Did you know that keeping your home clean can safeguard you from the Covid-19? Read on to know more.
Now that the novel coronavirus has become a part of our lives, it’s imperative to maintain good hygiene at home to protect our loved ones. Based on the enormous surge in the number of new cases, experts predict that the US can become the new epicenter for Covid-19. Hence, households should know exactly what they should do to minimize their exposure of the pandemic.
Cleaning Your Home
Cleaning involves removing organic matter such as dirt and germs from surfaces at your home. While cleaning is important, it’s not enough. You also need to disinfect surfaces as much as possible to stay safe at home. This involves killing germs that can lower your immunity and make you susceptible to coronavirus.
You’ll need effective chemicals to disinfect surfaces. However, this doesn’t mean that you can simply rely on disinfectants and forget about cleaning. Organic matter reduces the effectiveness or ability of disinfectants to kill germs, which is why it’s equally important to get rid of it through cleaning.
The humidity levels, the temperature, and the material of the surface determine how long coronavirus stays active on surfaces. Based on what we know about similar coronaviruses, it can survive between a few hours and several days. On stainless steel and plastic surfaces, the virus can survive for up to 72 hours, according to scientists.
Frequently touched surfaces are most vulnerable to being contaminated. These surfaces may include door handles, kitchen surfaces, TV remotes, kitchen utensils, mobile phones, tablets, etc. These are the primary things you will need to clean using appropriate chemicals and cleaning tools and disinfectants. Surfaces are also likely to be contaminated when someone coughs or sneezes but doesn’t cover their mouth.
Best Cleaning Products
As mentioned earlier, you need to have disinfectants and hand sanitizers, but they can’t break through organic matter and dirt that might be hiding the virus. Thus, you need to clean the surfaces before applying disinfectants. The best solution is to use detergents for cleaning that can effectively break down the layers of dust and dirt. Use them to regularly wipe kitchen and dining surfaces, doorknobs, mobile phones, switches, and all other frequently touched surfaces that you see around. If you have a large family, consider wiping these surfaces twice a day.
Alternatively, you can also use diluted bleach or solutions with more than 70% alcohol content for surface cleaning. Again, target high-touch surfaces.
Tips for Cleaning
When cleaning surfaces, wipe them in an “S”-shaped pattern. This ensures that the surfaces are well-covered. Be sure to wear disposable gloves while cleaning and dispose them off right after you’re done cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
In short, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in your home can significantly reduce the chances of Covid-19.
