Moving to a new home is always exciting yet stressful. While most people stay put at home, you may be shifting homes. Moving during a pandemic doesn’t have a handbook, but these tips will help you move safely to your new home without contracting the virus.

The right sanitation methods can easily prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although little is known about the virus, we understand that it remains on surfaces for hours to even days. Therefore, your first rule is always to clean and sanitize all surfaces.

Have Cleaning Materials on Hand

When you’re moving, it is normal to have many visitors in your home, such as realtors, movers, and even guests. When you are in contact with many people, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask is important. Remember not to pack up all your cleaning items while putting things away, as having these disinfectants on hand will hopefully protect you and your family while eliminating potential risks. So, stock up on your supplies. Full home cleaning requires hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, sprays, and other supplies. Sanitizer by the main door and within different rooms would be ideal, forcing visitors and movers to use it.

If you don’t have access to cleaning supplies, you can always make your own by diluting household bleach with water (bleach is one of the cheaper products on the market). When purchasing cleaning supplies, a good rule of thumb is to use a product that contains an appropriate amount of bleach and at least 60-70% alcohol. Also, keep some rubber gloves and protective wear.

Do It Yourself

Moving is a huge task requiring many people, so hire a company to reduce your workload. However, the best way to ensure your safety and that your items aren’t contaminated is to do it yourself.

You can rent a moving container and pack all your boxes yourself. When moving with a container, you only have full access to it, which means minimal contact with others and your items.

Communicate Your Expectations

If you’re hiring movers to get the job done swiftly, don’t hesitate to clarify your standards regarding the level of sanity you expect. For starters, you can tell them to wear gloves and keep their mask on at all times, as this keeps both parties safe during the cleaning process. You can also ask if the transport trucks are sanitized and cleaned after each delivery, as it could be a potential virus breeding area. Another factor to take into consideration is when the car was last used.

Rent a Storage Unit

Some home buyers prefer to move their belongings in stages, separating essential and non-essential items. For example, you may move all your important items first, giving you the breathing room to unpack and clean all your necessary items while keeping your unessential items in a storage unit. By leaving your non-essential items in an airtight storage unit for a week or so, you won’t have to worry about the virus, as this time would allow the virus to die.

Keep Doors Open

This may sound simple, but it’s very important and has many benefits. When people constantly move in and out of your house and shift boxes, keeping all the doors open at all times is useful. This prevents people from touching surfaces like doorknobs and makes their job much easier while carrying heavy items.

Another reason to keep the doors and windows open at all times is for good ventilation and air circulation within your home. Fresh air circulation will allow the breeze to flow in and remove smells or stale air.

A Full Clean

Before and after you move your things in, it is best to have a full, deep clean by hiring professionals to do the stressful but necessary work for you. Cleaners will be able to make sure all overlooked surfaces, corners, and furniture are completely disinfected and safe for you and your family to settle in. Even if the truck has been disinfected beforehand, it is best to wipe down the outside of the boxes before you unpack and put everything away. Once the boxes are empty, set them outside to be recycled.

Shifting to a different house is always an exciting and busy experience, but these tips will keep you and everyone else safe during a pandemic.

Buckeye Northwest Realty offers houses for rent in Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more!