A regular cleaning regimen keeps your house in visitor-ready style and keeps germs at bay during viral outbreaks. Sure, it’s easy to get behind on cleaning tasks with the kids being home from school and more time spent around the house.
Now’s a good time to review the CDC’s recommended steps of cleaning and disinfecting your home.
General Cleaning
A little soap and water go a long way. It works best for keeping your hands clean, but it works for your house as well.
Get some warm water and soap together and wipe, get into the routine of cleaning your home’s frequently touched areas. Be extra vigilant about cleaning areas, such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
Soft Surfaces
Your furniture, carpet floors, rugs, and drapes tend to hold onto anything that gets near them, including germs. Launder what you can, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, using the warmest water setting and dry the items thoroughly before putting them back up.
You can grab your handy soap and water again for what doesn’t fit in the washing machine. Depending on the cleaning material, you can use a cloth or a light scrub brush to clean the surfaces.
Try to be a germ-buster
After you clean the surfaces in your home, you want to disinfect them to ensure that everything is squeaky clean. If using an EPA-registered household disinfectant, make sure you follow the instructions to avoid any damage.
You can also use a diluted bleach solution on most surfaces. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for specific items or surfaces, and ventilate the area you’re cleaning well. After mixing the bleach solution, 1/3rd cup of bleach per gallon of water, you want to leave the answer on a surface for at last 1 minute before wiping it away.
Electronics: A Hotbed for germs
One of those things you might forget to consider when cleaning are the electronics in your house. Tablets, phones, keyboards, and remote controls get plenty of contact with messy fingers (if you have kids) and are probably due for a good wipe down.
Alcohol-based wipes, containing at least 70% alcohol, work great for wiping down devices. Follow instructions, so you don’t damage any of the components.
Remember to stay safe and wash your hands regularly during your daily activities. These routine cleaning techniques will help ensure your home stays clean, and you can stay healthy.
Remember, we’re all in this together, so a cleaning regimen, coupled with social distancing and handwashing, is an excellent formula for stopping the spread of COVID-19.
