Lifestyle

It can be hard to control the cleanliness of what we touch outside our homes, such as on public transport or common surfaces in the shops we visit. However, we can take some steps to protect our family from COVID-19 and other germs within our homes. Here are three simple tips to get us started!

Clean and disinfect the commonly touched surfaces in the home

As seen on most reports, the COVID-19 virus transmits when people breathe in air contaminated by droplets and small airborne particles. Although commonly touched surfaces aren’t considered the common way to get infected, it is good to clean these surfaces to reduce the spread of germs. High-traffic surfaces include our doorknobs, light switches, dining table and countertops. We can simply use a household detergent and water to clean these areas.

As for those highly used areas such as the bathroom, it would be good to clean the toilet and sink areas frequently. You should also remember to use different cleaning clothes on these areas so that the germs do not cross-contaminate. If you are using sprays, do read the directions on how to use them, as some would need to stay wet on the surface for several minutes to be effective.

Keep your home clutter-free 

As the infection rates increase, we recommend staying home more often. Being in a large, crowded area might pose unnecessary risks to your family, especially to kids and older members. As we spend more time at home, it would be good if we declutter our living areas to have cleaner air and more space to move around. Families can start their decluttering process by throwing away items that are not functioning or donating items that are still working well but hardly used. This will help to free up some space in the home.

If you live in a space where the space is limited, you can also try renting a self-storage unit where you can store your seasonal or festive items and those hardly used items. Storage providers such as Extra Space Asia offers a wide range of storage sizes to accommodate the various storage needs. These storage units are also accessible 24 hours, any time, any day. To find out more about Extra Space Asia storage solutions, you can contact them at 3974 6000.

Ensure that your home is well ventilated

Did you know that when you have proper indoor air quality, it can help maintain good health and comfort levels in your home? Thus, it’s important to find ways to improve ventilation or airflow in your home to prevent virus particles from accumulating in the air in the home. If it is safe to do so, you should open doors and windows as much as possible to bring in fresh outdoor air. We can also use fans to move virus particles in the air from inside your home to outside. You should also limit the number of visitors in your home and time spent inside during this time.

Besides keeping our homes clean, it is also important to maintain our personal hygiene, such as washing our hands regularly, wearing our masks, and keeping a safe distance from one another, especially in crowded areas.

With Chinese New Year right around the corner, most people are planning to start their spring cleaning activities to welcome the lunar New Year. If you still have not started your CNY spring cleaning, here are three spring cleaning hacks to speed up the cleaning process.

Create a cleaning plan

Never start without a plan. If you are short of time, gather your family and divide the workload to cover different parts of the home. Each family member can clean and handle their personal room for a start. For common areas such as the living room and kitchen, each family member can handle any one of these cleaning objectives: decluttering, mopping, and vacuuming. They can also plan to do it on different days of the week when they are free.

With a cleaning plan and schedule, you will also know who is in charge and how much time is required. This strategy will help reduce the time needed to figure out who and what to do, especially if you are short of time.

Seek professional help

Really busy (or too lazy) to do the cleaning yourself? Don’t fret. You can always seek professional help. There are many part-time cleaners that you can engage in Singapore. Just check out companies such as Lazy, Toby, Helper Choice etc., who will provide professionally trained housekeepers at an affordable cost starting from HK$85/hour.

Declutter and organise your home

Planning for your small reunion dinner or gathering at home this year? Start decluttering your home so that your loved ones can enjoy more space. It might also be a good time to recycle or donate items of good condition to people or organisations in need, so you can also share the blessings with them while making more room at home.

For individuals or families who are looking to store their seasonal or festive items and hardly used furniture sets, you can also rent a self-storage unit to store all of these items. These self-storage units can come in handy as they are like an extension of your home space which you can access 24 hours, any time, any day.

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Miss having a casual chit chat with your coworkers in the office? We totally get that feeling! However, with the ongoing COVID situation, working from home will definitely remain the default option for most organisations to keep everyone safe. In this case, why not find ways to make your work-from-home (WFH) more joyful during this pandemic?

Here are 3 tips for you!

1. Give yourself a break

Unlike working in the office when lunchtime is determined by when your colleagues eat, there is no fixed timing (read: milestones of the day) when you are working from home. Time can become unclear, and you might even miss those meal breaks altogether. As such, remember to give yourself a break of at least an hour to eat your meals peacefully away from your workstation. You can order food in advance and eat it when they are hot. Intentional breaks will make your day better, and you can avoid suffering burnout too, which is quite common when people start working from home. Remember to also not overwork as we know it is hard to know when the workday ends. Give yourself a break when you need it cause only you know your body best!

2.Upgrade your home office setup

In the initial stages of working from home, some of us might think that this is a short-term plan. However, as time passes, WFH has become a common default arrangement. When we’re in the office, we probably have an ergonomic chair and a proper workstation. But at home, most of us would just settle for a kitchen table and basic chair or even stool. Why not give yourself some upgrades to improve your work efficiency but also bring overall benefits to your health? These upgrades can include an ergonomic office chair and laptop stands, tech upgrades like a wireless mouse and a good desktop monitor. Another benefit of WFH is the flexibility of choosing where to work in your home, so try testing different spots in your home to find the best place to work. Your body will definitely thank you over time.

3. Create a comfortable home space

When you WFH, it can become common to spend a good 24 hours at home. As such, consider creating a comfortable home space where you can work and rest. Start by decluttering your home and throw or donate items that you no longer require. If you have bulky items or even seasonal items that take up a lot of space at home, you can also try storing them in storage facilities like Extra Space Asia Self Storage and enjoy more space at home.

By storing your items in a self-storage unit, you will still be able to enjoy 24 hours access to your items any time and any day. You can also use the storage unit for your family, personal and even business storage purpose. Click here to find out more about Extra Space Asia Self-Storage.

After you are done with decluttering, you can also try spicing up your home with a new wallpaper or buying some green plants to add some new colours to your home space. Hopefully, with these new additions, it will be more joyful for you to work at home.

When you have children at home, expect toys, books and knick-knacks scattered all over the floor. We know this mess can be frustrating to look at. But it does not have to be that way. Here are 3 smart ways for all parents to try today!

1. Make use of storage boxes

One affordable way to organise all of our kid’s toys, books and miscellaneous items is to use storage boxes. Parents can instantly make a room look more orderly and clean by storing all of these items in different storage boxes and labelling them.

Parents can also explore the option of using transparent storage boxes, so that they can see the contents inside easily without opening each and every box to find something. It will also be good to have different sizes of boxes so that every item in the room has a dedicated storage space. For even more space, you can also think about adding furniture with clever built-in storage compartments.

2. Involve your kids

Good habits start young. It is never too early to introduce and instil good healthy habits in our children. So, encourage them to clean up their toys after playtime. We can start by organising the items in their room properly so that they get accustomed to seeing things in an orderly and organised manner. Once they are older, they can be a part of your small cleaning and home projects. By building all of these good habits regularly, our children will soon learn and make an effort to keep their items and room organised.

3. Explore the KonMari Method

Parents can try the KonMari method, Marie Kondo’s minimalist-inspired approach to tackle your items by category instead of by room. This method begins with tidying our clothes, then moving on to books, papers, miscellaneous items and finally sentimental items. We should only keep items that speak to the heart and discard those that no longer spark joy in our life. We can thank these items for being in our lives and then let them go.

By utilising the KonMari method, it will also help to organise every aspect of the kid’s room. This will also allow our kids to let go of stuff that they don’t require. If the items are still in good condition, we can choose to donate and pass it on to people who would find them useful. Through this process, we can also educate our children about the benefits of decluttering, where we are giving their items a new home and not just getting rid of it. We understand that the process of decluttering and organising a room takes loads of time and effort. However, if the end result is a clean and organised room for children to play, study and sleep in, it will definitely be rewarding.

With these 3 smart tips, you can say goodbye to the stress and frustration when organising your kid’s bedroom. If you are planning to make even more space at home to live in comfortably, you can always consider storing those hardly used items or seasonal items in a self-storage facility like Extra Space Asia. Call us at 3974 6000 today to find out more about the various storage plans.

New Year, new me. That’s what many of us say on the first day of a brand new year. But instead of just a ‘new me’, why not include changing up your home situation for the better too? With many of us still working from home, our homes have become a place where we live for more than 12 hours a day. So it’s definitely important that we find simple ways to keep our home clean and organised. We’ve come up with these 3 simple ways which can be applied any day and any time.

1. Tackle one room at a time

Most of our homes will include more than one room on top of the living room space. This means that you’d definitely need more time and effort to clean up every inch and corner of your home if you were to tackle it all at once. The easier (and forgiving) way would be to clean up room by room. You can always start with the messiest room or the room where you spend most of your time in. Start from the floor space, followed by your closet or your table. By combing these space section by section, you can start finding pockets of space.

You should also find time on a daily or weekly basis to do some personal hygiene tasks such as vacuuming and mopping your floor, changing your bedsheets and curtains, cleaning the surfaces that you often use like your desktop or vanity top to ensure that they are clean with minimal dust accumulation.

2. Remove messy corners

We all have that one messy corner in our home where we would just happily leave our items there, and watch it slowly start to pile up like a mountain. Instead of that, consider clearing and wiping up the mess way before it starts to clutter. You can start by clearing up the current messy corner and make use of storage boxes to hold your small knick-knacks.

Try buying the same type of storage boxes so that if you need to stack them up in your room, it’ll be more consistent and organised looking too. You can also purchase transparent storage boxes instead of those opaque ones so that you’ll be able to find your items much easier over time without the hassle of opening each container. You should also place small labels on each storage boxes so that you can categorise them easier. Also, consider stacking the items from top to bottom according to how often you use the items. This will save you time and effort in future should you need to use the items.

3. Declutter your room

In need of extra space to grow your personal collection, work comfortably and for your kids to play? Start your decluttering your home by first removing items which are hardly used. Once you’ve cleared these items either by throwing or donating them, you’ll be able to enjoy more space at home. With these newfound space, you’ll also be able to move furniture around to create a new vibe for your home. However, if after clearing up those unwanted items, you’re still in need of extra space for business or personal reasons, you can explore the idea of storing the bigger bulky items, seasonal items and even business items in a self-storage facility.

By storing in a self-storage facility such as Extra Space Asia, you’ll still be able to retrieve these items any time, any day as your storage unit is accessible 24/7. You can also contact the mini storage provider today at 3974 6000  to find out more about their various storage solutions for both personal and business use.

As we approach the holiday season, many of us would be busy preparing our home for the festivities. Despite the ongoing safe distancing measures, we can still find ways to bask in the joy of the holidays. If you’re planning to host your family and friends at home, here are 3 steps to guide you through your prep.

1. Declutter and clean up your home

Your first step is to clean up and declutter your living space. By going through the decluttering process, you might also be able to create extra space for your gathering sessions to sit and chill. You can start this process with your living room, dining area and kitchen as these will be the main gathering areas. Take this opportunity to go through your closets and cupboards and throw or donate items that you no longer need.

If you’re in need of more space at home, you can also explore the option of storing your personal collection, family items or even home furnishing and festive items that you hardly use in a storage unit. Storage providers such as Extra Space Asia Self Storage provides flexible storage terms where you can store as short as 14 days to as long as you need. They also have a wide range of storage sizes to choose from, so you’ll only be paying for the storage space you need.

2. Clear before stocking up your fridge

Before you stock up your fridge with party essentials, clear all the expired and soon-to-expire items to make more space. For the leftover items, place them in different clear containers so that they will look more organised in your fridge. You’ll also have a clearer idea of what you have at a glance. Use baking soda and water to clean and remove any stains in your fridge. Simply sprinkle some baking soda onto a damp sponge to wipe your entire fridge. To further improve your fridge efficiency, you can also try to organise and reduce the amount of items on the top shelf and try to cool the hot food items before placing them in your fridge.

Once these are done, your fridge will start to look more presentable for your guests. You’ll also have more space to stock up on seasonal goodies.

3. Spruce up the main guest area with decorations

The festive season is the time for you to flaunt all your decorations at home. Once you’re done with the decluttering process, you’ll be able to find pockets of space for your festive decorations and Christmas tree. Remember to prepare supplies such as table cloths, foodwares, dining sets, wine glasses to set the mood for Christmas feast.

Here’s a bonus home tip: before your guests arrive, light up some scented candles and put out small plants to purify the air. Home plants will also help to add some colours to your home.

We understand that festive celebration this year might be different due to all the safe distancing measures. However, festive and holiday seasons are also made for heart-warming get-togethers with our family and loved ones. Therefore, it’s always nice to find ways to celebrate Christmas and the festive season with them.

2020 has definitely proven to be a year of changes. Due to the ongoing Covid-19, many of us have been experiencing changes in the way we live and work. During this period, a lot of us have been working from home for months due to office closure and safe distancing measures. While some might be enjoying a comfortable working life at home, some might still be scrambling to set up the perfect permanent home office.

Here are some small home office upgrades ideas that may not only improve your overall efficiency but also bring benefits to help your body feel better.

1. Furniture upgrade for your home office

Image credit: Herman Miller, IKEA

Lack of a dedicated home office space? Don’t worry, you can still have a productive setup with the following furniture. Your body will definitely thank you for adding these essentials to your workstation.

• Ergonomic office chair: This will be a perfect addition to give your back some love. Walking around and stretching only provides temporary relief. A comfy ergonomic chair can minimise backaches and also help you focus better.
• A sit/stand desk: If you’re experiencing aches from sitting too long, you can always give standing desks a try. Some perks of standing desk include a lower risk of weight gain, reduced back pain and improved energy levels. You can also purchase a 2-in-1 stand/sit table from IKEA that comes with adjustable heights based on your preferences.

2. Tech upgrades that every home office needs

Now that you’ve the perfect chair and desk for your home office, you’d need some tech upgrades on top of a good stable Wi-Fi too. Having the right tech tools on hand can definitely help you to increase your productivity while working from home. With this in mind, here are some tech upgrades you can try.

• Ergonomic wireless mouse and keyboard: With these wireless tech gadgets, you’ll be able to move around your workstation comfortably and even work from anywhere around your home.
• Earbuds and headphones: Working from home can be distracting. By using noise-cancelling earbuds, it can help to drown out unwanted noises at home. This will also be useful for meeting sessions too.

3. Home interior upgrades for a refreshing new look

Now that you’ll be spending a large part of your life at home, why not make some small changes to your existing home environment to spice things up? By having a small home makeover, it’ll give your home a new lease of life at a fraction of the cost.

Here are some ideas to upgrade your home interior vibe:

• Changing your wall colours: By giving your wall a fresh new coat of paint, not only will it give your home a different feel, but it can also add a new layer of protection from moisture. You’ll also be able to have a nice clean wall as your conference calls background.
• Decluttering your home: Throw or donate items that you don’t need anymore. This will help to free up space in your home for you to move around and work too. Decluttering your home can also help reduce stress and anxiety.
• Renting a self-storage to store your items: A self-storage is like an extension of your living space where you can store and retrieve your business inventory, family items and even seasonal items anytime, any day, 24/7. With a mini storage unit in Hong Kong, you’ll be able to free up some space at home. It can also be a temporary storage solution for those who are planning to do some home renovation.

If you’d like to learn more about how self-storage can help you and your family, you can always contact Extra Space Asia Self-Storage at 3974 6000. Feel free to also visit our storage facilities to check out our storage services and the various storage unit sizes that we offer.

A clean home can definitely improve our wellbeing after a long day of work or school. Did you know there are plenty of benefits for maintaining a clean home such as having better health, lesser stress and also providing conducive environment for those who work or study at home? We know that it can take a lot of effort and time to keep our home clean. So, here are 3 simple tips you can try right now!

1. Having good personal hygiene

Personal hygiene is how we take care of our body, and it is definitely never too early to start teaching the basics of cleanliness. We can always start educating our children with good personal hygiene habits with a simple routine like washing our hands with soap, cleaning up after using something and also making our bed when we wake up. These routines can help start healthy habits, and they will naturally adopt them over time.

2. House Cleaning Schedule

Coming up with a house cleaning schedule should not take so much time away from your family or personal time. Streamline your house cleaning chores to be done on a daily or weekly basis. By introducing this batching routine, you will also have a clear idea of what needs to be done, and share the cleaning load with your family members if needed.

For daily chores, a simple checklist may look like this:

• Make our beds
• Clean up our dirty dishes
• Clean and wash the coffee maker
• Wipe our dining tables or kitchen counters after use
• Laundry when required

As for weekly household chores, consider including the following tasks:

• Vacuum and mop the floors
• Discard expired food
• Dust furniture
• Clean the microwave
• Change bedding when required

The list will differ according to our household needs. The perks of having a house cleaning schedule are that all cleaning chores can be evenly distributed among our family members. In this case, it would not take too much time and effort for one to tackle the chores, and this daily upkeep will also minimise the overall workload come spring cleaning season.

3. Decluttering Spaces at Home

Did you know that living in a clean and organised space improves overall productivity? That is because the clean environment can help to improve the indoor air quality, allowing you to sleep better, and reduce the chances of family members getting sick.

If you are intending to incorporate the idea of a home office to your existing home, decluttering can be a good start to make extra space for the new home office. We can all start by throwing, donating and selling. If you have items such as memorabilia, big bulky furniture and seasonal items that you do not need now, consider renting an affordable and reliable storage space.

By renting self-storage unit at Extra Space Asia, you can enjoy extra space, and also be able to retrieve your items any time when needed. Benefits of renting a storage unit also include the flexibility to change your storage unit size at any time. This means if you need to bring in more business inventory for your growing home business, you can upsize your storage unit. Don’t need that much space anymore? Simply downsize!

Should you have any storage questions, feel free to visit any of our Extra Space Asia storage facilities or call us!

Unsure how much space your business inventory require? Don’t fret, with our Warehouse Storage at Hung Hom, you will only be paying for the space you use. PM us today to find out more!

With the current outbreak of the Coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, many private enterprises, companies and civil servants have adopted the idea of “working from home” or splitting offices to reduce the number of employees in the workplace over a prolonged duration. This flexible workplace idea is largely also an emergency ‘social distancing’ measure that may significantly help to minimise the number of people being affected. However, most of us might not be used to this working arrangement. Worry not! Here are 3 tips to help you stay productive at home.

1. Establish Constant Communication

With everyone working from home, it can be challenging to communicate with your teammate immediately. In this case, companies and departments can explore the option of setting up video chats and phone calls with the relevant teammate on a regular basis during office hours. Another solution that organisations can try would be establishing teleconferencing and collaboration tools that can help teams to be more productive. These tools include the following free applications that are available on android, iOS, Mac and Windows:

1. Slack: A collaboration tool where you can send direct message and files to a group or user. You can also easily create a voice and video calls too.
2. Trello: An online corkboard where you can organize the “cards” into different lists so everyone on your team can be updated on your work progress.
3. G-Suite: Connect and access all files and documents instantly wherever you are. All your colleagues can also create documents on-the-go, and everyone will be able to see the updated docs on Google Drive too.

2. Find your Work-life balance

Trying to squeeze everything into just 24 hours is hard! In addition, most of us could be quite new to the idea of working from home and would find it hard to work for a straight 8 hours at home, like in our office environment. In this case, you need a clear plan.

With applications like G-suite’s calendar application, it allows all to see everyone’s schedule without calling or messaging. It can also clearly state all the meeting details and time that one has to take note. Considering all of these important timings, start planning your other workload around it with the idea of time-blocking and also including small breaks in between. This can help one to stay productive and not burnt out while working from home. You can also share the list with your team members to get their inputs if they need some projects to be cleared on that day.

With so much time spent at home during the outbreak of Coronavirus, we should all still strive to achieve a work-life balance and to also stay mentally and physically healthy.

3. Declutter Your Space

Living in a tidy and organised space allows you to be more productive while you work from home. By having a clean home, it would also look good and professional when you are having a video teleconference with your teammates or clients.

Did you know by organising and keeping your home orderly and decluttered, it provides you with a space to focus and be more productive too? Especially during this Covid-19 outbreak situation, having a clean space helps you improve the overall indoor air quality, sleep better and reduce the chances of getting sick. Here are more ways to keep your home clean.

During this period, if you need a storage space to store all those hardly used items or big bulky boxes of personal and family items, come store them all at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage! By storing your items in a self-storage unit, you will be able to enjoy extra space to work and rest. After all the decluttering, it would also be much easier for you to clean, vacuum and sanitize all surfaces at home when necessary.

On top of keeping our home clean and organised, it is also important that we practice social responsibility during this crucial period. This includes observing good personal hygiene, monitoring our own health conditions and staying at home to rest if unwell. Please see a doctor if you have fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. We should also practice and maintain social distancing of at least 1-2 metre between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Social distancing reduces transmission of the Covid-19 virus effectively and lessen the impact on the already stretched healthcare services. We should abide to social distancing especially at public spaces like our offices, hawker centers, supermarkets, shopping malls etc. where the flow of people tend to be higher.

Lastly, we hope that everyone will continue to stay safe and healthy. Please also be kind and support one another during this Covid-19 period.