With the current outbreak of COVID-19, frequently cleaning and disinfecting your home is essential for keeping yourself and your family safe and healthy. 

While person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 poses a much greater risk than transmission via surfaces, it is recommended that  cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at least once a day, even if you’re not leaving the house.

That’s because anytime items or people come in and out of your home, there’s some possibility of exposure.

Scientific studies have shown that the novel coronavirus can remain in the air for up to three hours and live on surfaces such as cardboard for up to 24 hours, and plastic and stainless steel for up to three days.

Cleaning of Surfaces:

There are many products you can use to clean hard surfaces, like soapy water and vinegar. And while cleaning high-traffic surfaces to remove contaminants, dust and debris is a necessary step of cleaning your home, you still need to disinfect those surfaces from the novel coronavirus.

Not all cleaning products are effective on all types of germs, so you should know exactly which products kill COVID-19.

You might already have some of these effective products in your home, like:

·     Disinfecting wipes

·     Disinfectant sprays,

·     Isopropyl alcohol

·     Hydrogen peroxide

·     Home made bleach

And while using effective virus-killing products is key, it’s also important to follow the proper techniques to thoroughly disinfect surfaces.

It is advised letting the product sit and remain wet on surfaces or objects for 10 minutes, and that will kill 99.9 percent of germs.

Disinfecting certain areas:

You don’t need to clean your house from top to bottom each day, but you should focus on disinfecting the areas that are hot-spots for germs. These are the most important items to disinfect every day:

·     Cupboard and drawer knobs/pulls

·     Faucets

·     Kitchen and bathroom counters

·     Toilets, especially the seat and handle

·     Refrigerator, dishwasher, oven and microwave handles

·     Remote controls and game controllers

·     Cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices

·     Computer keyboards and mice

·     Door knobs/handles

·     Table surfaces

·     Staircase railings

·     Light switches/switch plates

Wear disposable gloves and discard them after disinfecting. If you have reusable gloves, be sure to disinfect them after you’re done. And always remember to wash your hands before and after you clean and disinfect your home.

Personal Hygeine and Safety :Keep Washing Your Hands

It’s been repeated countless times, but that’s because it’s true: no matter what you do, the best way to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19 or passing it to someone else is to wash your hands.

The CDC recommends a vigorous 20-second scrub with soap and water that extends beyond the hands to the wrists, between the fingers and under the finger nails.