Coronavirus, more formally known as COVID-19, has changed the world as we know it from a relaxed, care-free life to an anxious, germaphobic, caution-based way of life. As we find ways to cope, understand and adapt to a new normal, it is important that we all come together to focus on ways to support clean living in every where possible.
Clean living is often characterized by things such as living a germ-free life, eating well, and emphasizing general wellness and health habits. It goes beyond things such as hand sanitizer and washing your hands. Clean living means reducing the amount of chemicals that we release back into our environment and finding areas of our lives to “go green.”
Interested in introducing more ways of clean living into you and your family’s lives? Here are eight tips towards clean living in a post COVID-19 world:
Wash your hands
As a result of COVID-19, we are all aware of how important it is to wash your hands. According to the CDC (the Center for Disease Control), the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs is by washing your hands. There is perhaps no more basic and foundational principle of clean living than to simply wash your hands regularly.
To ensure you are ridding yourself of germs, make sure the soap you are using to wash your hands is anti-bacterial and/or disinfecting. Use a full pump or nickel size amount of soap to wash your hands. Clean your hands thoroughly by rubbing the soap on the tops, bottoms and in between your fingers.
Touching your face or your skin with unwashed hands can spread germs as well. Think about the places your hands have been (keyboards, countertops, marketplace shelves, etc.) and how many germs you could be transferring to your face. Therefore, it is just as important to wash your hands before touching your face or skin to apply any of your daily beauty products.
Cover your mouth
Today, it has become quite commonplace to wear a face mask in public. The reason being is to reduce the spread of germs through coughing, sneezing and even talking. A cough or sneeze can spread germs over 20 feet and at a rate of 100 MPH. Wow! Reduce the spread of germs by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and wear a face mask when you are in public to reduce germ spraying when you talk. Clean living means adapting to these new normal guidelines set in place by some of the most educated and informed professionals.
In addition to preventing the spread of germs, face masks are a great asset to wear while in the sun to prevent sun damage to your facial tissue. Use face masks when out in the sun for double protection (germs & sun). It does not have to be a shield, surgical or a N95 mask. It can be as simple as what captains wear to fish.
Disinfect common surfaces regularly
Keeping your work and household surfaces clean enhances a clean living life. After unpacking groceries, wipe down your counters. There is no telling what germs were on the bags you brought home. After lunch, wipe down your desk as crumbs and food shavings attract critters and germs live on them. Try to get in the habit of always wiping your home and workspaces down. Adapting to the new normal will lead to a healthier life. You will feel cleaner by implementing these tips and a cleaner life is a happy life.
Cleaning products do not have to be chemically based to disinfect. There are many cleaning products readily available that disinfect without the use of harsh chemicals. Why do we bring this up? Well, as a company that is committed to clean living and creating a more environmentally friendly, eco-safe world, we feel it is our obligation to share and educate our customer based on the available products that do not harm the environment.
Know your ingredients and what is safe for the environment
As just discussed, using cleaning products that are safe for the environment is paramount for clean living. Learn about what ingredients to look for and what ingredients are and aren’t safe for the environment. Here are some available products and brands that are safe for the environment to get you started.
- Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers and Method are well known, environmentally safe cleaning brands.
- You can also use natural disinfecting ingredients when cleaning such as lemon (antibacterial & antiseptic), white vinegar (disinfectant & cuts grease) and tea tree oil (kills certain bacteria and fights colds and coughs).
Sanitize your hands between washes
To keep your hands free from germs, use hand sanitizer in between hand washes. Hand sanitizer can kill or eliminate up to 99.99% of bacteria. When you are in a place where you cannot necessarily wash your hands, opt to have a small travel-sized hand sanitizer in your pocket or purse. You can find these hand sanitizers at the grocery store or any convenience store. You can never have enough, so stock up and keep some handy always! Consider buying a larger-sized container and fill up your travel-sized containers when they run out.
Get outside
Warm weather fights bacteria. Enjoy the outdoors and all it has to offer. Not only is sunshine, fresh air and exercise key for clean living and general wellness, getting outside away from artificial lights and television screens can do wonders for your mental wellness as well. Turn off your devices and get outside.
Transition to natural products
Making a transition to natural products is key if you’re striving for clean living. We at Caribbean Sol are passionate about providing high quality and clean products that are chemical free, safe for you and safe for the environment. While chemical-based alternatives are available and widely used, to fully embrace clean living, you must learn to transition to natural, safer products.
Caribbean Sol offers a full suite of skin care, sunscreen and more products that are chemical free, effective and environmentally safe. Whether you are moisturizing your skin, seeking protection from harmful UV rays or looking for an all-natural hand sanitizer solution, Caribbean Sol can help. Click here to shop our products.
Consider improved water filtration
Another important element of clean living is ensuring the water you are consuming is clean and healthy. Depending on where you live, tap water can contain various chemicals and toxins. While simple water filters can aid in removing some things like chlorine, they can often fail to traces of lead and pesticides that can make their way into the water supply. Water filtration products is a large category with a variety of options, but many clean living enthusiasts opt for things such as charcoal sticks which can be effective in removing mercury, lead and other toxins or over-the-counter filtration systems such as the Berkey water purifier or a Brita filter. In addition to improving water quality, you’ll want to consider how long various systems last, how often parts need to be replaced and how much money upfront each option costs. Do your own research to find the option that best suits your family.
Conclusion
Clean living is both a mentality and a regular execution of daily habits. By choosing natural products and making simple, common sense changes to your daily routines, you and your family can enjoy a healthy and happy life while also protecting the environment around you.
