With the current pandemic outbreak that is COVID-19, cleanliness is more emphasised than ever. On top of your usual cleaning routines, frequently cleaning and disinfecting your home is essential for keeping yourself and your household safe and healthy.
While studies have shown that person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 poses a much greater risk than transmission via surfaces, the Department of Health recommends cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at least once a day, even if you’re not leaving the house. This is due to the fact that any time items such as mail or food delivery come in and out of your home, there remains possibility of exposure to the virus.
If this sounds excessive, it’s not—-a recent study found that the novel coronavirus can remain in the air for up to three hours and live on surfaces such as cardboard for up to 24 hours. On plastic and stainless steel, it can live up to three days.
Here are some ways to ensure that you are properly cleaning and disinfecting your home, in order to keep your household as safe and germ-free as possible.
What’s the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?
Firstly, it’s important to note that cleaning a surface (that is, by simply removing dirt and particles) is not the same thing as disinfecting it to kill viruses and bacteria.
As we have outlined on our disinfectant services page, the difference between normal products and disinfectant products can be confusing. Soap-based products are effective at breaking down COVID-19 when rubbed into a surface. When soap is mixed in with the virus, it breaks down the wall of the virus, rendering it useless. But disinfectant products kill the virus on touch, without the need for them to be mixed with the virus.
However, not all cleaning products are effective on all types of germs, so it’s important to know exactly which products effectively kill COVID-19.
The Department of Health provides a full list of disinfectants that kill the novel coronavirus. You might already have some of these products in your home, such as Dettol wipes, isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
While using effective virus-killing products is key, it’s also crucial to follow the proper techniques to thoroughly disinfect surfaces. Health officials advise letting the product sit and remain wet on surfaces or objects for ten minutes. This will kill 99.9 per cent of germs.
The Disinfecting Checklist
When there is so much going on both in the world and at home, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the additional things needed to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. And while it’s not necessary to clean your house from top to bottom each day, you should focus on disinfecting the areas and surfaces that are hot spots for germs, as there is a higher likelihood of them being touched.
These are the most important areas to disinfect each day:
- cupboards and drawer knobs
- faucets
- toilets, especially the seat and handle
- remote controls and game controllers
- kitchen and bathroom counters
- table surfaces
- staircase railings
- light switches
- refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave handles
- door knobs and handles
- cell phones and tablets
- computer keyboards and mice
Wear disposable gloves and discard them after disinfecting. And always remember to wash your hands before and after you clean and disinfect your home.
Hand washing is still the best defense
It’s been repeated ad infinitum, but that’s because it’s a fact: no matter what you do, the best way to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19 is to wash your hands.
The Department of Health recommends a vigorous 20-second scrub with soap and water that extends beyond the hands to the wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails.
So keep up the hand-washing routine, stay home if you can, and comfort your loved ones. For a premium disinfecting and cleaning service, contact Maid To Clean today either through our contact us page, or by booking online.