Did someone in your home just test positive for COVID-19? Are you trying to take preventative measures during flu season? Are you generally worried about unwittingly contracting a norovirus? The solution to these problems is to regularly disinfect your home whenever situations such as these arise. While you don’t need to deep clean every single surface of your home on a daily basis, taking time to disinfect your home when flu or COVID cases rise or while recovering from a contagious sickness is one best practice to consider implementing. If you aren’t sure where to begin, then take time to explore the different ways to disinfect your home.
Prevent Germs From Spreading By Cleaning Surfaces
The primary recommendation from the CDC is to address surfaces used and touched in your home most often. Whether it’s a kitchen island countertop or dining room table, cleaning surfaces will prevent germs from finding refuge. If someone in your home is already sick, disinfecting these surfaces will keep them from spreading any further.
While cleaning surfaces requires soap and water, disinfecting will require stronger solutions such as bleach or other liquid disinfectants. It’s important to note that surfaces in this context mean anything in your home that is often touched by hands, so doorknobs and handles, and remotes are also included.
Disinfect Your Home One Room At A Time
If you want to cover all your bases, you can disinfect each individual room in your home. Start with the areas in your home that are accessible to the most people and work your way to places like bathrooms and bedrooms. The recommended order of the four main places in your home to clean is your kitchen (and anywhere you and your loved ones eat), living room, bathrooms, then bedrooms.
Clean Your Bedding As Soon As Possible
As soon as you or anyone else in your home recovers from being sick for an extensive period of time, the bedroom will need to be disinfected and cleaned, especially the bedding. The first step will be to strip all the bedding. Once the bedding is stripped, the pillows (without their covers) and the mattress will need to be disinfected first with Lysol. The recommendation is to spray the Lysol (or other spray-based disinfectants in your possession) on the surface of the mattress or pillow and let the substance soak in for anywhere from thirty seconds to ten minutes. Once dry, rinse with clean water. If there are stains from bodily fluids on the mattress and bare pillows, pre-soak in bleach to clean it out before using Lysol.
Linens stripped from the bed will need a deep cleaning in the washer. To thoroughly kill any remaining germs, use a laundry sanitizer-based detergent. Most products are clearly labeled as to whether or not they possess sanitizing or disinfecting properties so pay attention to any indicators.
Disinfect The Air In Your Home
If you or a loved one is recovering from an airborne sickness, disinfecting the air in your home is the best way to expel the germs contributing to it. First, make sure you own the appropriate disinfectant spray(s). If necessary, research which ones are most effective in your situation and purchase as soon as possible. Once your disinfectant spray is in your possession, go area by area in your home during the day to open the windows. Proceed to spray the air with the disinfectant before going to the next part of your home where there are windows.
After completing every one of the above tasks to disinfect your home, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, so you don’t accidentally continue spreading any germs. As an additional precaution, when applicable, you can also wear gloves during the disinfection process. Make sure that you are taking care to protect yourself from getting sick so that your application of these tips is worth your time and effort.
ASAP Restoration Can Disinfect Your Home!
Next time you are worried about germs spreading in flu season or what to do when you or a loved one gets sick, you’ll now know exactly how to disinfect your home. If you are daunted by the extent of disinfecting your home, our technicians at ASAP Restoration will make that job less stressful by making your home as good as new. Contact us today for the best and most thorough home disinfection.