Are you consistently following the cleaning guidelines issued by authorities to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Read on to know what role you can play. The COVID-19 crisis seems to be a never-ending reality now and we all need to get used to it. Widespread misinformation has only added to the uncertainty, and homeowners continue to look for ways to get the chores done while keeping all family members safe. According to the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), we all have a role to play in cleaning and sanitizing high-touch surfaces at home. Here are some tips to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Personal Hygiene Without ensuring personal hygiene, your cleaning efforts will remain largely ineffective. To protect everyone and prevent the spread of the virus, you should avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible. Instead of coughing or sneezing on your hand, use your elbow or a tissue to cover your nose and mouth and throw the used tissue in the dustbin. If someone is repeatedly sneezing or coughing, maintain a 2-meter distance from them. Also, there’s a reason why you’re repeatedly told to wash your hands often for 20-30 seconds. This is the best line of defense against the virus. Keep sanitizing your hands using a sterilizer that contains 60% alcohol. When cleaning your hands, make sure you clean between the fingers.  Cleaning Clothes While we don’t know how long the novel coronavirus can survive on fabric, the metal and plastic elements that are present on certain clothes can harbor the virus from a few hours to several days. Whether you went to crowded areas or not, change your clothes and shoes immediately after you return home. Plus, don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water. When it comes to doing the laundry, avoid shaking the dirty clothes to prevent the spread of the virus. Use the warmest possible water setting and detergent or soap for washing. Also, make sure that you dry the clothes completely. It plays a role in killing the virus. Ideally, you should store laundry in disposable bags that can be thrown away after use. If that’s not possible, wash and disinfect the laundry bag and hamper after doing the laundry. Also don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water afterward. Cleaning Your Home To lower the chances of infection, it’s extremely important to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces at home. Allow for good ventilation at home and use protective gear such as hand gloves when engaged in cleaning. For safe and effective use, read the instructions on the cleaning products before applying them. The most common high-touch surfaces include tables, handrails, taps, light switches, computers, keyboards, game controllers, door handles, chairs, bathroom and kitchen surfaces, toilets, mobile phones, tablets and remote controls. Make sure to clean all these areas with a good cleaning agent. When it comes to cleaning your home, nothing matches the effectiveness of professional cleaning services. For cleaning and disinfecting services, reach out to S.T.O.P. We can clean all the high touch surfaces while you sit back and relax!