Did Santa bring more than presents to your home this season? If a cold or flu made its way down the chimney (or through your front door), your holiday might have been a little less than ideal. Instead of sipping hot cocoa and enjoying your Christmas gifts, once your  family and friends went home you were left with coughing, aches, and not enough tissues. Sanitizing after Santa (or your sniffling out of town guests) is important as it will not only protect your remaining family from whatever germs came into your house, but it will also kick the germs to the curb faster and help you get well. So where should you focus on cleaning, and how should you do it?

Bedrooms. Did your holiday guests come into town with a touch of a cold that quickly turned into a full-blown flu before they left? Have your kids been coughing since Christmas Eve? Taking time to sanitize the bedrooms in your house is important in keeping your home healthy! Wash all bed linens on hot wash if possible, and spray down mattresses, mattress toppers, drapes, and other fabric surfaces that can't be washed with a disinfectant of your choice. Wipe down hard surfaces like bedside tables, headboards, tv remotes, curtain and blind cords/rods, light switches, doorknobs, etc. Pretty much any surface that could have been touched should be sanitized. Finally, open windows for a while if you can to air out the room, and vacuum the space with a HEPA filter to take care of any remaining particles.

Bathrooms. Much like the bedroom, all hard surfaces should be cleaned with sanitizing wipes or cleaners, and don't forget inside the shower or tub! In addition, steam mopping or mopping the floor with an antibacterial cleaner is a good way to take care of any residual viruses hanging around and give you a fresh start to work with.

Extras! Do you keep throws and blankets on chairs and sofas around your home? Wash those for sure! Television remotes are a major hot spot for germs, so cleaning them thoroughly is key when sanitizing after a bout of sickness has hit your household. Other commonly used items that should be thoroughly cleaned include: 

• cell phones 

• the handle on the refrigerator and/or freezer! 

• toothbrushes 

• makeup brushes and hairbrushes

• car keys

Don't forget handy shortcuts that make the cleaning process easier! Most dishwashers for example are equipped with a sanitizing function. Running dishes, or even certain toys, on this function can disinfect them quickly without the need for chemicals!  

If Santa also left evidence of his visit on your roof, leave that to us! We provide the greater Polk County community with roof repair and replacement services. Voted “Best of the Best” in Polk County, we are the top choice for home and business owners when their roof needs some TLC from the pros who know how to get it done right the first time. Our business is built on honesty and integrity. Call us for your estimate!

Happy New Year from EZ Roofing Systems!

Christmas is just a few weeks away, and as the holiday crunch sets in, it's easy to get stressed and overwhelmed instead of enjoying the season. While you can't just sit back and relax when you're the one responsible for pulling off the Yuletide traditions in your family, there are some hacks and shortcuts that can make this time of year easier to manage and more enjoyable for everyone, including you! Try these ideas as you plan and participate in holiday events in the coming days:

• Make a Christmas bucket list. Kids naturally want to do everything Christmas if they're given the opportunity, but when you fill up every date on the calendar and still have to find time to deck the halls, prepare food, shop for gifts, and do all the wrapping, the season loses some of its magic. Instead, give your kids (even teens!) the opportunity to share their favorite one or two Christmas events/traditions that they'd like to see on the family calendar. Local parades, parties, gingerbread house decorating as a family, visiting favorite Christmas spots, etc. are all fair game for the list, and it can easily be tailored to fit your family's own specific needs. By having each person contribute a limited number of events, and by seeing which events overlap among your family, it's easier to manage your holiday calendar and make sure everyone gets to celebrate without you being stressed out by Christmas Eve.

• It's ok to take shortcuts. Not everything holiday has to be made from scratch, perfectly Pinterest, or Instagram worthy. Taking shortcuts like using premade dough for Christmas cookies, ordering the holiday ham from a local restaurant, or asking family members to bring potluck sides to take off some of the load is perfectly fine, and will make the holiday happier for everyone since you'll be in a better mood and able to enjoy the fun.

• Turn a chore into a party! Putting up Christmas lights alone can feel like a drudgery...unless you make it a neighborhood event! Hot chocolate served in the driveway, Christmas carols playing, and everyone out in their yards at the same time is a wonderful way to make a chore into something fun! In the same way, "wrapping parties" are a popular way to make gift wrapping an enjoyable experience for groups of friends. Everyone contributes a few rolls of paper, BYO ribbons and tags (and a bottle of wine or a fun holiday drink) and can enjoy chatting with friends, watching a Christmas movie, or listening to tunes while they knocked out that pile of gifts for their family and friends.

We hope these tips will help you soak up the season and make memories this Christmas. EZ Roofing Systems encourages you to take time to appreciate the small things this year, and put aside some of the busyness to cherish memories with the ones you love most. All of us at EZ Roofing Systems send our wishes for a joyful and peaceful Christmas to you and yours.

With just a little over a week left until Valentine's Day, many of us are busy making preparations for showing the ones we love just how much we care. It's no secret though that this year's holiday looks different than years past. No crowded restaurants, no big parties, no surprise cruises or last-minute vacations and no large-scale community events will be making their way onto the calendar. However, the reason for the day still rings true, and it's a good reminder that love isn't something you buy, but rather, something you show...and you can show it in SO many ways.

Here are some fun ways you can celebrate (safely) with the ones you care about most this holiday, whether it's your sweetheart, your kids, or someone else that's special in your life:

• Do a "ding-dong and dash" surprise! This could be dropping off dinner, a homemade valentine card, a special dessert, or a bouquet of roses, but the idea is to ring the doorbell, and run away quickly after leaving the surprise at the recipient's front door. This is a fun way to show your love to an aging parent or loved one stuck at home, or to surprise someone who is currently in quarantine and can't celebrate the way they usually would.

• Classic candy and cards...with a twist! While we all remember exchanging homemade valentine's and treats with our classmates, teachers, or coworkers in years past, this year the tradition might need a little tweaking. Instead of homemade goodies that could seem risky to some people, opt for store-bought candies or treats that are safely and individually wrapped. Put plenty of extra effort into your homemade card to give it the unique and special element that the treat will be missing this holiday!

• Make early reservations, or enjoy a candlelight dinner at home. Restaurant reservations will fill more quickly than usual this year since most dining spaces are operating at limited capacity. Reserve your table as soon as possible, or make plans for a romantic dinner with candles for your sweetie at home. A simple setup on your own patio makes it feel more special than eating at the kitchen table, and if you add in takeout from their favorite place and a decadent dessert, they're sure to be just as happy as they would be in a 5-star local eatery!

• Give back! Showing love to others is one of the best ways you can celebrate the holiday of love. Many community charities are in need right now, and donating to a local food pantry or shelter, or volunteering your time and energy (if you feel safe to do so) is a wonderful way to love those around you and bring yourself tons of joy in the process.

EZ Roofing Systems is proud to be part of the Polk County community, and we can’t think of a better place to live and love. While many of our holidays and traditions have looked different over the last year, we know that our resilient and resourceful friends, neighbors, and clients always find a way to celebrate the love and joy behind each holiday in whatever ways they can. We hope these tips and tricks will make Valentine’s Day 2021 just a little bit brighter for you, your family, and those around you!