FOR YOUR HEALTH: Jump Start Your Spring with Tips for a Healthy Household

(NAPSI)—As the days get longer and the temperatures warm up, spring is the perfect time to take stock of your household and your health. This season is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, offering the opportunity to make some simple moves to improve your overall well-being.

 To make the most out of a spring refresh, we’ve rounded up some of our top cleaning and health and wellness tips:

 •Clean high-touch surfaces. Cleaning surfaces in your home helps prevent the spread of germs that can make you sick, including COVID-19 and other viruses. High-touch surfaces, such as light switches, doorknobs, and countertops, should be cleaned regularly, especially after having visitors over. Make sure to use household cleaners that contain soap or detergent to ensure you are removing germs that could cause illness. 

•Wipe down your electronics. Many of us might remember to disinfect our phones, but it’s easy to forget that remote controls, keyboards, tablets, and other electronics all need a good scrub to keep germs at bay. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations for cleaning.

•Break projects into small chunks. You don’t have to tackle your house from floor to ceiling to make progress on your healthy household plans. Rather, pick one 10-minute task to complete each day, such as wiping down counters, starting a load of laundry, or vacuuming the blinds. Smaller tasks can seem more manageable and will get your refresh kickstarted. 

•Improve the ventilation in your home. Spring is a great time to check your air filters, making sure they are installed properly and replacing them as necessary. Doing so reduces air pollutants and virus particles in your home, helping to stop the spread of disease. In addition, you could consider adding a portable air cleaner to improve ventilation and reduce the number of germs in the air that people exhale when breathing, talking, singing, coughing, and sneezing.

•Restock your medicine cabinet. Take some time to check the expiration dates on your medications and then purchase new items that you might need, like nasal sprays, allergy medications, and first aid materials. It’s also a good idea to have extra COVID home testing kits on hand as well. With insurance or flexible spending accounts covering many health products, including at-home COVID testing kits, now is the time to stock up. 

•Make sure you are up to date on your COVID vaccine. No one wants to get sidelined with COVID this spring, so consider getting the latest vaccine to keep your household healthy. Updated COVID vaccines are now recommended for children and adults if their last dose was before September 2022. 

 “As spring hits its full stride, it’s a great time to make sure you are prioritizing your health and well-being,” said Dr. Sonia Valdez, Chief Nursing Officer for National Healthcare and Housing Advisors. “One important way to do that is by making sure you’ve gotten a free, updated COVID vaccine, which can boost your immune system even if you’ve had COVID already.”

For more information about COVID vaccines and to find a vaccine near you, go to vaccines.gov or text your ZIP code to 438829.