24/7 Decontamination

Purchasing a home is an exciting venture, and you’re undoubtedly looking forward to starting this new chapter. While the pandemic offers some challenges, there are steps you can take to make the transition easier. From doing your research to investing in home restoration services, you can make sure you’re leaving behind a clean space and moving into a new one.

Bacteria and Virus growth occurs whenever an environment is warm, damp, and undisturbed and causes a variety of health concerns, including itching, sneezing, skin rashes, and difficulty breathing. Below is a guide to preparing your house for decontamination services.

Do not try to protect your favorite furniture pieces or other belongings by moving them out of the affected area. This can spread the virus/bacteria to other areas of the house, worsening the problem. It’s important to contain as much as possible, so leave household items in the affected areas in place.

Take this opportunity to take a mini-vacation. Rent a motel room or an Airbnb® for your family for a few nights. You can also board the pets.

Removing yourself and all family members from the home will streamline the process and keep kids and pets from getting in the way. This will also keep people and animals from unintentionally spreading the virus/bacteria throughout the house. It’s also less of a health risk to vacate the premises temporarily.

Clothing and bedding in the affected area need to be laundered in hot water. You can use your regular detergent, but choose the hottest setting available, and add a half-cup of bleach to white loads. Dry items on the hottest setting, as well. Once everything is clean, place them in plastic bags to prevent recontamination

1. Prepare Ahead of Time

You’ll need supplies to move, including cleaning products, bedding, snacks, and water. If you need boxes, buy new ones rather than used or recycled ones. Try to obtain these items in the fewest amount of trips to the store. Purchase your supplies with your debit or credit card rather than cash.

Disinfect all items as you’re packing them, including dishware, pots and pans, Tupperware®, cutlery, and lamps. Use a disinfecting spray like Lysol® on your bedding and furniture.

Many moving companies have remained open during the pandemic. To protect both employees and clients, many have taken precautions. When researching a mover, check their website or call to inquire about the safety measures they’re taking.

While each company is different, many are following guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They might offer a virtual survey of your home to determine a price estimate. Employees may be screened and sent home if they’re experiencing any illnesses. Many companies have added hand sanitizers to their trucks and require their movers to wear gloves and masks when they’re on the job. They may also disinfect the truck’s cargo hold after every move.

On the day they arrive, make paper towels, disinfecting wipes, and bottles of hand sanitizer available to the movers

Once the movers are done, your new home will need to be disinfected. You can do quick cleanings on high-touch surfaces, like doorknobs, handles, railings, countertops, and tables. Include the packing containers as well, since COVID-19 can survive for up to 24 hours on cardboard and 72 hours on plastic.

Even if your house is new and the movers take precautions, home restoration services are available to disinfect your property. Companies offering these amenities use hospital-grade disinfectants that kill pathogens and viruses.