How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home During COVID-19

Spring cleaning has been a trend for a long time but clean counters and disinfected doorknobs have never been more crucial. That’s because one of the most effective precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to disinfect frequently touched items and surfaces every day.

Although experts are still investigating the virus that causes COVID-19, it is thought to spread mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Another way may be “surface transmission”. This is the term given to what can happen when you touch a surface that someone infected with the virus has coughed or sneezed on and then touch their nose, mouth or eyes.

One way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is frequent hand hygiene – either washing your hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer. It is also important to keep the “high contact” surfaces of your home clean. Check out our tips for keeping your home clean and your family healthy during COVID-19.

Clean and Disinfect Hard Surfaces

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people regularly clean many contact surfaces, such as desks, door handles, light switches, desks, tables, telephones, keyboards and toilets.

When cleaning, make sure to wear disposable gloves and use soap and water if the area or object is visibly dirty. You can then use a household disinfectant to kill germs on surfaces. Use disinfectants that meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria for use against COVID-19 and are suitable for the surface being cleaned.

If you want to prepare a disinfectant, one option is a diluted solution of a household bleach. To prepare the bleach solution, mix five tablespoons (1/3 cup) of bleach per gallon of water.

• Check the label to see if the bleach you are using is suitable for disinfection and that it has not expired.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner.
• Make sure the room is well ventilated.
• Leave the bleach solution on the surface for at least a minute before wiping off.

Keep Electronics Clean

When thinking of frequently touched objects, don’t forget your household electronics. Tablets, touch screens, smartphones, keyboards and remote control devices are getting a workout these days. Keep your (and your kids’) electronics clean by:

• Putting a wipeable cover on electronics.
• Following the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfecting. A good guideline is to use alcohol-based wipes or sprays that contain at least 70% alcohol.
• Drying the electronics’ surface thoroughly.

Don’t Forget Soft Surfaces

Experts are not sure whether the virus that causes COVID-19 can live on your clothes or bed linen for long periods of time. However, it is advisable to wash linen, pillows and clothes frequently – especially if someone in your home is sick.

When washing clothes, towels, bed linen and other items:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, using warm water. Make sure to dry items completely.
• Wear disposable gloves when handling sick people’s clothing.
• Do not shake dirty clothes.
• Make sure to remove your gloves and wash hands immediately after handling dirty laundry.

Practice Hand Hygiene When Handling Food

It is unlikely that COVID-19 will last very long on food. There is no proof that food or food packages is associated with COVID-19 disease.. However, to help keep your family healthy when buying groceries, ordering take-out or preparing food, check out these suggested guidelines:

• Use hand sanitizer after leaving the grocery store. Wash your hands when you get home with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Limit personal contact as much as possible by placing an order online, using a pick-up service or asking for deliveries to be left outside your house.
• It is not necessary to wipe cereal boxes and other packaging. Instead, concentrate on washing your hands after handling them.
• Before eating food, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds to ensure general food safety.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after picking up a delivery or taking food home.

Let us know in the comment section how you keep your house and yourself protected by COVID-19.