How to Make Space for Quarantine Guests in Your Home
How to Make Space for Quarantine Guests in Your Home
Ever since the pandemic broke out, many health experts around the globe have emphasised the need for social distancing. With strict quarantine measures in place, inviting guests into one’s home is highly discouraged to prevent the virus from spreading. But there are instances where your friend or your loved one may need to visit you personally. In these situations, how do you accommodate your guests without breaking social distancing measures? We’ve compiled some of the best practices on how you can make space for quarantine guests.
Maximise the use of space
The most important thing to keep in mind when welcoming quarantine guests is to practice as much physical distancing as possible. Ideally, you and your guest should be an arms-length or two away from each other and maintain this distance throughout their entire visit. To do this, you will need to prepare each room inside your home to observe proper social distancing measures. Consider making these minor adjustments prior to your guest’s arrival.
- Living room
The living room is where your guest will spend the majority of their time. The goal here is to arrange furniture in a way that’s spacious enough to maintain conversations. If you have a sectional sofa, you can arrange the couches 4-6 feet away from each other. Anything more than that and you and your guest will have a hard time conversating. If you have clear plastic in your home, you can use it to cover up the sofa, the table, and the rest of the furniture your guest is likely to come into contact with.
- Kitchen
It can be easy to overlook the kitchen when you’re expecting a quarantine guest. Truth be told, you don’t have to make any significant changes to the kitchen other than the seating arrangement. Make sure your guest is far enough to observe proper social distancing measures while eating. Just like you would in the living room, you can grab a clear plastic and lay it on top of the table prior to eating lunch or dinner. You can also cover up the chair your guest will be using and dispose of the plastic afterwards.
- Bathroom
When it comes to the bathroom, you want to make sure that all of your hygiene products (i.e. toothbrush, shaver, and soap) are stashed inside the cabinet. Clear the sink of any non-essential items and limit the number of touchpoints to reduce germ exposure. Aside from that, there’s really not much you can do unless you have a dedicated guest bathroom in your home. Have a bottle of hand sanitiser ready so your guest can sanitise their hands after using the bathroom.
- Bedroom
If for some reason your guest needs to stay the night, then it’s best to reserve a special bedroom just for them. Prepare the bedroom by replacing the bed sheets and the pillow covers with new ones. Make sure to remove any personal items and belongings to give your guest as much space as possible. Don’t forget to remove all of the bed linen the next morning and wash them afterwards to limit your exposure to germs.
Freeing up more space
There are plenty of considerations when getting ready for your quarantine guest and one of those is storage. You want to give yourself plenty of breathing room to accommodate your guest and this starts with decluttering. Consider items that you don’t necessarily need and keep them inside the storage area or garage. The less clutter you have, the more space there is to make adjustments and move furniture around. Donating old books, clothing, and non-essentials is a meaningful way of eliminating, especially in situations like this.
Not every home has the luxury of a spacious interior. For homeowners who are tight on space, using collapsible furniture like tables and chairs are great life-savers for modest city living. Another form of storage you can take advantage of is shelving. From small floating shelves to large wall shelves, you’ll find them as efficient space savers for when you’re accommodating quarantine guests.
If you’re really struggling with storage space, then you may want to consider secure storage in Perth. Renting a self-storage unit is one of the best ways to free up much-needed real estate inside your home and this can prove useful in situations where you’re really lacking in space (i.e. a small home or apartment). Whether it be storing a few boxes or a bunch of large furniture, a storage unit is a safe and reliable means of storing your belongings
Self-storage units come in a wide range of sizes and you’re sure to find one that best fits your needs. You can rent the units for both the short-term or the long-term so you have full control over how long you want to store your belongings. These are just some examples of how beneficial self-storage can be for homeowners with rather limited storage options.
A lot goes into preparing your home when expecting a quarantine guest. Freeing up more space, arranging the furniture, and preparing each room is critical to ensure both parties are safe and protected during the entire visit. Make sure to follow these tips to comfortably accommodate your visitors without breaking social distancing measures.