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Real Estate Madison Park Times

Disinfecting your home if someone is sick

As part of your everyday prevention actions clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects. For example: tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles.

Wear disposable gloves to clean and disinfect.

Clean

• Clean surfaces using soap and water. Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

High touch surfaces include: Tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.

Disinfect

• Use diluted household bleach solutions if appropriate for the surface. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.

To make a bleach solution, mix:

• 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water

• 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

• Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol.

• Household cleaners and disinfectants: Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.

Follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product.

Many products recommend:

Keeping the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed.

Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.

Most EPA-registered household disinfectantsexternal icon should be effective.

Soft surfaces

For soft surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes

• Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.

• Launder items (if possible) according to the man facturer’s instructions.Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.

• Disinfect with an EPA-registered household disinfectant. These disinfectantsexternal icon meet EPA’s criteria for use against COVID-19.

Laundry

For clothing, towels, linens and other items

• Wear disposable gloves.

• Wash hands with soap and water as soon as you remove the gloves.

• Do not shake dirty laundry.

• Launder items according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.

• Dirty laundry from an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.

• Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above for surfaces.

Clean hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.

• Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with an ill person.

• Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not readily

My heart goes out to everyone in the Madison Park Times community of readers who have experienced hardship and terrible loss because of the coronavirus.

During this moment of disruption and uncertainty, please know that I am here to advise and guide you in making the most informed decisions about how this crisis may affect buying and selling real estate.

Sincere thanks go out to everyone working tirelessly to keep our community safe, especially medical professionals and first responders.

You and your family’s health and safety is my utmost concern in this difficult time.

We will get through this together. #allinseattle | allinseattle.org

Top Ways to Lighten Up Your Home Workspace

(StatePoint) Many people have found themselves working from home. Whether setting up shop at the kitchen table or creating a complete home office, here are simple hacks to make your new work environment comfortable and productive.

“No matter which room becomes your workspace, proper lighting plays a key role in avoiding fatigue, eye strain and other discomforts,” said Jennifer Kis, director of marketing communications, Progress Lighting.

Begin by defining your workspace. Setting up on the kitchen or dining table can work -- temporarily. The upside is that it’s quick and easy. But these rooms are typically high-traffic areas, leading to distractions. Plus, you might have to pack up work at mealtimes. Instead, re-purpose a small table and chair and place it in an out-of-the-way spot, such as a stairwell or bedroom corner.

Next, think about lighting. Layering light is a basic technique that should be used in every room, but especially home offices.

“Balance the lighting for different times of day. Natural light for day, layered light for afternoon and task lighting at night,” recommends Piper Stromatt, lead designer and partner for Curate Custom Homes. “There are three layers of light to consider: ambient or general light, task lighting and decorative or accent lighting.”

Select a location with a good source of ambient light. Natural light is ideal: it diffuses throughout the space, bouncing off walls and ceilings to cut down on glare that can reflect on the computer monitor and the shiny desk surface.

“When selecting ambient light sources, the goal is to illuminate the entire space without creating undue glare and contrast, which can lead to headaches and eye strain,” says Kis. “If possible, avoid using overhead ceiling fixtures as the primary source of lighting. If that’s the only option, use a dimmer switch to vary light levels as needed.”

Positioning your workspace correctly also helps. For rooms with natural light, place your desk perpendicular to the window, ideally facing north or south so that sunlight doesn’t cast shadows at certain times of the day. If an overhead fixture is the only light source, situate your workstation so that the light shines from behind it.

“Make sure your home office suits your performance under particular lighting conditions,” says Stromatt, who recommends the following tips:

• Don’t set your monitor in front of the window; the bright background light shining behind the screen causes eye strain.

• Place your chair at least arm’s length from the screen so that it can be seen without reading glasses or squinting.

• Add LED tape lighting behind your monitor or under a desk for diffused light.

• Use solar shades to soften lighting and lessen heat.

After setting up a glare-free workstation, add task lighting. Use dedicated light sources such as desk lamps for tasks like paperwork and filing. Place direct task lights on the opposite side of the hand you write with to avoid casting shadows onto your work.

Finally, add accent lighting for visual appeal. Frame your workspace with desk lamps or install a permanent fixture on a dimmer switch, such as a pendant hung directly over the desk. Wall sconces can throw light on decorative objects in the room.

For more home tips and lighting inspiration, visit Progress Lighting at www.progressltg.com/shop.

Lighting can make or break a home office. Be sure to set yourself up for maximum productivity and comfort.

Managing Screen Time While Kids Are Home From School

(StatePoint) With many kids out of school and spending more time at home, finding ways to fill the time is essential. As most parents know, it can be tempting to allow children to pass some of the extra hours using digital devices, however, research shows that managing screen time is vital for developing minds.

When used in moderation and under parental supervision, devices of course can be incredibly powerful learning and communication tools, and in many cases, they will be vital to kids’ continued academic progress while campuses are closed. However, people aren’t meant to spend all their time in front of screens, especially kids. Excessive screen time can lead to:

• Impaired mental and physical well-being.

• A loss of quality sleep.

• Impeded impulse control -- for kids, impulse control is already hard enough!

• Poor communication skills (nonverbal cues are learned in face-to-face interaction, not through device-to-device communication).

• Addictive behaviors, and even violent tendencies.

• Vision problems.

• An increased risk of obesity.

With all that said, here are a few ways to manage your children’s screen time:

• Create a routine. Post a schedule each morning in a place that’s easy for kids to see. Include such items as doing chores, reading books, practicing an instrument, creating

artwork, playing in the backyard and any other activity that will help ensure chunks of the day are spent away from screens doing something productive.

• Talk. Be extra proactive about starting conversations with your kids. Check in with them about progress on assigned homework. Ask them how they are feeling. Children are used to being surrounded by fellow students and teachers all day, so be sure to give them opportunities to practice social skills.

• Use tech tools. Every parent knows the struggle of limiting device use. But new tech tools can help you make rules that stick. One such tool is a parental control app called OurPact. To start, parents sign up for a free account.

After pairing their child’s devices, they’re able to manage them remotely through at-a-touch blocking or automated schedules. Customizable, flexible and easy to use, it’s great for setting bedtime schedules, ensuring devices are being used safely and properly, and enjoying ping-free family meals. It works on Wi-Fi and all cellular connections, meaning you can manage access all the time. To learn more or download, visit OurPact.com.

You may be spending more time together as a family these days, which makes this a key opportunity to be a good role model when it comes to proper device use. For example, if you don’t want your child to use their device in the middle of dinner, hold yourself to the same rule.

PROVEN RESULTS

bove all, I hope you are staying healthy and safe. Obviously, we find ourselves as a city and nation in uncharted territory. As one of your trusted advisors, I believe it is our role and responsibility, during this time, to prioritize protecting the health and well-being of our community, and to play a constructive role in supporting the efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus. That being said, even with the disruption in the market, we are seeing active buyers continue to value and pursue homes in this special community, there is still demand and supply is low. If you’re considering making a move, I’d love to discuss recommended steps we can take to accomplish your goals in these trying times.

RSIR ranks amongst the largest, most productive and fastestgrowing real estate companies in Washington with access to 22,700 brokers in 72 countries that generate US sales of $100 billion+ annually.

WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING

There simply are no words to adequately describe how exceedingly professional, knowledgeable, experienced and skilled Laura Halliday is as a real estate professional. She has utmost integrity, provides wise guidance through even the most complicated real estate transactions, and if she were a therapist, I'd recommend her for that, too! You will be eternally grateful for her expertise.

Sotheby’s auction house presents A Collection of a Lifetime: Chanel Online, a sale of the finest examples of fashion from one of the world’s most coveted brands.

- Gloria Baldino

DISINFECTING, Page 4

available and hands are not visibly dirty, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.

• Additional key times to clean hands include:

• After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing

• After using the restroom

• Before eating or preparing food

• After contact with animals or pets

• Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g. a child) Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Food

• Stay separated: The ill person should eat (or be fed) in their room if possible.

• Wash dishes and utensils using gloves and hot

water: Handle any non-disposable used food service items with gloves and wash with hot water or in a dishwasher.

Clean hands after handling used food service items.

Trash

• Dedicated, lined trash can: If possible, dedicate a lined trash can for the ill person.Use gloves when removing garbage bags, and handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands afterwards.

Visit www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-ndisinfectants-use-againstsars-cov-2 to find the current list of products that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.

For the latest updates from the CDC about Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19) please go to www.cdc.gov/