Although the COVID-19 stay-at-home order helps keep you safe, it can be challenging to practice proper social distancing if you live in an apartment building. Fortunately, there are certain steps you can take to enhance your safety and avoid germs. Here’s what you can do if you live in a high-rise community.

3 Ways to Avoid Germs

1. Delay Maintenance Requests

If something in your apartment malfunctions, determine if you can get away with delaying the repair. For example, a broken burner can be put off since you can use the remaining three. This prevents the need for having extra people in your home.

Urgent fixes, like a plumbing leak, can be addressed immediately. Call your landlord to keep contact to a minimal, and maintain social distancing guidelines when showing the handyman the issue. To keep your home as germ-free as possible, wear a face mask throughout the appointment, then disinfect any surfaces the professional touched.

2. Disinfect Shared Surfaces

Apartment buildings also have several surfaces that will be touched and shared by guests. This includes laundry machines and handrails. Keep antibacterial wipes in your purse or pocket, so they’re readily available whenever you enter or leave the building. If you don’t have wipes, attach a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer to your keys so that you can wash your hands after touching a shared surface.

3. Wear a Mask

Use a face mask whenever you walk through the building. The fabric will protect you from inhaling any germs lingering in the air. Additionally, wearing a mask will deter you from touching your face after interacting with communal surfaces, like elevator buttons and doorknobs. The covering also protects others because it reduces the number of germs an a-symptomatic person releases into the air.

If you want to live in a safe, clean apartment building, check out Kauhale Kaka'ako in Honolulu, HI. This high-rise community offers affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments that feature refrigerators and double kitchen sinks. As a resident, you’ll enjoy access to a central laundry facility, and on-site property manager to assist you with your needs. To find out how you can apply, visit the website or call (808) 593-9035.