There’s regular everyday cleaning, guests coming over, and finally, the latest addition: COVID-19 cleaning.

You should sanitize your home daily to protect it from spreading germs and bacteria. With social distancing getting increasingly lenient and some workplaces beginning to open up, it is important to understand how to go about cleaning and sanitizing and how often this needs to be done.

Why is this necessary?

It’s important to understand why you should disinfect surfaces regularly. The virus spreads whenever a person coughs or sneezes respiratory droplets. These droplets spread onto our hands and directly onto hard surfaces.

Contact is the biggest transfer of the virus, so sanitizing your hands when you go out is crucial. Sanitizing surfaces in your house, like doorknobs, floors, and furniture, as often as possible will kill the virus, which can live up to 24 hours. Well, that’s all the details I’ve got for my science lesson, folks.

To clean or to disinfect?

Both. Cleaning alone removes germs and dirt from surfaces; however, it does not kill the germs. So, while you may effectively clean surfaces without disinfecting them afterward, you are leaving harmful pathogens to fester and grow.

Conversely, disinfecting involves using chemicals made specifically to kill germs. This process does not clean dirty surfaces or remove harmful bacteria but kills any contaminants left behind after cleaning. This combination is the most effective method of lowering the risk of spreading infection.

How to disinfect?

Before disinfecting your house, you must take the necessary precautions.

• Wear disposable gloves while cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. This is partially due to the harmful chemicals disinfectants use, which can irritate your skin.
• After disinfecting, discard the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. If surfaces are dirty, clean them with soap or detergent beforehand.
• Please read the instructions and directions on the back of the products for information about concentration, application methods, and other precautions.
• It is recommended to use products with 70% alcohol.
• Make sure to ventilate properly when using strong products like bleach.

Targeting High-Touch surfaces

Hard surfaces

Tables, toilets, counters, cabinets, doorknobs, and floors are high-touch surfaces that can easily become contaminated by germs on our hands. These surfaces can be disinfected using a bleach solution mixed in part with water. However, not all floors, such as hardwood and other porous materials, can handle bleach.

Soft, porous surfaces

Carpets, rugs, or drapes should ideally be laundered with the warmest appropriate water setting. If there is visible contamination, use an appropriate cleaner. Upholstered furniture that can’t be thrown into a laundry machine must be cleaned using other means. Investing in a

good disinfecting spray that is safe to spray on fabrics is a good option.

Electronics

All members of your household daily use telephones, TV remotes, microwave buttons, and light switches. It’s important to disinfect these using wipes or alcohol-based sprays. Avoid any pooling of liquids to prevent spoiling the devices.

Cooking Utensils

An automatic dishwasher with a controlled water temperature and a powerful detergent will thoroughly disinfect your dishes and glassware and free them from bacterial growth.

How often should you disinfect?

This depends on a few factors, such as whether or not your household is in a high-risk category for Covid. This includes how many people live in your home and how often you share common items. Another factor is whether or not someone in your household is infected. These factors will determine how frequently you should disinfect your home.

To prevent the spread of the virus and keep everyone in your household healthy and safe, sanitizing and cleaning your house as often as possible is ideal. Remember to read labels and instructions for all products being used and to take all precautionary methods to protect yourself from harsh chemicals.

Buckeye Northwest Realty provides houses for rent in Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. To learn more about houses for rent, contact us today!