It’s been a while since quarantine first started, and none of us are sure when exactly life will go back to the way it was pre-COVID. And with the number of cases still growing across the country, thinking long-term and making changes to small things we do daily can make a bigger difference than you may realize.
Wearing a face mask at all times in public, social distancing, and washing our hands religiously are the most basic yet most important aspects to keeping ourselves and others safe, but you can still add even more precaution to these steps by incorporating new items or routines that make life in the time of COVID just a little easier and more convenient for yourself.
Here are a couple of things that can help you stay as virus-free as you can.
Touching public surfaces may be a cause of anxiety for a lot of people right now, but we found the tool that’ll put all that behind you. Antimicrobial door-opening keychains are available all over the internet and are pretty multipurpose and functional for any daily activity––from pulling and pushing doors open, pressing elevator buttons, or getting money from the ATM––you can easily keep a barrier between you and surfaces that would otherwise be unavoidable to touch in everyday life.
Shop for it here.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that our cellphones are pretty dirty––even more unsanitary than most toilet seats. While wiping down your phone with alcohol might be the most cost-effective way to keep it clean, it may be damaging the protective layers of your phone and cause it to degrade much faster. UV phone sterilizers have been on the market for a while, and if there’s any time to get one, it’s now. Just pop it into the box for a bit and once it’s done, your phone will be effectively cleaner than it’s ever been.
Shop for it here.
While spraying your hands with alcohol might feel like enough, a thorough hand washing beforehand is always the way to go. If you’re in public and don’t like the idea of using communal hand soap or bringing an entire stick of it with you, try getting yourself some paper soap instead. This environmentally friendly alternative is much more travel-friendly and convenient than bringing an entire bar around with you and keeps you from touching even more risky surfaces when you’re already trying to disinfect.
Shop for it here.
If you’re out on an errand run and worried about unsanitary items mingling with clean ones in your bag, maybe investing in a couple of these will help sort out that problem for you. Keep things separate by putting regularly touched items like your phone, wallet, keys, and more in a clear reusable and washable bag so you can keep things where they should be, while still having easy access to them and reducing waste by avoiding single-use plastic.
Shop for it here.
Physical money has always been a bit of a health hazard given we don’t know whose (or how many) hands its been through prior to getting in ours. Going cashless is now the safest and most preventative measure we can take, and with most businesses and restaurants now adapting to the new normal like we are, this option is quickly becoming a lot more common and easy to access than it ever was before.
We all know this already, but it’s never a bad thing to be reminded. While the safest option is to continue going for home-cooked meals, supporting our favorite restaurants––especially independent ones––is paramount to keeping them from shutting down like many already have. But while businesses are slowly resuming operations again and accepting dine-in customers, the current times still need us to keep to ourselves. Continue going for delivery or pick-up options rather than dining in so you can still have your favorite food, but without risking yourself or others.
Stay safe out there, folks!
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