5 Not-So-Obvious Household Essentials for Your Time at Home

Don’t let pesky pests drop in on movie night.

(StatePoint) Extended time at home is making many families more aware of what products they simply can’t do without. While you may have predicted what some of these essentials would be — ahem, toilet paper — other, not-so-obvious items are helping to make quarantines more comfortable nationwide.

To get a handle on what has come in most handy during this stay-at-home period, Zevo recently conducted a national survey, and here are some of the items topping people’s lists:

• Home Exercise Equipment. Those with gym memberships or a love of the outdoors may never have assumed there would come a day when they would need a home stationary bike or treadmill. But such equipment is for many people the best way to work out these days, and those who lack the space for a piece of heavy machinery are turning to resistance bands, yoga mats and other smaller items that can be tucked away between uses.

• Bug Killer Spray: The last thing people want during quarantine is to share their home with pests. Unfortunately, due to a warm winter and wet spring, the forecast for ants, roaches, mosquitoes and more predicts a very buggy 2020. With so much additional time spent around the house, selecting products without harsh chemicals and odors makes a lot of sense. Zevo Instant Action Sprays with BioSelective Technology use essential oils to attack nervous system receptors vital to insects — not people or pets. With a light scent of lemongrass and no harsh chemical odors, it’s a powerful bug solution you can feel good about using around the home.

• Multipurpose Tools: Many people are finding that certain basics can be used in more than one way, making them ideal to have around the house. Baking soda for example, has many potential uses, including kitchen cleaner, odor eliminator, itch remedy, vegetable wash, and even as an ingredient for homemade dog toothpaste, to name a few. Likewise, you might find that pair of scissors a go-to household item right about now, whether you are home-schooling, crafting or giving yourself a haircut.

• Streaming Video: At a time when people must remain at home, they are relying more than ever on video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to keep them entertained night after night.

• Fun and Games: Screen time may be on the rise, but as it turns out, so is good-old-fashioned family fun, with many households naming puzzles and games as must-have items. Whether it’s solving a complicated 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle or organizing a family checkers tournament, having a well-stocked game room or den is a great idea right now.

While everyone’s situation looks a bit different and every household operates in its own unique way, there are certain items with widespread potential to create happier, healthier, more comfortable spaces.

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