In the past week, the aggressive Novel CoronaVirus (Covid-19) has infected over 100,000 people all over the world. While efforts to control the virus in China have proven to be effective, the rest of the world is preparing for the worse.
There are probably hundreds of informative articles out there educating the public on preventive measures to keep themselves safe from the virus. Keeping your hands clean and staying away from crowds is at the top of the list. Then recently, there’s news about Bank Notes spreading the virus around.
And that really got me thinking…How often do we clean our everyday carry items? We use them every single day. Multiple times a day even! Then began my quest to scope out my everyday carry gear and rid them of dirt and germs.
Later on I came to realise that I have a very useful device in my very own home that would come in extremely handy in a time like this. I believe many new parents may have this at home already. A UV Steriliser! Thats right. The same UV Steriliser which you use to sterilise your baby’s bottles, teets and toys.
In this blog, I’ll break down a list of EDC that we take for granted and do not clean. Let’s start with the list…
Your Mobile Phone
There’s no denying that most people cannot live without their phones. So when was the last time you removed your mobile phone from its casing and gave a good clean? If you haven’t done it in a while, my suggestion is to do it regularly. Washing your hands is one thing, but don’t forget where your phones have been too (i.e….the toilet!) and who else has access to your phone…your kids.
My husband and I make a great tag team when it comes to sanitising our phones. Whenever we get home or reach the office, either one of us would almost immediately get to sanitising both our phones.
We have a few options…If we’re in the car, we would reach for an anti bacterial wipe. If we’re in the office we would just pump a little hand sanitiser on a clean tissue and give our phones a good wipe. At home, we use Anti Bacterial Surface Sprays are that baby/kid friendly to clean our phones. I honestly prefer using those. At least they are natural (or claim to be) and will be more gentle on my device.
If you wanna take it to a whole new level, bring out the UV Steriliser that you bought to sterilise your baby bottles, teets and toys. Yeap, those babies can sterilise anything! Simply remove your mobile phone covers, pre clean it and then put the covers in the UV steriliser and you’re all set.
Your Wallet
Oh boy… Your wallet is easily one of the most frequently used yet most neglected carry item. How many times do you use your wallet in a day? Let’s count the ways. We pick up our wallets with our hands, pull out credit cards, exchange cash, place them on counter tops, place them on chairs…Lord knows the amount of germs that have leeched themselves on it.
So really, when was the last time you actually cleaned out your wallet or cleaned those frequently used cards? Well, if you have never…now is not the time for judging and it’s a great time to start.
This could also be a great time to #KonMari your wallet. De clutter it. Get rid of papers and cards that you don’t need. Then, get a damp cloth with some mild soap and give the cards that you want to keep a good clean. After that, put those pre cleaned cards, coins and even BANK NOTES (If you are super paranoid) in the UV Steriliser! If you don’t have a UV steriliser, cleaning your cards even with regular cloth and mild cleaner is better than nothing!
As for your wallet, it really depends on the kind of wallet you have. There are leather wallets, aluminium wallets, nylon wallets… wallets made from wood or carbon fibre even. My suggestion is to follow the brand’s cleaning guidelines. For example, leather wallets like Bellroy wallets require you to clean your leather wallets with a leather cleaner and coat with a leather conditioner. However, if you are unsure, one of the safest methods would be to clean with a damp cloth and to wipe dry or air dry immediately. Do not use the UV Steriliser for your wallets as it may damage it.
Your Bags
Aside from your wallet, your bags are next in line. Whether you use an expensive handbag or a cheap laptop bag, it doesn’t matter. Viruses do not discriminate. The last time I wiped the handles of my handbag I was shocked to find just how dirty they were! Then I had flash backs of all things that I have stuffed into my handbag. I would’ve thrown that bag into the washing machine if it allowed me too.
Seriously…if you haven’t done it, go get a clean cloth or a wet wipe, and clean your bag handles. Don’t be surprised if you discover just how dirty they are. Then again, it shouldn’t be surprising. We hold them with our hands, we place our bags on the floor, on counter tops, on seats. What do you expect?!
Before cleaning, be sure you check on your bag brand’s cleaning instructions to avoid any damages. When in doubt, you can send your bags to specialist bag cleaner or I would usually use a damp cloth and a very mild cleaner to remove any stains or dirt.
I hope you found this list useful and a good reminder that we shouldn’t just be reminded to wash our hands, but to clean our everyday carry as well.
Until my next blog, I’m sending out my prayers and love to everyone around the world who is infected by this wretched virus. I hope that we all can come together as 1 humanity and overcome this together.
Bagsology 