AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Throughout the pandemic, people and businesses have had to significantly increase cleaning efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID.
But now that things are starting to return to normal in Michigan, are those extra hand sanitizing stations and frequent hand-washing practices here to stay? Has the pandemic changed how we look at germs forever?
Auburn Hills company Stratus Building Solutions -- who provides cleaning and disinfecting services for commercial clients -- wanted to find out, so they conducted a survey among their clients. According to company owner Jeff Kelosky, the survey found that 89% of people are more conscious of germs than they were before the pandemic.
“It’s not just COVID-19. In the survey, there was 86% of people concerned about the workplace, about going to retail stores, going to the grocery store,” Kelosky said. “But it’s not just for COVID-19 -- it’s for cold and flu season, as well. It’s changing our personal hygiene habits in a much greater way.”
Related: 7 dirtiest places in your home -- and how to clean them the right way
In the survey, 83% of respondents said the following habits picked up during the pandemic are here to stay:
- Frequent hand-washing
- Use of hand sanitizer
- Wiping things down
- Avoiding touching things with bare hands
Kelosky says our new habits and awareness of germs is a good thing, and will help protect us from getting sick.
Watch the full report in the video player above.
Related: Survey: 88% of Americans plan to be ‘extra cautious’ even after fully vaccinated against COVID