The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the public’s awareness of the importance of sanitizing surfaces at home and at work. Coronaviruses primarily spread through the air, but other pathogens are spread when you touch contaminated surfaces, then they reach your mouth and nose. Here are guidelines for disinfecting your home.
The difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting your home
It can be easy to confuse these terms.
Cleaning means washing a surface of dirt, grease, and impurities. Cleaning will remove some germs through physical action, but a dirty surface makes germ-fighting more challenging.
Sanitizing kills and removes some pathogens with a mild germ-killing solution, such as a light mix of bleach and water.
Disinfecting goes further, using an agent that kills virtually all pathogens. Look specifically for products that offer that level of effectiveness.
Eliminating tough-as-nails pathogens
Some bacteria and viruses are tougher than others. Stomach viruses like norovirus are very hardy and primarily spread by touching contaminated surfaces. These bugs can live on surfaces for up to 10 days and resist sanitizing. More rigorously disinfecting your home is necessary.
- Wear latex or plastic gloves when cleaning up after viral or bacterial sickness in your home or work. Assemble a bucket with paper towels, a plastic trash bag, a cleaner for dirt and grease, and a follow-up disinfecting product—and keep it ready.
- After cleaning, wipe with a disinfectant. When shopping, read the label. Look for products that kill germs with 99% effectiveness.
- It is essential to know how long you should leave the disinfectant wet on surfaces to kill pathogens; this is known as dwell time. Many viruses do not die immediately on surfaces and must remain in contact with the disinfectant for a determined time.
- These methods are mainly used in bathrooms during sickness, focusing on the toilet, sink, shower, and door handles.
- Disinfect high-touchpoints throughout the house, including light switches, doorknobs, cabinet and drawer pulls, thermostat controls, children’s toys, TV remotes, the tops and armrests of dining table chairs, and refrigerator door handles.
- Wash dishes and utensils on the hot setting of the dishwasher. Throw out any contaminated food.
- Throw all paper towels and other refuse from cleaning into a plastic garbage bag and promptly take it to the outside trash bin.
Disinfecting fabrics
Wearing gloves, strip contaminated clothes, sheets, pillowcases, comforters, mattress covers, and towels. Wash separately from other laundry, and do not shake before washing. Use additives like Lysol Laundry Sanitizer along with regular detergent. Wash and dry on the hottest, longest setting your fabrics can withstand. Wash and sanitize the inside of laundry hampers that may have held contaminated clothing and linens.
After testing in a discreet area for color fastness, wipe upholstery with disinfecting wipes. Otherwise, steam cleaning can sanitize it.
If you must clean up bodily waste
In the unfortunate circumstance of having to clean up a mess that didn’t make it to the toilet:
- Wear gloves, mop up the mess with paper towels, and dispose of these in a trash bag.
- Wash the affected surfaces thoroughly with paper towels drenched in hot, soapy water.
- After the yuck is cleaned up, use a disinfecting cleaner and wet the area thoroughly for the prescribed dwell time.
- Dispose of the trash bag outside immediately.
Final word: Wash your hands more frequently than usual, lathering and rinsing for 20 seconds in case you missed some pathogens on a surface.
Related – Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting: The Important Differences
