How to Clean and Sterilise Your Home During a Virus Outbreak

Nowadays, ensuring a germ-free home is crucial, especially amidst a pandemic where protocols like social distancing and hygiene are paramount. Daily sterilization, endorsed by both medical and cleaning experts, is key. Given the absence of a cure for global outbreaks like COVID-19, prevention reigns supreme, echoing the adage "better safe than sorry."

With the rapid spread of the coronavirus, families are vigilant about safeguarding against this highly contagious disease. Lockdowns in numerous areas confine individuals to their homes, heightening the risk of bacterial transmission, even without virus infection. Notably, COVID-19 symptoms are often mild initially, enabling carriers to unwittingly spread the virus before symptoms emerge, including asymptomatic carriers.

To mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19 and similar viruses during self-isolation, daily home sterilization coupled with rigorous hygiene practices is essential.

When cleaning during a virus outbreak, it's vital to take precautions to protect yourself from contracting any germs or bacteria. Here are some essential measures to follow:

1. Wear gloves, preferably disposable ones, and a face mask. Alternatively, tie a scarf around your nose and mouth.

2. Avoid touching your face while cleaning.

3. After removing gloves, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

4. Refrain from touching surfaces outside of your immediate cleaning routine.

5. Use sterilized or fresh cleaning cloths to avoid spreading germs.

Identifying High-Touch Surfaces:

Every household has common high-touch surfaces where germs tend to accumulate. These include:

• Door knobs/handles

• Light switches

• Drawer handles/pulls

• Chair backs

• Armrests

• Kitchen appliances

• Refrigerator/microwave doors

• Counters/tables used for cooking/eating

• Cabinet handles

• Faucets

• Toilet handle

• Medicine cabinet doors

• Staircase railings

• Remote controls

• Gaming consoles

• Computers and related items (keyboards, mouse)

• Mobile phones/telephones

Note that this list may not cover all high-touch areas in your home, such as workout equipment, which should also be considered frequently touched surfaces.

Disinfecting high-touch areas in your home may require more effort than your usual cleaning routine, but it's straightforward. You can use various products for this, including EPA-registered disinfectants or homemade cleaners like diluted bleach solutions and vinegar-based cleaners.

Homemade Disinfectants:

1. BLEACH: Mix 4-5 teaspoons of household bleach in 1 litre of water.

2. VINEGAR: Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1 cup of water.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Household Surfaces: Before applying disinfectant to sanitize high-touch areas, wipe them with a clean cloth to remove dust and debris. Then, using your chosen disinfectant in a spray bottle, generously spray non-electrical surfaces and objects before wiping them down with another clean cloth. Ensure thorough coverage to sterilize effectively from every angle.

For electrical items, dampen a clean cloth with the disinfectant solution and wipe them meticulously, ensuring no gaps or crevices are missed. Disposable disinfectant wipes can also be used for this purpose.

IMPORTANT: Use a fresh section of the cloth for each item/surface you clean. Replace the cloth when needed. For reusable cloths, sterilize them using appropriate washing methods before using them again the next day.

 If your home sees minimal foot traffic during a virus outbreak, daily sanitization of floors and walls might not be necessary. However, it's highly advisable to clean your floors with a disinfecting product if you haven't already done so. For carpets and rugs, steam cleaning effectively eliminates germs, as vacuuming merely removes surface debris. If you lack a steam cleaner, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning service every two weeks until the outbreak diminishes. Ensure they adhere to strict protocols to prevent virus spread before hiring them.

Germs can linger on interior walls, particularly in reachable areas. While airborne transmission from coughs and sneezes can contaminate higher wall surfaces, experts recommend wiping down walls with a clean cloth and disinfectant every ten days during a pandemic for added safety.

Combatting Bathroom Germs:

Bathrooms harbor various germs beyond common hotspots like faucets and toilets. Daily cleaning becomes essential during a pandemic like COVID-19 to maintain good health.

Revise your bathroom cleaning routine for optimal results. Firstly, switch to EPA-registered cleaners for effective germ eradication. Begin by wiping down high-touch areas with a disinfectant spray and clean cloth, including the toilet seat, lid, and flush lever/button (use a separate cloth for the toilet seat for hygiene). Then, spray the walls with disinfectant, scrubbing them before rinsing thoroughly.

After addressing these initial germ hotspots, proceed with your regular cleaning routine.

Regularly laundering bedsheets, pillowcases, and cushion covers is crucial; Especially amid concerns about the coronavirus surviving on fabric. While the virus can linger on such surfaces, contamination is more likely if someone in the household has tested positive for COVID-19. However, if you've been outside without maintaining proper distance, washing clothes upon returning home is advisable to prevent virus spread.

During a virus outbreak, weekly laundering of bedsheets, pillowcases, curtains, and cushion covers is recommended, particularly if household members have ventured outdoors. This frequency can be reduced to once every two weeks if everyone has stayed indoors for a full 14-day period, the incubation period for COVID-19.

Concerns arise regarding the safety of hiring cleaning services amid a pandemic. While the demand for professional cleaners increases, many individuals practicing social distancing are wary of allowing outsiders into their homes. Nonetheless, numerous cleaning services strictly adhere to safety protocols, including those that have experience sanitizing homes with confirmed or quarantined COVID-19 cases. If opting for a cleaning service during a pandemic, ensure they possess Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and expertise in effectively sterilizing virus-infected homes.

Conclusion

Irrespective of your location or the extent of virus spread in your area, it's crucial to remain at home unless absolutely essential to venture out. Adhering to all precautionary measures is paramount to prevent virus transmission. Equally vital is the daily cleaning and sterilization of your home to safeguard the health of your family and yourself during a pandemic.

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