How to Disinfect Your House? Proven Ways to Prevent COVID-19

Pratiksha ordered a book online that came wrapped in plastic packaging. Just like any other item that entered her house, she kept the package in the waiting area for two days before opening it. Three days after she opened the package, she developed mild symptoms for Covid-19.

This was because of the misconception in her mind that the virus can only survive for two days on a surface, irrespective of the type of surface. Going through this experience has made Pratiksha understand the importance of disinfecting the house to prevent Covid-19.

Why is it Essential to Disinfect Your House to Prevent Covid-19?

Among the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, there is at least one positive thing that has happened. People have realized the importance of cleanliness and personal hygiene. They have increasingly realized that something as simple as washing your hands can prevent Covid-19 infection. 

However, maintaining hygiene at an individual level might not be enough for protecting your family inside your home. For a disease as transmissible and deadly as Coronavirus, you need to take advanced preventive measures to ensure the safety of your family. The best way to ensure safety from infection at home is to disinfect your house properly.

According to researchers and experts, the virus can stay on a surface for as long as a week. Therefore, disinfecting the frequently touched surfaces in your house is essential to prevent infection. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the proven tips that will help Pratiksha and many readers like her in preventing Covid-19 infection by disinfecting their house.

How to Disinfect Your House? Proven Ways to Prevent COVID-19

Take a look at some of the tips to follow while disinfecting your house to prevent Covid-19:

1. Clean the Surfaces First

Don’t get to disinfecting right away. The first step before disinfecting your home is to clean your home, especially the surfaces that you’re going to disinfect. Remove the dust from the surfaces using a dry cloth. Many disinfectants do not have a cleaning agent.

In that case, if the surfaces are still visibly dirty, use detergent, soap, water to clean the surface. Once the surfaces are clean, you can go ahead and disinfect them. Different types of disinfectants are suitable for different surfaces, you can go with an alcohol-based disinfectant with at least 70% of alcohol.

2. Disinfect Common Surfaces

Disinfecting the common surfaces or the most-touched surfaces that contain most germs and viruses is essential to prevent infection. These include doorknobs and handles, switches, tables, countertops, sofa and chair arm-tops, kitchen slap, bathroom, faucet, and sinks. These surfaces also include the devices that we use such as mobile phones, keyboards, etc.

To clean these surfaces, you can also use vinegar or bleach to kill the microbes apart from commercial disinfectants. However, commercial disinfectants will be more effective since vinegar can only destroy some bacteria and viruses. Disinfect the common surfaces in your kitchen, bathroom, drawing, and other rooms using a suitable disinfectant and ensure the safety of your family.

If you have something delivered at your home like Pratiksha, make sure you can disinfect it too using a suitable disinfectant.

3. Use the Right Disinfectant

Using the right disinfectant to prevent Covid-19 is crucial to ensure the safety of your family. Every disinfectant is not effective in destroying all types of germs. Thus, it is important to know which products will be effective in safeguarding your home from Covid-19.

You can refer to the list of disinfectants issued by the EPA that will effectively disinfect your home and prevent infection. You will find all the details for the disinfectant including company name, formulation type, surface type, etc. Some of the most popular disinfectant products that will effectively safeguard your home from COvid-19 are:

• Disinfecting wipes, including Clorox, Lysol, or store brand wipes
• Disinfectant sprays, such as Purell, Clorox, or Lysol
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Hydrogen peroxide

You will find alcohol-based disinfectants at most of the nearby stores. Just make sure that the alcohol percentage is at least 70%. In addition, you can also make a homemade disinfectant or diluted bleach solution with 5.25-8.25% sodium hypochlorite, if it is suitable for the surface.

4. Follow a Disinfecting Routine

To combat Covid-19 effectively, you need a daily and weekly disinfecting routine for common areas like the living room, kitchen, and bathroom.

For the Living Room:

• Disinfect AC remotes and TV remotes daily.
• Make sure that you disinfect the tables and arm-tops of chairs and sofas every day.
• Don’t forget to sanitize soft surfaces like drapes, carpeted floors, and rugs at least thrice a week.
• Disinfect the telephone two-three times a day.

For the Kitchen

• Disinfect the countertop, cutting and chopping boards, sink, cabinet pulls, electronic kitchen appliances, and switches every day.
• Take out the trash every day and spray the dustbin with disinfectant.
• Clean and disinfect the kitchen sink every week.
• Disinfect all the range knobs and wash other appliances such as the oven and stoves.

For the Bathroom

• Clean and disinfect all the taps and handles in the bathroom every day.
• Wash the bath towel and/or bathrobe every day to prevent microbial growth.
• Disinfect the washbasin, bathtub, showers, shower curtains, doors, cabinets, and handles weekly.
• Disinfect the soap dispenser, toothbrush holders, and other similar items every week.

Make sure that you read the label of the disinfectant carefully and use it safely. See the product label to find out about the personal protective equipment (PPE) you need to ensure safety while using the product. Using glasses or goggles and gloves is always a good idea while disinfecting.

In conclusion, disinfecting your home is very essential to protect yourself and your home from getting infected. Following these tips will surely help Pratiksha and many like her to disinfect their homes properly and prevent Covid-19. Stay Clean, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!