Sick and wondering if you should clean your house?

During flu season, you may just catch yourself lying in bed snuggled up with a cold. You’ve got a ton of work to do and a family to take care of though, you don’t have time to be sick let alone clean up after it. 

So, how much of the house should you clean when you’re sick? Which areas are the most important? Should you even clean your house when you’re sick?

Should I clean when I’m sick?

You probably know that it’s important to clean your home after being sick, but you might not know that it’s also important to clean in when you’re sick. When you’re sick with an infectious disease, germs can go everywhere. The only way to stop the spread is to clean up your house. This is especially important if you live with children or elderly people.

When bacteria and germs spread from one surface to another, one thing can lead to another and then you might just find yourself in the emergency room before you know it. If you’re having trouble keeping the house clean don’t worry, just start with the basics: making sure you have the right cleaning products.

Using the right cleaning products

Before you find the motivation you need for cleaning the house when you’re sick, you need to make sure that you’re using cleaning products that aren’t harmful to you and your family. Certain cleaning products can be really harmful, not only to certain surfaces in your home but to the air that you breathe in.

The last thing you want is to start cleaning with a chemical that only enhances your illness and sends you to the hospital. Consider making the switch to all-natural cleaning products to help protect you and your family from ingesting toxic chemicals.

Finding the motivation to clean the house when you’re sick

It can be hard to get up and clean when you don’t even feel like getting out of bed. But just like money motivates you to get up and go to work, you can find something to motivate you to get up and clean the house. 

Now we’re not saying that you have to get on your hands and knees and scrub the entire house, but keeping it organized and free from germs is crucial during this time. Not only will you stop the spread of germs in their track, but you’ll also benefit mentally from having a clean house. And the better you are mentally, the better you’ll be physically. 

So, where can you find the motivation to clean while sick? Here are some ideas:

• Make a list: Write down a list of things you want to clean. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive list, just a short list to keep you from getting overwhelmed while cleaning.
• Take a shower before: Showers can infuse you with energy and help you get up and relax before cleaning. After all, if you’re cleaning yourself, why not clean where you live too?
• Clean when you have energy: Being sick drains your energy. If you feel too tired, take a break and resume cleaning when your energy replenishes.
• Reward yourself: Love that chicken soup from that delivery place? Feel like having pizza? Think about how you’ll reward yourself when you’re done to keep you motivated.

Maybe your motivation is music. Maybe it’s germs. Or maybe it’s knowing that you’ll feel better once you do it. No matter what it is, there’s a motive behind every household cleaning routine (sick or not). 

It’s time for you to find yours!

How to disinfect your house

As we’ve mentioned before, cleaning while sick will keep the germs at bay. So, which are the most important places to keep clean?

Bed

You spend a third of your day in bed, and even more when you’re sick. That’s why you need to pay close attention to your bed linens when you’re sick.

Use a double layer of pillowcases to prevent germs from reaching your pillow. When you’re changing your linens, don’t pile them onto the rest of the dirty laundry. Wash them immediately using your hottest washing cycle to disinfect them and to prevent the germs from spreading all over the contents of your hamper. Do the same with your pj’s.

Bathroom

The bathroom is another area of your house where you’ll spend more time when you’re sick with something like a stomach bug. When you vomit or have diarrhea, tons of microparticles filled with germs go on the air, infecting surfaces when they land.

When you’re sick, try to use only one bathroom. Use only one set of towels for yourself and, like the linens, clean them as you use them. Use any disinfectant to clean all surfaces, like toilets and countertops, and make sure to disinfect the toilet bowl and the toilet brush as well.

Once you’re better, don’t forget to replace your toothbrush.

Living areas and points of contact

We touch many surfaces without even noticing it. TV remotes, light switches, doorknobs, handles, and many more. When you’re sick, you can transmit germs onto those surfaces, and infect other people that come into contact with them.

Luckily, most of them are very easy to clean. All you need is to spray them with a disinfectant and clean them with a paper towel. Thoroughly disinfect your TV remote and smartphone after using them.

Clean all surfaces of any living areas you’re using. If you’re going to use your sofa, cover it with a blanket to wash it later.

Don’t forget to air out your home to replace stale air and keep your house fresh!

Tips to help you succeed in cleaning the house when you’re sick

Ready to clean? Here are a few tips to get you started:

Soak the dishes

Doing the dishes can sometimes feel like one of those overwhelming household tasks. Sometimes you might just want to look at them and pray that they start washing themselves. 

The last thing you want to do is wash them when you’re sick. So at the end of the day go ahead and fill up your sink with hot water and dish soap and let your dishes soak overnight. In the morning you’ll be able to clean them without effort.

Use gloves when cleaning and doing the laundry

When you’re sick, you usually touch your face when sneezing or coughing. Those germs can stay on your hands for hours. That’s why, besides frequent hand-washing, you should use gloves when doing your daily cleaning.

Don’t forget to avoid touching your face and disinfect them when you’re done.

Have a cleaning basket on hand

Having a cleaning basket in your house introduces a whole new level of motivation into the equation. There’s just something about having a nice little basket with all of your supplies together in one place that just makes you want to get up and start cleaning the entire house. And it’s super helpful when you don’t feel like looking all over the place for that bottle of Windex you could’ve sworn you left under the bathroom sink.

Make sure you have disinfectant wipes ready

When it comes to cleaning the house when you’re sick, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to make sure that you have disinfectant wipes in every room of the house. This way, if you touch anything or start to sneeze all over the remote, you can simply grab a wipe and stop the spread of germs.

For best results, make sure your disinfectant wipes have over 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol, and wipe only in one direction to prevent spreading the germs.

Run a diffuser with essential oils

Having a diffuser in your home is great for many reasons. One of them is that you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil in it and it will help clean the air around you while strengthening your immune system. So not only are you cleaning the air, you are actually helping cure your sickness in the process.

Delegate the weekly chore list

If you’re still having trouble finding the motivation to get up and start cleaning when you’re sick, consider delegating the weekly chore list to others in your home. You should also avoid preparing meals for anyone else while sick. If you have kids or a partner, this is perfect – just give them a list of things to do while you sit back and relax.

But what do I do if I don’t have children or a spouse?

Maybe you don’t have kids or a partner to help you when things get tough around the house. Not everyone does. Maybe you have a roommate though. And if you do, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask them to pick up some of the slack. After all, you are sick. 

But if that’s not the case, the last thing you can do is…

Hire a professional house cleaning service

Sometimes we just can’t clean the house when we’re sick. But don’t worry we’re here for you! Our professional house cleaners will help you get your house back on the right track. Contact us today for a free estimate.