Your home should feel like a safe place to relax and relieve your mind after a long day’s work. However, you may not know that in the course of your day, you interact with many people and a lot of different surfaces. Unknowingly, you end up collecting germs and carrying them home. (1)
In most cases, people confuse cleaning and disinfecting, thinking it is the same thing. However, these two things are very different.
Cleaning refers to removing germs but not killing them. You may clean surfaces but the germs remain alive. On the other hand, disinfecting is the process of killing germs leaving the surface clean and safe. However, it would help if you were careful while using disinfectants for safety purposes. Therefore, always read the instructions before using them.
To keep your home clean and safe, you need to clean and disinfect frequently. This post will shed more light on properly cleaning and disinfecting your home in 8 simple steps to keep your home virus and bacteria-free.
How to Clean Your Home
1. Cleaning your kitchen
Dishtowels and Sponges can carry a lot of germs if not washed properly. Therefore, you need to wash the dishtowels and sponges using enough soap and rinse them in warm water. Furthermore, remember to wash the cutting boards with hot water and soap after every use. Maintain the counter surfaces clean after cooking by scrubbing them with hot water and soap then wipe with a clean cloth to keep them dry.
2. Cleaning the bedroom
Since bedrooms are the most private and intimate rooms in the house, they should always be kept clean. Bedbugs are common pests that you can find in the bedrooms. Therefore, you must keep your bedroom clean to avoid infestation and growth of bedbugs.
You need to wash all your beddings at least once a week in hot water to kill any bedbug traces. Use zippered mattress and pillow covers to prevent pests from infesting your beddings. You can also vacuum cleaners to vacuum clean mattresses that don’t have mattress covers at least once a week.
3. Cleaning the bathroom
If you are using an indoor bathroom and mold test kit, then it’s vital that you always clean the toilet handles with hot water and soap or detergent. Keep the toilet bowls and the seat clean by frequently washing and scrubbing them. After bathing, always ensure that you wipe the bathroom floors and walls with a mop. Also, you need to throw away soiled tissues and empty the wastebasket daily.
4. Cleaning the living room
You also have to wipe the doorknobs using an antibacterial cleaning agent. Use the antibacterial cleaning agents to spray on the living rooms and wipe them gently. The paint used in some house walls contains lead, which has health-related issues. Before buying the cleaning agents, it’s only best if you consult paint experts first.
Moreover, the rugs and carpets in your living room should frequently be vacuumed. Don’t forget to include your sofa too! Open Windows and doors or use fans to make the room have as much air as possible. You can also consider using air purifiers to filter toxins.
How To Disinfect Your Home
5. Disinfecting your kitchen
It’s always a good idea to wear gloves before disinfecting anything in your house. Remember to always wash your hands with warm water and soap after using the disinfecting agents. Use appropriate disinfection agents to clean the kitchen surfaces, especially after cooking.
Furthermore, the kitchen surfaces should be a bit wet after disinfecting them. Therefore, you need to leave them wet for a few minutes for the disinfectants to be effective. Avoid using chlorine-based disinfectants to clean food preparation areas as they are a health risk. After washing your dishes, rinse them in warm water mixed with a disinfection agent and let them dry.
6. Disinfecting the living room
Use disinfection agents to disinfect table surfaces and edges, doorknobs and light switches. Spray the table surfaces with enough disinfectants, leave it wet for a few minutes to dry and then wipe the surface with a microfiber cloth.
Electronics found in the living room can also be carriers of dangerous pathogens. Use foam-based disinfectants to spray on remotes, keyboards, television screens and other electronics in the house. Afterward, wipe them with a clean cloth. You may also consider hiring a disinfection service to get things done professionally.
7. Disinfecting the bathroom
Be keen to use disinfectants to disinfect hard surfaces in the shower, toilets and bathroom counters at least twice a day. Give everyone a new toothbrush, especially after anyone in the house has recovered from flu. Disinfect the interior and outer surfaces of the toilet using a disinfectant.
8. Disinfecting the bedroom
The bedroom being your private area, it requires special attention. This is especially when dealing with beddings. Spray on the surfaces of pillows, mattresses and blankets with a disinfecting spray. You also have to leave wet for a few minutes so that the disinfectant’s active ingredients can set to work effectively. While doing your laundry, rinse them in warm water mixed with a disinfection agent and leave them to dry.
Overall, always clean and infect your home regularly to keep it safe and healthy for you and your family. (2)
