A Clean Home Is A Virus-Free Home –

A clean home is a virus-free home – tips and tricks.

We’re living in peculiar times and in order to persevere through the pandemic, the world has started to adapt in one way or another. The industry had to change and businesses focused on reaching homeowners and generating leads in a market that’s different from last year’s. Even the way we do our weekly chores had to change. Cleaning our home, the activity that some of us don’t enjoy, has become one of the most important chores. After all, a clean home is a virus-free home.

Is Cleaning and Disinfecting your Home the Same Thing?

We could say that cleaning and disinfecting your home are two different things. While cleaning is about removing contaminants, disinfecting is about removing pathogens. However, in the pandemic, the two are becoming more and more similar. If we want to live in a virus-free home, we have to clean thoroughly, and that should include disinfection. Keep in mind that this is something we need to do daily, even if all of our family members are healthy.

While transmission from person-to-person is a greater risk, transmission via surfaces is still very much possible. That’s why we need to clean and disinfect surfaces in our homes, especially high-touch surfaces. Furthermore, if someone entered your home, or if you or someone else has brought something in, then you need to clean again. For your safety, you should assume that a person or an item had been exposed to the virus, so you need to disinfect all the items that were brought in.

You’ll need some cleaning supplies.

Cleaning High-Touch Surfaces is Crucial

Multiple researchers have explained that the COVID-19 virus can remain on surfaces even for a couple of days. That’s why we should take cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces very seriously. Anytime someone else touches your doorknob there’s a risk you could get infected from touching that same doorknob afterward. So, a disinfected home means that these surfaces are regularly taken care of:

• Doorknobs and handles
• Light switches
• Faucets and toilet seats
• Kitchen and bathroom counters
• Tables and chairs
• Remote controls
• Keyboard, mouse pad
• Your cellphone – even though it might not be a part of your house, it can easily contaminate your clean, virus-free home.

Don’t forget to disinfect your cellphone

Special Cases

There are certain cases when you need to go the extra mile. Moving in the midst of a pandemic is one such case.

In the case of a State to State Move, you’ll meet professional movers and other people on your way to your new home. No matter how professional or reliable these movers are, remember to thoroughly clean all the surfaces of the items that will be brought into your home. Researchers have already explained that the virus can remain on cardboard material for 24 hours, so don’t forget about the boxes with your belongings.

However, you can’t be too sure that the previous owner has properly cleaned your new house. Before moving in, make sure that every corner is disinfected. Why worry after moving in, instead of enjoying your new home?

Cleaning First

Living in a virus-free house shouldn’t mean you should get used to the damaged skin on your hands. Wear reusable or disposable gloves when cleaning. Remember, our hands are already sensitive from using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, so we don’t want to make things worse.

• Remove any dust or debris from the surface, first
• Use soapy water and a hand towel to clean the surface
• Apply disinfectant, like disinfectant spray or disinfectant wipes
• Make sure than the disinfectant will not damage the surface

Unfortunately, there’s been a shortage of disinfectants in some parts of the world, so use soap or other cleaning agents to clean thoroughly.

No Virus-free Home without Disinfection

You might be wondering what the best disinfectant is, so know that EPA has a list of disinfectants for use against the COVID-19. Just remember to keep surfaces wet for a certain period of time, as written on the label. Also, remember to ventilate your room, when using the disinfectant. And of course, store the chemicals out of the reach of pets and children.

Make a Disinfectant Yourself

After a rush on cleaning chemicals, some shelves were left empty. So, if you’re in a situation where you can’t find a disinfectant, you can make one yourself. This is a recipe for a cleaning solution, recommended by CDC:

• Use 5 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water
• Or use a 4 tablespoons of bleach per quart of water
• You can also use 70% diluted alcohol
• Leave the solution on the surface for a couple of minutes

Don’t mix the bleach with any other chemical, and make sure that the bleach will not damage the surface.

Other House Items

When cleaning more sensitive house items like soft materials, or electronics, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions.

• For soft materials use soap and water.
• Use 70% alcohol and wipe down or spray your electronics, just make sure you don’t damage them.
• If you’re handling clothes from a person who’s sick, wear disposable gloves.

Of course, even after using gloves, always wash your hands for 20-30 seconds with soap and running water. If you’re not able to do this, use a hand sanitizer with at least 6o% alcohol.

There’s no use having a virus-free home if your hands are not clean.

Give Yourself Time to Adapt

Life goes on, and we learn to adapt to new circumstances. After a while, making sure you have a clean and disinfected home at all times will become a part of your routine. When that happens, you’ll see that it doesn’t take up too much of your time. Instead of cleaning your home, you’ll find yourself doing a home improvement project or another activity that will make your home not just safer, but more comfortable.

Stay Safe

It’s important to have a virus-free home. However, during the pandemic, it’s easy to focus on it and forget some other important things. If you’re doing an outdoor project on your new property, you might be focused on not touching your eyes or a nose. However, you also need to remember to stay cool during the summer. Unfortunately, the virus is not the only thing that can harm our health, so be sure to remember that.