All You Need To Know About Furniture Hygiene in a Post COVID-19 Era

SARS Cov-2 virus or novel coronavirus that causes the illness Covid-19 has brought about a sea change in our lives. The days of casual outings, meetings with friends, and even watching a movie in a theatre are a long way off for now. But even when the pandemic is past its peak, the hygiene lessons learned during this period are going to stay in the public consciousness for a long time to come.

Since the virus can spread in large measure from surfaces, disinfecting furniture is going to be crucial addition to our every day activities.

Here is a brief on why and how you should maintain hygiene for your furniture in the post Covid-19 world, and also why wooden furniture  is the ideal option to prevent transmission from commonly touched surfaces.

Why you should disinfect furniture

Coronavirus can stay alive for extended periods of time on various surfaces. While it can live on glass and paper for up to four days, on wood, it stays alive only for two. Stainless steel can harbour the virus for about a week.

Furniture is among the most commonly touched and used surfaces in a home or office – think arm rests, table tops, work surfaces and dining tables. With multiple people touching these surfaces every day, the chance for transmission of the virus is exceptionally high. In the days ahead, sanitisation protocols are going to assume a much greater importance.

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Why wooden furniture is safer for you

The safest bet in this scenario is to opt for wooden furniture. In the post-COVID world, it may be wiser to go for less of leather and upholstery to your furniture as the virus can exist and survive for a long time in the folds and seams. Wooden furniture on the other hand is less welcoming to the virus. For one, it is easier to wipe down wooden furniture, and because they dry quickly and are not spoiled by frequent wiping, it is definitely the more hygienic option. Also, wood has natural antibacterial and antiviral properties that makes it an unfavourable environment for microbes in general.

Wood has always been a preferred material for home furniture as well as office furniture. In the days ahead, it is also going to be the more sensible and responsible choice. For elegant options in traditional and modern wooden furniture, check out the extensive catalogue on Woodsala.              

How to disinfect your daily use furniture

Thankfully, all it takes is soap and water to destroy the corona virus from surfaces. Since wood is a natural material, wiping it down with soap and water is as effective as washing hands in fighting spread of the virus. However, if the frequency of touch is very high, perhaps some disinfectant can also be used in wiping the daily use furniture.

• Use disinfectants as per instructions: Unfortunately, natural materials like vinegar are not effective against the virus. If you are using a cleaning solution or disinfectant, be sure to use it as per instructions. Sometimes, it takes a few minutes for a cleaning agent to completely disinfect a surface, meaning you should not wipe it off as soon as you apply. Also, too much or too little of the disinfectant may not have the necessary effect, and may leave harsh smells and unpleasant fumes in the air.

• Wipe with soap and water: Since wood dries easily, it takes little time and effort to clean and disinfect. Give your wooden furniture a soap and water wipe with a soft cloth. Be sure to wipe down every surface and edge, taking care to go between gaps and under the surfaces too, all the way down to the legs.

• Do it at regular intervals: Disinfecting furniture will need to be done at regular intervals throughout the day in offices, especially where there are more people touching the same surface at regular intervals – for instance, the copier or coffee machine table. In homes, you can do it maybe once a day, preferably at night, leaving it fresh and clean for the morning rush and safe to come back to at the end of the day.

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Some more furniture hygiene tips for home and office

It is only natural that this pandemic is going to leave us all with a bit of a hygiene fetish for a while. For the foreseeable future, it is probably healthy to hold on to that fixation. Don’t just leave it up to the cleaning staff in office to give you a healthy working environment. For added caution, you can follow these tips as well -

• Make it a habit to carry some disinfectant wipes that you can use on the areas you commonly touch – for instance arm rests, computer tables, internal phones and door knobs.

• Avoid using common articles like coffee mugs kept for general use. Bring your own coffee mugs and water bottles to office. As far as possible, avoid surfaces which see a large volume of touch.

• Avoid hanging out at one another’s tables in office. Social distancing will continue to matter for a long time ahead.

• Where do you put your groceries once you get home? If you are in the habit of piling it on to any of your furniture – your kitchen table or a sofa maybe – before you find the time to put it away, make sure to wipe that surface once you are done. Quite often, we are careful about sanitising everything we bring in from outside, forgetting the surfaces inside on which we leave them!

• Avoid sitting together in large numbers in the office canteen. Even meetings should ideally have limited numbers and follow physical distancing norms in the placement of chairs and tables.

Wooden furniture has always stood for elegance and warmth in our choice of furniture. In the new normal that emerges after the days of the pandemic, it will also be the safer and more hygienic choice. Check out Woodsala’s chic and versatile designs for home and office furniture so you can enjoy peace of mind as you work or spend quality time with your family.

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