Good hygiene has always been important, but with the novel coronavirus making headlines, cleanliness has taken center stage. Are you cleaning your home as well as you should? Follow these guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to clean and disinfect your home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clean, Then Disinfect

“Cleaning” means to remove dirt, dust, and other impurities so the surface no longer appears soiled. Do this first. Then, “disinfect” surfaces to kill microbes that could make you sick, including coronaviruses. Examples of disinfecting products that the EPA has approved to kill COVID-19 include:

  • Disinfecting wipes (Clorox, Lysol, or store brand)
  • Disinfecting sprays (Clorox, Lysol, or Purell)
  • Isopropyl alcohol wipes or sprays
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Household bleach (4 teaspoons diluted in one quart of room temperature water)

Hard Surfaces

Many germ hot-spots in your home are easy to spray or wipe clean. Disinfect the following hard surfaces daily:

  • Doorknobs
  • Light switches
  • Staircase railings
  • Cupboard door and drawer pulls
  • Microwave, refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher handles
  • Faucet handles
  • Kitchen and bathroom counters
  • Toilet seats and handles
  • TV remotes and game controllers
  • Computer keyboards and mouses
  • Phones

Soft Surfaces

Carpet, rugs, drapes, and upholstery aren’t as easy to clean. To remove germs from these surfaces, follow these tips:

  • Use soap and water or cleaners designed for the material in question.
  • Launder items when possible. Use the hottest water allowed on the product label.
  • Vacuum as usual.

Laundry

Clothing, towels, and bedding can be laundered. Follow these recommendations to prevent your laundry activities from spreading germs:

  • Wash items according to the instructions on the tag. Use the hottest water permitted and run the laundry through the dryer.
  • Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty clothes from a sick person. When finished, throw the gloves away and wash your hands.
  • Feel free to wash a sick person’s clothes with other people’s laundry.
  • Don’t shake dirty clothes.
  • Clean and disinfect hampers using the guidelines above for soft surfaces.

Your Hands

Wash your hands for a full 20 seconds using soap and warm, running water. If soap and water aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. The most crucial times to wash your hands include:

  • Immediately after removing gloves for cleaning or caring for a sick person.
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, using the restroom, or touching an animal.
  • Before preparing or eating food.
  • Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Battling the coronavirus pandemic is something none of us expected to experience. Thorough cleaning and disinfecting can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of transmission. Then, if an outbreak occurs, DKI is here to help. We utilize hospital-grade, EPA-registered products to provide infectious disease cleanup anywhere it’s needed, including offices, stores, nursing homes, hotels, and other facilities. To request emergency COVID-19 cleanup, please contact us today.