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Hear are our hours for the Holiday season at The Soap Exchange.

Saturday Dec 24th 9.30 a.m until 4.00p.m

Sunday Dec 25th CLOSED

Monday Dec 26th CLOSED

Tuesday Dec 27th to Friday the 30th Regular hours  9.30 a.m until 6.00p.m

Saturday Dec 31st 9.30 a.m until 4.00p.m

Sunday Jan 1st CLOSED

Monday Jan 2ond  9.30a.m until 6.00p.m

 

Wishing you a very Happy and safe Holiday season.

 

 

 

How and What to Clean in Your Home & Business

 

Lately, it seems as though we wake up each morning, read the news or check our social media and find that some new rules or protocols have been put in place to help us remain safe in this COVID-19 world we live in. The way we conduct business, interact with other people, or look after our own families and households are certainly changing and that kind of change can seem overwhelming even in the most normal of circumstances.

Outside of our homes, we follow the rules of social distancing and respect the practices of those businesses we visit as they, too, navigate through all new dos and don’ts. Inside our homes, however, we can take these new guidelines and adapt them to suit our own needs. We can have a little piece of sanity in a crazy world.

Let’s take back a little control, shall we?

Clean High Touch Surfaces

This may seem obvious, but the surfaces in your home that are touched often are the surfaces that are most likely to be contaminated. These include:

• Countertops
• Door and cabinet knobs
• Light switches
• Faucets
• Tables
• Chairs
• Electronics
• Glass doors
• Toilet seats
• Handrails
• Elevator or automatic door buttons

Nobody really knows how long the COVID-19 virus can live on different surfaces, but the Public Health Agency of Canada states that the scale is anywhere from a few hours to days, depending on the type of surface.

When it comes to looking after your own household, it pays to remember that cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing. In short, disinfecting kills germs on surfaces while cleaning physically removes germs, dirt and other impurities with the use of water and some kind of detergent.

You can choose to employ separate solutions for cleaning and disinfecting, but if you’re after a product that combines cleanliness AND convenience, you can use our multi-purpose disinfectant.

Create Your Own Cleaning Procedure

If you are anything like us, then you have a solid routine in place that allows you to clean and disinfect your home in the most efficient way possible.  If you already have a good routine, you won’t need to change much, except to add wiping down those surfaces that might not get cleaned regularly. After all, if the routine works don’t change it for a new one.

The Soap Exchange doesn’t offer cleaning chemicals that require safety goggles or protective suits, but it does pay to use rubber gloves in this case—especially if you are cleaning public areas. Aside from the possibility of skin irritation, gloves are useful in preventing the transmission of viruses.

If you’re a big fan of dry dusting, sweeping and dry mopping, I’m afraid you’ll need to put those methods on hold for a while. Those methods will simply distribute the virus throughout the home more quickly instead of getting rid of it. Damp cleaning is what you need to do, but don’t worry: this doesn’t mean you will have to shell out money for an endless supply of paper towels. Reusable cloths are perfectly fine to use, provided you put them into the washing machine right after you finish with them.

Rather than using sponge or string mops, which often can’t be washed, consider using a microfibre mop instead. This way, you will have an effective way to clean and disinfect your floor. Like your reusable cloths, however, you will need to make sure to toss the mop pad into the washing machine right after using it, instead of using it multiple times before washing.

Cleaning and disinfecting hard, non-porous surfaces is a cinch. Doing the same for soft furnishings (such as upholstery, carpets and curtains) and clothing is another thing. Since these items are made of porous materials, cleaning them is fairly easy, but disinfecting them?

Not so much.

Still, regular cleaning can go a long way. For clothing and machine washable soft furnishings, such as furniture coverings and curtains, a good laundry detergent is your best bet. For carpets and rugs, regular vacuuming and shampooing is a good idea.

Cleaning Your Home is Great, but What About Businesses?

It’s much easier to keep a home sanitary with just a good cleaner and disinfectant and solid supply of reusable cloths and mop heads. Keeping a business clean is a bit different, however, especially when you have a number of reusable items that get touched often, like condiment bottles in restaurants and carts in grocery stores.

Replacing the condiment bottles with individual packets or pre-prepared cups is time-consuming but doable. Since carts and other items like that can’t be disposable, and since many businesses do not employ a laundering service for reusable cleaning cloths, it’s necessary to use either disinfectant wipes on these items or a spray disinfectant and some paper towel.

In cases where using single-use wipes or paper products is necessary, proper disposal is absolutely key in avoiding the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. When you are done using these paper products, or any disposable item actually, you’ll need to put them in a lined garbage bin. That bag can then be tied up securely and put out with the regular trash.

It’s a good idea to reserve certain garbage bins for the disposable items used for disinfecting, which can then be sprayed with a disinfectant and allowed to air-dry once the bag is removed.

Stick to your Cleaning Routine

The prospect of cleaning and disinfecting at the level that the virus requires in order to somewhat manage its spread doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Besides your cleaning solutions, the biggest tool you have in your toolbox is your routine. If you get a solid cleaning routine going that involves regularly disinfecting those surfaces we talked about previously, then you’ve taken a huge step in the right direction.

The rest is small potatoes, really. Don’t worry: you can do it.

Stay safe out there.

How to Stay Clean and Safe in Strange Times

There’s no doubt about it: this year has gotten off to a weird start. We’ve all experienced nasty viruses that seem to drag on and on and leave us hoping and praying for a quick recovery, but this year’s flu season morphed into something nobody was prepared for. It has turned our streets into ghost towns and substantially changed how we look at healthcare, how we interact with each other and how business is conducted. COVID-19 is a nasty virus on many levels. As well as wreaking havoc on us, its presence highlights a glaring gap in our knowledge of how cleaning stems the progress of a virus, whether it’s through a household or through a community.

With that in mind, let’s start with some cleaning definitions…

What’s the difference Between Sanitizing, Cleaning and Disinfecting?

Sanitizing is an odd term, since it’s basically just a fancy way of referring to the act of cleaning or disinfecting. Basically, by sanitizing a surface, you are reducing the number of germs on that surface to what’s considered to be a safe level according to national health authorities.

Cleaning refers to the physical act of removing germs and other nasty things from a surface, using specific cleaners or soaps, such as our Nature Power and our Soft Shine Dish Soap. Without the presence of a disinfectant, cleaning simply removes germs instead of killing them.

Disinfecting is where the tough love comes in. A disinfectant is a chemical or natural substance that is used specifically to kill germs/microbes. It’s important to know that a disinfectant may not clean a surface or remove the germs from it; it just kills the germs, so it’s a good idea to either use a cleaner with a built-in disinfectant, or a simple scrubbing solution followed by a separate disinfectant.

What Can You do to Stay Safe?

When there’s a nasty virus making the rounds, no matter what kind of virus it is, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of exposing yourself and your loved ones to it. Here are a few proactive steps you can take to lower the risk of infection:

• Be proactive. Some viruses, like your average influenza, have vaccines. Even if you are the sort of person who gets sick only once in a while, getting vaccinated for known viruses is always a good idea because it can help slow the progress of a virus through a family or a community. You can also keep yourself home if you start to feel sick, as well as cover up your coughs and sneezes and regularly wash your hands.
• Disinfect. Surfaces like countertops, stair railings, door handles, household appliances and faucets should be cleaned and disinfected frequently, since viruses can travel through contact with surfaces carrying the germs for that virus.
• Regular cleaning. If you can stay on top of your regular household cleaning, then disinfecting your surfaces will be a cinch because the tough work is already done. If a surface comes in contact with bodily fluids, then that surface needs to be cleaned and disinfected immediately. You can choose to use your favourite multi-surface cleaner, or you can choose to use a cleaner that is formulated for a specific area of your home, such as our Red Marvel Bathroom Cleaner. To make sure you are cleaning and disinfecting properly, make sure you follow the instructions laid out on the label of your cleaner. If you want to disinfect your electronics, you’ll need to spray some cleaner on a soft cloth instead of spraying it directly onto the item.
• Product Safety. Our environmentally sensitive cleaners are safer to use than most regular cleaners but, as with anything, you should still make sure to read the label carefully and follow the instructions. For general safety, it’s not a good idea to mix cleaners (unless the label says it’s OK). If you happen to be using regular store-bought cleaners, then paying attention to the label could mean the difference between you being safe and you landing yourself in the hospital.
• Proper Waste Disposal. If there’s a virus going around, proper waste management can get a bit tricky. Since there’s a good chance your wastebasket will fill up with used tissues and disposable items that might have come in contact with a sick person, you should make sure you line your basket with a bag and either use gloves to remove it or keep your hands away from the waste. If you make sure that a series of no-touch baskets are available in convenient spots around your home, you can reduce the chance of used tissues and other disposables being left lying around.

The biggest part of combating a virus is simply being active in fighting it. If you pay attention to how you are cleaning and disinfecting your home and business, you stand a much better chance of fighting off a nasty virus.

It’s a strange world we live in these days, folks. Stay safe by staying clean!