Norovirus In New England Is On The Rise And It’s Brutal

The CDC has recently detailed that Norovirus cases in New England are the highest they have been in a year. As someone who has been wrestling with the virus for the past week, I can tell you, that it has been a miserable experience. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to take preventative measures, and protect yourself from getting this stomach bug.

According to a graph the CDC published, the Norovirus peak in the northeastern region of the United States is at its highest now. In fact, we are in the region of the country where the peak is currently the highest.

There are some standard best practices here. Obviously, diligently washing your hands is up there on the list of healthy practices to make routine. Health professionals, including those on the CDC site, explain that just using hand sanitizer is not enough. The good news is that this virus is not often spread through airborne exposure. However, the handling of food is important. Making sure countertop surfaces are frequently cleaned. Norovirus can travel through food and survive through heat up to 145 degrees. So, washing fruit, vegetables, and utensils are also necessary steps to stay healthy. Lastly, if you have Norovirus, you get a pass on cooking for your friends and family for a bit.

To get right to the point, it's incredibly uncomfortable. Aside from the obvious graphic details of why you are spending so much time in the bathroom, there are few other symptoms that have been worse. Now, I had Norovirus once about ten years ago. It resulted in an intense 24-30 hours of getting crushed. My experience with the Norovirus going around New England this year has been quite different. Sure, all of the fun stuff you read about is part of the Noro-experience, but the excruciating stomach aches have been the worst part. Imagine if cramping and setting your gut on fire came together. That's what it has felt like. In addition, a headache in a similar fashion has also been part of my 2024 edition.

The difference with this bout is that instead of a super-intense 36 hours, it's been a bit less but spread over the course of the week. Taking the sometimes inconvenient steps to try and avoid catching the virus, including drinking your water, is well worth it.

Think about how easier cleaning would be if we had the help of Cinderella's magical animal friends. Unfortunately, this is not our reality. Many of our realities include piles of dirty clothes, dirty dishes that "you’ll get to later," and always-accumulating dust. But there is hope for maintaining a clean home. Sure, we all have our hacks and tips, but which ones are worth trying out?

Many people have been sharing how they keep their homes spotless or tidy home habits they developed. A good habit to develop is making sure everything has a place. This could be something you developed from your parents, a relative, or on your own. Making sure everything has its own spot can prevent clutter and get you in the habit of putting things back after using them. This also makes it easier to wipe down surface areas like your countertops without appliances constantly getting in the way.

You don't want things to get to a point where you feel overwhelmed by cleaning. Here's a bit of advice: don't leave deep cleaning for cleaning day. Try coming up with a cleaning schedule or a routine. This could be cleaning the bathroom on Thursdays and washing bedding on Sundays. Just cleaning a little bit every day helps in managing keeping a clean home.

There are all kinds of ways and methods for cleaning anything. Of course, some are more effective than others. And some require a handful of steps and instructions. But let’s be real here: we all just want the best cleaning tips and hacks. Those that leave your place spotless with minimal effort.

Some of us may think we have it all together when it comes to cleaning around the home, but there’s always something new to try. For instance, when you have a stained or spotty plastic or vinyl shower curtain, you can just toss it into the washing machine with a little detergent to get it clean. Then there’s descaling your coffee maker. It just takes a mixture of half vinegar and half water brewed until the reservoir is empty. This can help get rid of calcium buildup and keep your coffee maker running a little longer.

Check out more cleaning hacks people swear by below.

Lemons are great for cleaning. This is especially true if you're trying to ditch chemical cleaning products. Not only is the scent amazing, but you can use the fruit to clean wooden cutting boards, deodorize your drains, and degrease pans. According to Taste of Home, lemons work well for cleaning ovens. They said for oven buildup, just fill an oven-safe baking dish with water and lemon juice. Then, bake for 30 minutes at 250 degrees. After the oven has cooled, remove the side and wipe any remaining grime from the oven's interior.

This one is for those with kids or who often watch them. If one of the kiddos decides to draw their best crayon artwork on the walls, your wooden living room tray, LCD screens, clothing or appliances, there are ways to remove it. Some people swear by WD-40. They say it's good for clothing items and LCD screens. For clothes, The Spruce suggests flipping the fabric inside out, spraying WD-40 on a cloth, and dabbing it onto the crayon stain. Then, scraping off the solid bits left behind. You can also treat crayon stains with detergent and a toothbrush scrub, or a dab mayonnaise on a cloth for walls.

There are several ways to remove wine stains. But if you find yourself in a bind, then try salt or club soda. You start by spritzing the wine stain with club soda. Next, blot the wine, or colored drink stain, with a microfiber cloth. Just repeat this until the stain is gone. Some people swear by kosher salt. Usual Wines reported that salt will absorb the wine and lift away the color from the surface.

You may have heard of this cleaning hack. Most comforters are machine-wash-friendly. If the comforter fills only half the washer then you should be good to go. When ready to dry, add tennis balls to the dryer to keep the comforter's stuffing from collecting in one corner. According to Real Simple, if you have ever pulled a washed comforter or pillow out of the dryer to find it lumpy, the tennis ball trick can prevent that.

Dusting is a task that many of us can live without. But if you're looking for an easier way to tackle dust, try using a dryer sheet. They collect dust better than a cloth. You can run it along your baseboards or lines. Apartment Therapy reports that you can also dust surfaces with a sock. Obviously, you want to make sure it's a clean sock. Some people even say that using a pillowcase for hard-to-reach places like ceiling fan blades does the trick. Just open it up, carefully slide it over the fan blade, and use it to wipe out from the center of the fan to the tip of the blade. "The motion collects the dust from the blades and any dust that falls drops into the pillow instead of onto your floor," said Apartment Therapy.

Nobody's a fan of stubborn brown stains in coffee mugs. Here's a cleaning hack to try. Sprinkle some baking soda onto the bottom of your stained cup, add just enough water to form a paste and scrub. Then, give it a good rinse. Some people have also tried distilled white vinegar. Just fill the mug with vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes. Molly Maid recommends another approach, which is pouring salt into the bottom of the mug and dumping a few pieces of crushed ice on top. Cover the mug with a few layers of plastic wrap and shake vigorously. They said the coarse salt removes the coffee stains without any chemicals.