Protecting Yourself From Getting Sick While Cleaning
Jean Hanson
Getting sick is definitely a challenge that house cleaners face every day. This article will give you steps to help protect yourself.
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Wearing gloves will keep you from touching germ-infected surfaces. Make sure to wash your hands when removing your gloves and keep both your gloves and hands away from your face. The quickest and easiest way to begin eliminating germs is frequent hand washing. This is the number one way to protect ourselves.
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Disinfect areas that are commonly touched before you touch them. Doorknobs, remote controls, telephones, refrigerator, oven and bathroom door handles are common bacteria and germ magnets. You might want to keep a hand sanitizer with you at all times during work and in your car. After you've loaded up your car, sanitize your hands before touching your steering wheel.
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Clean and disinfect sinks. It has been said the worst place to drop something is in your sink. Bacteria and germs are common in this area due to raw meat, tossing out old food, used pots and pans, food left in drain areas, etc.
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The product Airborne, is a tablet you dissolve in water. It helps support your body's immune system. You can find it at your local drug store or grocery store. Also talk to your doctor about food supplements and vitamins to keep your immune system up.
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Wearing a mask might be a good idea, especially around children's toys, play areas, bathrooms and bedrooms. These are breeding grounds for bacteria. If you're concerned about what your clients will think, you could blame it on allergies.
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Use microfiber cleaning cloths and mops. They are denser and absorb more solution into the fiber. The microfiber removes more bacteria from the surfaces you clean than a conventional cleaning cloth or mop.
It's important to protect ourselves in our industry since we may be exposed to more than the average person, however there are other reasons we can succumb to colds and flu.
How many times have you heard the word ‘stress'? This is a definite factor in our health and on our immune system. A car running out of gas experiences the same effects as we do when our immune system is low. Do what you can to manage your day in a way that provides balance and time to breathe. See if you can get a massage in, one complete day off a week, a good movie or a walk with positive, upbeat friends.
It's also stressful simply being a business owner. We are constantly thinking about our business – at night trying to sleep, when we first wake, during any open moments of the day. It's OK to give yourself permission to take care of yourself. Lack of sleep will zap your energy. Get as many uninterrupted hours as you can.
Poor eating habits, little to no exercise and putting on weight are big warning signs. Everything else is coming first in your life before your health. It's time to put you front and center. If you've ever flown on an airplane you may remember the flight attendant saying, “put on your own oxygen mask first and then your child's. If you do not have oxygen you will not be able to help anyone else.” More weight, less exercise, poor eating = low immune system and more sickness. It's time to put YOU first.
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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at http://www.MyHouseCleaningBiz.com.
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