How to properly clean and disinfect the house

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Detailed instructions that will come in handy during a pandemic or cold season.

We reviewed the guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and chose the main thing.

How to prepare

• Wear disposable latex gloves to protect your hands.
• Make a soapy solution (warm water + a few drops of liquid soap).
• Prepare an antiseptic. If the bottle says it's a concentrate, make a solution following the manufacturer's directions.

What can be used as a home antiseptic

• Store sanitizers. These are products for cleaning floors and plumbing, sprays and gels for hands. You can buy them delivered to your home.
• Medical antiseptics. That is, those that are used to wipe floors, tools and surfaces in medical institutions.
• Bleaches. For example, the well-known "Whiteness" and other chlorine-containing products. But be careful: read the instructions and do not use a concentrated substance, otherwise objects and surfaces can be damaged. For processing, the bleach must first be diluted in a ratio of about 50-60 milliliters of the product per 1 liter of water.
• Homemade sanitizers. Here are some instructions for making them.
• Alcohol with a strength of at least 70%. Vodka and other alcohol will not work for disinfection.

How often do you need to clean

• Wash and disinfect frequently used surfaces and objects daily: kitchen table and countertop, writing table, faucet handles, kitchen cabinets, refrigerator handles, door and window handles, switches and buttons, remote controls, computer keyboards, and so on.
• Surfaces that you do not touch so often (dressers, bedside tables, shelves, window sills) can be wiped and disinfected less often - two or three times a week.
• If a person came to you who does not live with you all the time, after he left, wipe and disinfect everything he touched. The same applies to the situation if someone in your family is sick.

How to disinfect properly

Hard surfaces

• First, wipe the surface with a cloth or sponge dampened with soapy water. This will remove dirt, grease or dust.
• Read the instructions for the antiseptic. Pay attention to the application technique: some substances are recommended for use on wet surfaces, others on dry surfaces (self-made compositions belong to this category).
• Make sure the product is suitable for surface treatment. If you have an alcohol-based antiseptic, there will be no problems with this, but with chlorine-containing substances (Domestos, "Whiteness") it is better to be careful. They can discolor the floor or furniture. Therefore, first test on a small, unobtrusive area of coverage.
• It is better to dilute a thick disinfectant with water first, because it is very concentrated.
• Apply the substance to the surface with a cloth or spray bottle. If you are using an alcohol-based antiseptic or chlorine-based disinfectant diluted in water, you do not need to do anything else. But undiluted chlorine-containing products must be washed off after 5 minutes.

Carpets and textiles

• Send everything you can to the wash: curtains, bedspreads, furniture and cushion covers, towels, small synthetic rugs, tablecloths, and more. Wash at the highest temperature allowed for each type of fabric. After the clothes are dry, iron them or steam them with hot steam.
• If the item cannot be washed (for example, a large carpet), go over it with a sponge dipped in soapy water or a special cleaning agent. And then treat with a cloth or sponge with an antiseptic applied to it. Make sure that the disinfectant can be used on fabrics first: apply it to a small inconspicuous area and wait 15-20 minutes. It is better to be careful with chlorine-containing products: they can only be used diluted after the test on a piece of tissue.

Soft furniture

Full disinfection will not work here. It is no coincidence that there are no sofas, no chairs, no rugs in hospital wards, treatment rooms and operating rooms, and all soft surfaces are covered with washable upholstery. But something can still be done.

• Wipe the surface of the furniture with a sponge slightly soaked in soapy water. You should not get carried away, your task is to simply wipe the upholstery, and not wet the furniture.
• Steam woven upholstery if you have a steamer. You can also use an iron, but be careful: there is a risk of burning the fabric.

Technique

• If we are talking about household appliances - multicooker, coffee maker, microwave oven, humidifier, wipe them first with a cloth with soapy water, and then with an antiseptic.
• Use special products or napkins to treat screens. It should be written on them that they contain an antiseptic.

What to do after cleaning

• Trash or wash the rags, sponges, and towels you used.
• Remove and discard disposable gloves.
• Wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap and water, and treat your hands with a sanitizer.

How to keep clean if someone is sick at home

• If possible, place the unhealthy person in a separate room.
• Make sure the sick person uses their own towels and utensils. And he left his bedroom as little as possible.
• Wear disposable gloves when washing dishes for a sick person, putting his clothes and linen in the washing machine.
• Every day, wet the sick person's room using the method described above. Wear disposable gloves and a medical mask beforehand.
• Clean the bathroom every time a sick family member is there.
• Treat all objects that the sick person touched: handles, switches, consoles, surfaces.

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