The global coronavirus pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led to many people being stuck at home. Suddenly, all those things we could ignore easily when we could get out and about stand out much more when we are under quarantine. Fortunately, this can give us the inspiration and motivation to tackle those projects we always put off around the home. In this post, we will introduce 8 ideas for home projects to tackle during the lockdown.
8 Home Projects to Do When in Quarantine
Obviously, when it comes to projects at home, everyone will have different needs. Here, we introduce 8 of the most frequent home projects that are easiest to tackle during the COVID-19 quarantine.
Get out in the garden
Whether you are already fully green-fingered or not, getting out in the garden during lockdown is great for your mental health. For one thing, it allows you to be outside for an extended period whilst keeping to the rules and keeping yourself and others safe. Indeed, research shows that anxiety, depression, stress, and many other challenging emotions we might be feeling during the lockdown can be alleviated by gardening.
Whether you are into flowers, growing vegetables, or delicious homegrown soft fruits, there is plenty to try in the garden. If woodwork and construction are more your things, why not try your hand at landscaping or building a deck in a sunny spot? You can even use leftover flooring paper from decking work to keep pesky weeds at bay and make spring garden beds!
Do that deep clean
When we are out at work most of the time, those corners of dust and dirt might not get to us much. If we’re at home all day, things get a little bit harder to ignore. That makes quarantine a great opportunity to do the deepest of deep cleans. Research also shows you’ll soon feel calmer and healthier.
From dusting corners, ceilings, and baseboards to switching your air filters, sorting out your junk room, and cleaning out the closet. A good deep clean will improve the quality of the air you’re breathing at home. Cleaning is all the more important during quarantine anyway because of the ability of the coronavirus to stay on surfaces like metal and plastic for 3 days. Be sure to clean those high-touch spots daily.
Repair scrapes and scratches
Over time, wooden furniture and walls get into all sorts of scrapes. From door handles bashing into the wall to bike pedals scraping the skirting board. These sorts of bumps and scratches can become part of the furniture. However, there are plenty of simple tricks to sort out knicks and scratches around the home.
Polly-filler is a great quick fix for small holes in walls leftover from old nail holes and general wear and tear. A whole range of techniques can also be used to remove scratches on wooden furniture. From a combination of lemon juice and vegetable oil to used coffee grounds, iodine, and shoe polish. There are plenty of things most people have at home that can make wood look like new.
Give your house a facelift
With more time spent at home, we soon spot marks and dirt that passed us by when we weren’t stuck in all the time. Fortunately, this is a great opportunity to use up those dregs of paint we have stored up in the shed and never know what to do with. A simple lick of paint can transform a room with just one coat.
You can also try creating a feature wall if you fancy trying something different. No need to head out for new paint either, just switch around the colors on a feature wall with some leftover paint from a different room. Be warned though, once you paint one wall you’ll start to notice those you haven’t painted even more. So be sure to choose your paint job carefully!
Rearrange the furniture
So often people think the only way to give a room a new look is to completely remodel it. However, simply rearranging the furniture can transform a room. Things will have to get worse to get better when you do this though. Everything needs to go from its place through no man’s land, and into its new place whilst moving something else out of its way.
That being said, the initial anarchy is well worth it. You’ll also have the chance to hoover places that probably haven’t been hoovered for years! Play around with things before settling on your final layout as you probably won’t want to do this home project again for a while.
Re-organize the cupboards
One of the major changes that quarantine has enforced on many of us is new ways of shopping for food. Ultimately, this means bigger shops less often. However, if we don’t know what’s in the cupboards we can end up with tens of one thing and nothing of another. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get everything out of the cupboards for a bit of a home stock take.
With everything out of the cupboards, you can get another cleaning job done too. You’ll also be able to spend less on things you won’t use for ages because you’ll know exactly what you’ve got hidden away in the cupboards.
Moisturize
We’re not talking about moisturizing yourself here – although moisturizing your hands more is a good idea what with all the hand-washing in soap required by COVID-19. What we mean is moisturizing things like chopping boards, cheese boards, and all your other wooden goods. Just give them a clean with a mixture of salt and lemon juice, then lather them in coconut oil and leave it to soak in. This helps to prevent cracking and keeps things hygienic.
Season your cast iron furniture
Just like your wooden goods, iron furniture also needs maintenance. In normal times, this sort of home project can slip our minds. However, it is well worth it and doesn’t take long. Just give it a thorough wash with some soapy water and a decent scrubbing brush. If you have some, you could also apply a spray-on wax for a nice finish and to prevent rusting.
Quarantine helps all of us to look after one another. Unfortunately, this means more time spent at home. Fortunately, this is a great opportunity to try our hand at new things and get those jobs we always put off done. Follow these 8 home projects and you’ll soon have your home looking as good as new.
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