COVID-19 has changed the way people all over the world live their lives. From the moment the first cases were reported throughout the quarantine period, people have been experiencing new ways to live their lives at home. For some people, being stuck at home means they’ve had more time to finish up their seemingly never ending to do lists that, once upon a time, were relegated to weekends. 

In fact, in the United States, people have spent more time cleaning and looking for new ways to keep busy at home. With that being said, it’s interesting to see the difference between pre-quarantine cleaning habits and post-quarantine cleaning habits. As many states begin considering reopening or they’re on some phase of actually reopening, it’s time to consider what should change in our day-to-day lives and what we’d like to keep from our time in quarantine. 

Ask many people and they’ll express interest in leading slower lives. The hustle and bustle of American life is stressful, moving from one thing to the next without slowing down to smell the roses between appointments, play dates, work, and extracurricular activities. Even though many  people express wanting to see their friends, family, and even coworkers, a lot of Americans are enjoying the slower pace of life. Although it may be due to necessity, Americans are getting better and better at making do with what they have instead of indulging in consumerism. 

For one thing, Americans have learned how to do without much like older generations. 40.7% of Americans said they couldn’t find any kind of disinfectant cleaning solution or disinfectant wipes at the store since March of 2020, according to this survey. Of course, the nationwide shortages of these products affects who may be able to obtain them — meaning people have had to make do without their favorite cleaning supplies. 

Personal hygiene habits are changing, too. Most people admit to washing their hands more and using hand sanitizer after physical or tangible interactions. Google trends shows searches for effective hand washing have risen almost 180% over the past two weeks. Although people have been paying more attention to germs and where they could acquire them from, this doesn’t necessarily translate to how people feel about sheltering in place. With that being said, it’s interesting to see which areas of the United States are searching for information about when the quarantine will end completely.  

What would you like to take forward from quarantine life to a new normal? Will you keep the streaming services you acquired over the last few months, will you continue ordering delivery? What would you like to see change next?