HELENA — With the first real taste of spring this last weekend many are opening their house or the shed for the first time and starting to think about spring cleaning.
When it comes to spring cleaning, there can be a lot that needs to be done, inside the house and out.
Mike Pfund, President of Diamond Products Incorporated, says they see a large increase in sales during the spring. When everyone is preparing for spring all around the house.
"We see a lot of people doing mainly hard surface cleaning this time of year. So it's floors, it's countertops, a lot of bathrooms as well," said Pfund.
Spring cleaning may also include cleaning out sheds and garages from over the winter season, but with that cleaning comes the danger of Hantavirus.
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents, who might have taken shelter in sheds or garages over the winter season, and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide.
Infection with any Hantavirus can produce Hantavirus disease in people. Early symptoms of Hantavirus include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches; especially in the large muscle groups.
Diamond Products shared advice on how to be safe while spring cleaning to avoid diseases.
"Any time that you intend to use a chemical cleaner, you've got to get the rough cleaning done first. So sweeping up and you know, any loose debris needs to come off the surface before you clean it. Getting into the shed and specifically with the hantavirus type of thing. Gloves, mask to protect your respiratory, some eye protection, and then go ahead and get in there and vacuum, sweep whatever you need to do. Then go in with the chemicals afterwards for the final cleaning," said Pfund.
When it comes to tidying things up, why do we wait until the spring? Pfund believes it's a way to feel fresh for the nice weather.
"You let the grime and grease build up, it just gets harder and harder to clean," said Pfund, "and I think for all of us, it just feels really good to just start fresh in the spring and get things nice and cleaned up."
