Cleaning Routines to Keep Your Home Virus-Free

Follow this CDC advice to make sure your kitchen, bathroom and other high-traffic areas are clean and disinfected

We want home to be a haven (especially during stressful times), and part of that, at a fundamental level, means living in a space that helps keep us healthy. According to the most current evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus that causes COVID-19 is spread primarily through close personal contact (within about 6 feet). So it’s more important to practice social distancing, not touch your face and wash your hands often and well than it is to be overly concerned about cleaning your house. And although the CDC has not found evidence of surface-to-person transmission to date (which is good news!), the virus may live on surfaces for hours to days, making regular cleaning and disinfecting a wise practice during this time.

Upgrade Hand-Washing Stations
The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; before eating or preparing food; and after using the bathroom. Stock up every sink in the house to make hand-washing easier and more sanitary with:

• A bottle of liquid hand soap (anti-bacterial soap not needed)

• Stacks of fresh hand towels and a hamper for dirty towels, or a roll of paper towels and a wastebasket

• A container of sanitizing wipes for daily cleaning of faucets and counters

What About Hand Sanitizer?
You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol when soap and water aren’t available. But if your hands are visibly dirty, the hand sanitizer will not be effective, and hand-washing is recommended.

Know the Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
The important thing to remember is that cleaning should come first — if a surface is dirty, germs can be hiding below the dirt and grime, making disinfecting efforts less effective.

• Cleaning removes dirt, grime and germs — this helps reduce the number of germs.

• Disinfecting actually kills germs on surfaces using chemicals, which helps reduce the risk of spreading infection when done after cleaning.

Photo by Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry - Visit ACR Pro Contractors On Houzz

Use the Right Products — and Follow Instructions
When it comes to cleaning, regular soap and water is all you need. But for the second step of disinfecting, it’s important to be sure you’re using the right product. EPA-registered disinfectants (see the current list here) approved to fight the novel coronavirus are what you want to look for. Already have rubbing alcohol or bleach in your cupboards? Either one will fight the COVID-19 virus. (A word of caution on using bleach to clean surfaces: It can discolor laminate and may damage the seal on granite and other stone countertops over time.)

• If surfaces are dirty, remember to clean with soap and water first.

• To prepare a bleach solution, mix 5 tablespoons (⅓ cup) bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleaners.

• If using rubbing alcohol, choose an alcohol solution containing at least 70% alcohol.

• Check expiration dates. Do not use expired products, as they may not be effective against the COVID-19 virus.

• Follow label instructions. Clorox has issued specific recommendations for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including leaving bleach solution on surfaces for five minutes.

Focus on High-Touch Surfaces
Cleaning and sanitizing the entire house would be overwhelming — and probably excessive. Instead, focus on the surfaces that get lots of contact throughout the day. These areas include doorknobs, light switches, tables, remote controls, handles, desks, toilets and sinks. And if you have kids or housemates who play video games, include those video game controllers.

Photo by Phoenix Renovations - Visit ACR Pro Contractors On Houzz

Start a Just-Got-Home Routine
Put your belongings down in one spot, paying attention to what you carried with you throughout the day — likely suspects include your phone, key ring and sunglasses. Wash your hands for 20 seconds, then wipe personal items with an EPA-registered disinfecting wipe and leave to dry. When cleaning electronics, keep liquids away from openings, never submerge devices, and be especially gentle with touchscreens.

Photo by Studio Dearborn - Visit ACR Pro Contractors On Houzz

Help Kids Follow the Recommendations

If you have kids at home — especially if they’re not so keen on frequent hand-washing — consider one or more of these to make the ritual more fun:

• Let your child pick out a fragrant hand soap, or put hand soap in a colorful container.

• Tape the verse of a silly song to the mirror so they can sing for the recommended 20 seconds.

• For younger children, cue up a song to sing along to on your phone.

• Be sure a sturdy stool is positioned by every sink in the house to make the soap and water accessible.

Photo by KUBE architecture - Visit ACR Pro Contractors On Houzz

Do the Laundry, Wash Your Hands

If you have a cloth laundry hamper liner, toss it in the wash when you do the laundry. Wash laundry on the warmest setting your clothes and linens can handle, and avoid shaking dirty laundry, which can spread virus through the air. And when you’re done handling dirty clothes and towels, be sure to wash your hands.

Photo by SSC Countertops - Visit ACR Pro Contractors On Houzz

If Someone Is Sick, Take Extra Care

If you or someone in your house may be sick, you’ll need to take more precautions. Check the CDC’s recommendations for household members and caregivers on its website. A few of the most important precautions include isolating the sick person in their own room and bathroom, not sharing personal household items, handling their laundry with gloves (and washing your hands afterward) and cleaning high-touch surfaces daily.

Other household items you should consider disinfecting

• Your computer keyboard and mouse

• Google Home and Amazon Echo speakers

• TV remote and TV buttons

• All frequently used electronics, like tablets and phones

• Debit cards

Visit the CDC Coronavirus Information Page

Visit The NYC Department of Health Coronavirus Information Page

Visit ACR Pro Contractors Safety Protocols For Job Sites

Visit the CDC Coronavirus Information Page.

Houzz.com Source Link

ACR Pro Contractors Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protocols

ACR Pro Contractors Coronavirus

(COVID-19) Protocols

Life, Safety & Health Are Our Priority

Dear Valued Customer & Friend,

We wish to communicate to all Customers and Clients of our plans to help our customers, employees, subcontractors, neighbors and communities from the Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of today, ACR Pro Contractors has implemented Company Wide Safety & Health Protocols due to the serious impact the virus can have on those susceptible. These protocols start at the estimating process and applies to all renovation projects, installations, operations, consultations and job site visits.

Renewed Estimating Process:

1. Click on our “Get A Quote” Button found throughout our website. Or Click Here

2. Fill in the form details on our “Get A Quote” Page. Including entering a link to either a File Cloud such as Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox or a Real Estate Listing Link so that we can have a look at the pictures or plans of the space, you may include any inspirational photos as well.

3. You will receive an email response from someone in our Team.

4. We will set up a phone call to discuss the project to:

• Discuss expectations and ideas.

• FREE Ballpark estimate.

• If we are in agreeance, and would like to proceed to the next step, we will set up an in Home Consultation.

5. In Home Consultation:

• Discuss details of the project in depth providing you with valuable information that is exclusive to the consultation

• Goals, problems, expectations, regulations (e.g., Management Company, HOA)

• $250.00 Consultation Fee (Credit applied toward project).

• After the consultation, if you would like to hire us to provide you with our renowned services, we ask for a deposit in order to secure a project commencement date.

Our new protocols consists of, but are not limited to:

1. Washing hands with Sanitizing Soap regularly.

2. Covering the mouth when coughing & sneezing with arm or shoulder—not hands.

3. No extraneous visits to our clients without express call ahead notification.

4. No casual drop by visits from our vendors without express call ahead and screening.

5. All ACR Pro Contractors personnel will check in with management before entering our office or work site.

6. Maintaining a distance of at least 3 feet from others.

7. All employees will hand sanitize upon entering job site and upon leaving a job site, including during break or lunch hours.

8. ACR will provide complete transparency about virus symptoms or cases to our customers.

9. An ACR representative will call ahead to the customer to verify that both the job site and ACR personnel are free of any symptoms as described by the CDC for the COVID-19 virus. We consider our customers, employees, subcontractors, neighbors and communities as family; and as such, we will vigilantly guard ALL parties from possibility of contamination. Please feel free to reach out to Al Rosario via call, text or email to (212) 203-7560 or al@acrcontracting.com with any questions or concerns. We look forward to the rapid de-escalation of this global situation and wish good health for your employees and your families.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CONTRACTOR AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN ESTIMATE.

Q: I’ve followed your advice and gotten three bids from different contractors who want to do my project. Now what? Do I just hire the one with the best price?

A: Those bids can tell you a lot about the contractors who wrote them—but they may not be very accurate measures of the total price each one would wind up charging for your project. Here’s why.

Unless you’ve given the bidders the exact scope of work / specifications for your job—in other words, drawings, materials lists, and product names put together by an architect or designer—the bids are at best educated guesses, says Cambridge, Mass., Realtor and renovation consultant Bruce Irving.

If you have hired a professional designer, the bids are likely much more accurate measures of what each contractor will charge, especially if their bottom lines are just a few percentage points apart. Always throw away outliers. Extreme low bidders are probably desperate for work and planning to cut corners on your job, and super high bidders are probably too busy to take on your project unless you’re willing to overpay.

“Look not only at the numbers but at how they’re presented,” says Irving. “Are they clear, organized, detail-oriented, and delivered when they were promised? Do they accurately reflect the nuances of what you told him you’re looking to do?” There’s no guarantee that a quality bid equates to a quality contractor—or that a sloppy one means you’ll get sloppy work—but it increases the odds. Look for a bid that thoroughly outlines every aspect of the job, that way, even without architect specs, you can see, in writing, exactly what he’s proposing to deliver—and charge you—for each part of the job. Once you sign the bid and it becomes your contract, if a question arises later about whether the price includes, say, installing stone or ceramic tiles, you’ll have his description to refer back to.

If you chose to have plastic surgery, you would thoroughly research surgeons, talk to prior patients, or at least review before and after photos of patients’ noses or chins before deciding on a surgeon.

So why wouldn’t you use the same due diligence when choosing a contractor to renovate, remodel or otherwise perform surgery on your house, asks interior designer Tyler Wisler of HGTV’s “Design Star.”

“I don’t think people realize how much work is involved in renovations,” says Wisler, whose father is a professional contractor. “I’m as guilty as anyone of [perpetrating] that myth. On “Design Star” we show a [complex home] problem that is fixed in 22 minutes. It’s not that easy.”

It’s a rare home improvement job that doesn’t have its share of hiccups– rotted floorboards, faulty wiring, leaky pipes – that invariably surprise the contractors and owners. And that’s why it’s imperative you invest the time for due diligence before agreeing to work with a contractor.

A contractor’s track record will likely also influence their bid. When you consider estimates, remember that a general rule of thumb for contractors to price a job at 1.5 times cost. That means if work and supplies cost $10,000, the contractor will likely give you a cost estimate of $15,000, report many construction experts including Construction Programs and Results. That extra money is not pure profit. Contractors must cover many costs from tools to advertising.

It’s human nature to want to secure the lowest price for your job, but think twice before automatically doing so, says Wisler. “Is it worth it to you to pay for a proven contractor who knows how to handle the hiccups that will develop,” he asks. “Finding an excellent contractor takes work. When you do find one, you want to hang onto them. Those trades need to be celebrated. There is a lot of work, knowledge and skill needed to do those jobs correctly.” 

Here’s how to get competitive Apples to Apples bids –

Decide on job details. You have a general idea of the project for which you’ll engage a contractor – remodel a kitchen, retile a bathroom, or reconfigure a laundry room. Before you choose a contractor, it’s important to understand available options, such as specific flooring materials (reclaimed hardwood versus natural stone) or bath options (Japanese soaking tub versus waterfall showerhead). You’ll want to hire a contractor that understands the precise requirements for your specific job. Some homes aren’t as easily retrofitted with modern upgrades as others. For example, including a whirlpool tub in your renovation may require significant additional wiring, plumbing and even structural support work, to accommodate the new electrical, water and weight demands of a large spa tub.

Dig Deep on References –

Many homeowners ask family and friends for contractor referrals. They also follow online reviews from Yelp, Facebook and other online review providers. There’s nothing wrong with using those groups – in fact, some people swear by them. It is also wise to go further with references and ask the contractor for a reference list.

Choosing Your Contractor –

In any case, the estimated cost should only play a supporting role in your decision about who to hire. You should feel comfortable with the contractor and the contractor’s estimate should be detailed and never vague, you should have a clear understanding of what each of your responsibilities will be. To help the process, create a basic scope of work for your contractors, this way your bids are competitive and Apples to Apples, many contractors have their own design ideas which would offset the pricing in the thousands of dollars, by creating a scope of work, you will receive bids that are competitive and relevant to the work that you would like performed.

We hope that these tips help you in making the right decision for your home or business.

6 REASONS TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTOR

Most homeowners think about renovations sooner or later. Unless you have good handle on home improvement, you’ll probably hire someone to do the work for you. That’s where things can get tricky. Who do you hire, and how do you know whether he’s reputable?

A professional contractor is always the right choice, and for many reasons. He’s licensed and insured, and he probably has a list of references that you can check. Because that’s not enough, here are 6 more reasons to go with a pro:

#1: Experience with Projects Like Yours

It’s true that there’s no other home quite like yours, but there are common threads among most renovation projects. For bathrooms, kitchens, home additions, and anything else that you might want, a professional contractor has years of experience working with the home systems and materials to do the job right.

#2: Professional Connections with Vendors

Every home project comes with a materials and supplies list, and that’s where a lot of your budget goes. If you work with a professional contractor, chances are he has connections that can save you money. A contractor may have vendor accounts with discounted pricing or he might get discounts because he buys from certain vendors fairly often. Either way, his savings is passed on to you, which means your budget can stretch more.

#3: Skills in Different Areas of Home Improvement

Along with experience comes expertise, and that’s something that can only be learned with time in the industry. A professional contractor has framed a wall, installed a subfloor, hung doors and windows and mounted kitchen cabinets in many other homes. He knows the pitfalls to watch out for, which tools and materials work best, and the right way to perform each aspect of your project.

#4: Safety That Protects You and Your Home

Safety is a top concern among all professional contractors. It means that a job is done right, and it also helps prevent injuries and property damage. A contractor knows the local and international code, and will obtain the right permits for the job. That means you can count on the work to be code compliant. He understands OSHA regulations, so he and his crew will maintain a safe work environment that doesn’t damage your home.

#5: Respect for Your Property

A big complaint with homeowners is when workers make a mess and then leave the mess once the work is done. Some track in dirt, leave lunch wrappers lying around, drop nails, leave sawdust and any number of other annoyances. Some of those annoyances can also be hazards. A professional contractor respects your home, and he never leaves a mess for you to clean up.

#6: Overall Money Savings

Aside from saving money on materials and supplies, there’s a bigger way that a professional contractor saves you money. A job well done is money well spent. But a job that’s half-done or one where the work is performed poorly can cost you double in the long run, once you factor in replacements and repairs. A contractor gets it right the first time. And if there’s a problem with his work, you’re not stuck footing the bill to correct it.

There aren’t any real reasons not to hire a professional contractor, but every aspect of your project is a reason why you should. You’ve spent time and energy, not to mention budgeting, to bring your home improvement dreams to life. Put it in the hands of a pro, and you won’t be disappointed.

Are you in the market for a contractor to handle your project? Contact ACR Pro Contractors by clicking below.