How to Clean & Disinfect your home against COVID-19
Cleaning your home can often take a different approach than commercial cleaning, or cleaning an office, and most people don’t have the necessary equipment for electrostatic cleaning. But that doesn’t mean you can’t effectively disinfect your home and lower the risk of COVID-19 spreading in your home.
We are all concerned with the current outbreak of COVID-19, but frequently cleaning & disinfecting your home is not only essential, but can be extremely effective for keeping yourself and your family healthy and safe. This guide will prepare you in keeping your home disinfected.
What cleaning products kill COVID-19?
Although most cleaning products can state they kill 99.9% of germs, not all cleaning products are effective on all types of germs. It’s crucial that you use the correct products that are capable of killing COVID-19.
Here is a full list of disinfectants provided by the EPA that kill the novel coronavirus. You may even have some of these effective cleaning products in your home. It is critical to take note of the stated time it takes for these disinfectants to actually kill coronavirus. A few products or ingredients include:
Hydrogen peroxide
Isopropyl alcohol
Disinfectant sprays such as Purell or Clorox
Disinfectant wipes such as Lysol
Hypochlorous Acid (our preferred choice as it is non-toxic and chemical-free)
Using the correct product is the first step, but it’s also crucial to implement the proper techniques to thoroughly disinfect your home. For example, most of us will spray and wipe as we go, however the EPA recommends letting some cleaning product sit on a wet surface or object for as long as ten minutes in order to kill 99.9% of the germs.
You can also practice one-way wiping, which means wiping down a surface in one direction and don’t go back over it in the opposite direction because it will deposit germs that were just cleaned up.
The difference between disinfecting & cleaning.
It’s important to know that cleaning a surface is not the same as disinfecting it to kill viruses and bacteria. There are many products you can use to simply clean hard surfaces, like hot soapy water and vinegar. And while cleaning a high-touch surface to remove dust and debris is an essential part of cleaning your home, you still need to disinfect those surfaces from the novel coronavirus.
Cleaning, accomplished with soap–or detergent–and water, refers to the physical removal of dirt and grime, and in the process, some portion of the germs on a given surface. Sometimes cleaning tools, including sponges and cloths, simply move germs from one surface to another.
Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
Disinfecting, on the other hand, refers to killing a high percentage of the germs on a surface or rendering them incapable of reproducing.
Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.
Disinfecting high-touch areas in your home.
Although the transmission of COVID-19 is a much higher risk person to person than via surface, we recommend cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at least once a day. Even if you’re not leaving your home, any germs of surfaces you may have missed are more likely to spread in the home if you are there all day. But there’s also the possibility of exposure anytime items or people come in or out of your home.
Everyone’s home is different, but usually high-touch surfaces will include: door handles, tables, chairs, handrails, kitchen & bathroom surfaces, taps, toilets, light switches, phones, computers, tablets, keyboards, remote controls, game controllers and toys. Here are some ways to ensure you are thoroughly disinfecting high-touch areas in your home:
Hard Surfaces:
First, ensure you are wearing disposable gloves and use soap and water as your first step in an area is visibility dirty. Then, use your household cleaning disinfectant to kill the germs on surfaces. If you want to check your disinfectant meets the EPA criteria for using against the coronavirus, you can check that here. https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19
Additional tips:
Ensure you read the manufacturers label and read the instructions
Keep the room well ventilated
Leave the product on the surface for the recommended kill time!
Soft surfaces
Although it’s unclear how long the coronavirus can live on clothing, bed sheets or fabrics for a long period of time. But dusty or dirty surfaces can still be a breeding ground for germs, and keeping your home as healthy and clean as possible is important for slowing the spread of the coronavirus. We recommend regularly cleaning your bedsheets, clothing, carpets and soft toys. When doing so, don’t shake dirty clothes or bed sheets, hoover regularly, and make sure you're using products that are compatible for soft furnishings or fabric. We highly recommend the use of Hypochlorous Acid for soft surfaces as well as the air. It is safe, non-toxic and chemical-free. When applying with the proper sprayer and technique, it is a perfect choice for soft surfaces.
Electronics
When you think of frequently touched objects, our electronics and portable items are some of the riskiest in terms of hosting germs. These include computers, remote controls, touch screens, smart phones, gaming controls and light switches. Tips when cleaning your electronics:
Using disinfectant wipes throughout the day
Turning off plugged-in electronics before cleaning
Covering the item with a wipeable cover
Drying the electronics thoroughly.
Additional cleaning methods you should be practicing.
FInally, to prevent the transmission of germs and COVID-19 outside of regular home cleaning, you can implement these best practices in your home to keep you and your family safe and healthy.
Good practices to consider include removing your shoes when you enter your home and changing into clean clothes when you return home after being in crowded places, and washing your hands thoroughly for at least thirty seconds with soap and water immediately afterwards.
When it comes to making meals for your family and preparing your food, there isn’t clear evidence if COVID-19 can be transmitted via food. However, we know germs can live on the surface so it’s vital that you are removing and disposing of food packages thoroughly to stop germs from entering your home. Washing fresh product as soon as you take it home will lower the risk of transmitting any germs it picked up while in store.
And last but not least - hand washing! Yes you have probably heard this one before, but it is still the most effective and important step in personal hygiene that can slow the spread of COVID-19. Wash them for 30 seconds, after sneezing, entering your home or workspace, when eating or using the bathroom. You should also avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose, using tissues when sneezing and keeping a safe distance from others outside your home, so you don’t pick up their germs and bring them into your house.
