There are so many cleaning products on the market but which ones will keep your family safe. Today I’m sharing my best tips for keeping your home clean during COVID-19, and the best products to clean your home AND kill the germs.
After two weeks of “social distancing”, being isolated, and homeschooling, I decided it was time for me to write a post about tips for keeping your home clean during COVID-19. I have seen so many people using products that are not good products, I couldn’t just sit back anymore, I had to say something! I’m not saying I know everything there is to know about cleaning products but after many years of testing products, researching products and working with brands, I feel very confident in what we use to keep our house clean. My products might not be cute and trendy but they kill bacteria, germs and viruses, and that’s what really matters.
Our house
To keep the surfaces of our home clean and safe from COVID-19, I am using my 2 favorite products, both of which I have used forever. Years ago I stumbled across a great blog called Dr. Annie’s Experiments. On her blog she tests every cleaning product you can possibly imagine, and once I read her results, and did some research, I changed what I was using to sanitize my home.
The two staple cleaning items in our house are Homage Essentials Co. Hydrogen Peroxide and Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes. If you read Dr. Annie’s experiments you learn that, other than bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide is the number one disinfectant, but since regular hydrogen peroxide doesn’t smell like anything, I love the Homage Essentials Co. products because they come in a variety of amazing smelling scents!
Everything in our house gets cleaned with hydrogen peroxide–the kitchen counters, sink, trash can, refrigerator, the bathrooms and even the floors!
The Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes clean everything that’s not always easy to spray, like the light switches, remotes, door handles, our phones, computers, etc. I usually buy these on Amazon but they sold out pretty quickly after the COVID-19 scare hit, so until they are available again I would recommend saturating a paper towel with the Homage Essentials Co. hydrogen peroxide, and using it as a wipe.
During a normal week I have my daughter wipe down doors, light switches and remotes once a week, but during this season I’m having her do it a couple times a week, just to be on the safe side.
Our hands
There are LOTS of hand sanitizers out there but if you read Dr. Annie’s hand sanitizer experiment results, you quickly learn that not all of them are doing what they should be doing–killing the germs!
As soon as I finished reading her post, a couple years ago, I immediately threw out what I had been using and ordered Zylast Direct Hand Sanitizer and Foaming Hand Soap. The Zylast products get rid of dirty hands, and they kill germs, including the Norovirus!
I carry a travel size bottle of the Antiseptic in my purse and use it anytime we leave a store, get gas, etc. Anytime we are out in public we immediately clean our hands with the Zylast Antiseptic once we are in the car. Once we arrive back home the first thing we all do is head to a sink to wash our hands with the Antiseptic Foaming Soap. This is a normal routine for us but I’ve been even more careful about staying on top of it now that we are dealing with COVID-19.
Our bodies and minds
With my daughter being home from school we have maintained her normal 7-period school schedule, and luckily her first period is P.E. Each morning we start our day with a healthy breakfast and then do a 30 minute workout. We are currently doing Beachbody’s Morning Meltdown 100 with Jericho Matthews.
Image source: Google
Doing a workout each morning has been so good for, not just our bodies, but also our mindsets. Each day is started by doing something that’s good for us, and helps to keep our bodies healthy, so if we do end up coming in contact with the virus, our bodies are strong and ready to fight.
My daughter’s fourth period is Bible so it has also been nice each day to take 30 minutes, find a quiet spot in the house and get grounded in the Word. She has a box she likes to climb into, and I like to curl up with a blanket to read, pray, refocus and get re-grounded in the Lord.
Taking 30 minutes to have quiet time has been so helpful in keeping our mental attitudes strong and to keep the fear at bay. There is so much chaos and fear all around us right now and I think the 30 minutes of quiet time with the Lord, or even just a good book, is just as important as the 30 minutes we spend working out.
Last but not least, the other thing we are doing to keep our bodies strong is to take our vitamins. We are usually good about taking daily vitamins but the last couple weeks we have upped our game! Each day we all take a pile of vitamins. My daughter likes to keep track so I know that I take 10 each morning–everything from Vitamin C, D, Multi, Echinacea, Lysine, to other immunity boosters.
I’m also trying to get vitamins from spending time in the sun. The other day it was chilly outside, but sunny, so I put on a bathing suit top and sat out on the back patio and FaceTimed with a friend. Taking vitamin pills is good but soaking up the sun and eating nutritional food is equally important. Vitamins are important because the healthier your body is, the harder it will be able to fight against any type of cold or virus.
I hope this has been helpful and will give you some good tips for keeping your home clean during COVID-19, and keep your family safe and healthy. My prayer for everyone right now is that we will not succumb to the fear, but that we will look to the Lord to give us strength and protection each day. Blessings.
Helpful links
- If you are interested here are the links to Dr. Annie’s experiment results for Homage Essentials Co. (formerly Pyoure) hydrogen peroxide and the Zylast Hand Sanitizer.
- Homage Essentials Co. website
- Zylast Direct website
- Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes (for when it comes back in stock)
- At home workouts – Beachbody
- How they are using Hydrogen Peroxide to clean N95 masks for reuse
* Disclaimer – I have included a couple affiliate links for these products, if you buy through the link I get a small commission but you don’t pay a cent more than you normally would. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!
Other helpful cleaning posts
How to Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in Your Home
Top Tips for Cleaning Your Home with Natural Products
Hi Anna, would it be possible for you to post the labels on these products? It would enable people to see the chemical contents, if any. Too many chemicals can lower the immune system. I know Clorox products have plenty of chemicals, but I’m really interested in the other products you showed us. Thank you so much for always reaching out with helpful hints. Blessings to you and your family ????
Hi Janeen, I will email you pictures of the labels for the Zylast products and the Hydrogen Peroxide wipes. The Homeage products are just H2O2 with essential oils added for scent. Please let me know if you don’t receive the email. 🙂