. Even if you haven’t been out in a while, germs can stick to your shoes for a while after you’ve gone out for a trip. If you keep walking around your apartment while wearing them, the germs will spread around quickly, putting yourself at risk.
Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this problem. Set aside a small spot on the floor near the front door so you can leave your shoes there. Make sure you spend some time washing your shoes with soap and other anti-bacterial solutions to kill off any lingering bacteria.
Improve Your Apartment’s Ventilation
Bacteria and viruses are serious issues, but you should also take some precautions to avoid getting sick from seasonal allergies. Pollen, dust mites, and other allergens can make you sick as well, so you must be careful.
A great way to keep allergens out of your apartment is to improve the ventilation. High humidity levels can encourage the growth of many allergens, including mold. By keeping humidity levels down, you’ll have a better chance of staying healthy during allergy season.
When the weather permits, leave the windows open to let some fresh, dry air into your apartment. If you have a ceiling fan, leave it on for a little while to let the air circulate throughout your apartment. By doing this, you’ll push the humid air out, and inhibit the effect of lingering allergens.
Change Your Air Filters
If your apartment has an air conditioning and heating system, you need to take the time to change the air filters. These air filters capture allergens, like pollen, in order to keep them from entering your apartment. The filters will get clogged over time though, and if you don’t clean them out the allergens will get inside.
Each month or so, check your air filters and see how they are doing. If they’re looking dirty, take them down and scrub out all of the dust and pollen that has built up inside. This ensures that your air system continues to operate properly, which will be important as temperatures rise.
You can usually do this process yourself, but be sure to check with your landlord to see if the community staff is responsible for this task.
In addition, switching to some eco-friendly habits can also help lead you to a healthier lifestyle. Want to learn more?