In most households, cleaning has always been a very important part of maintaining the property. By merely cleaning with a cleaner using soap or detergent you can get rid of many types of germs on the surfaces and reduce the risk of your family being exposed to the risk of infection. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, all households have to take their sanitization processes a notch higher. This is because, if someone tests positive for the virus, then all the members of the household can be exposed to it. Below are 10 tips that you can follow to ensure your house is sanitized with maximum efficiency during pandemic times.
Clean All Surfaces In Your Home
It is easy to overlook several surfaces in your house that are not easily reachable or ones like the attic which you don’t visit often. Once in a while, you should ensure all the surfaces and areas of your house are deep cleaned. By hiring the in-house team of Attic Projects Company, you can get your entire house checked for any type of infestations, sanitation, rodents, humidity problems that could be existing. While you may be cleaning the high touch surfaces in your living room regularly there could still be chances that you overlook other things like doorknobs, light switches, countertops, static, staircases, and so on. Though such areas will not have any visible dirt, they are still likely to contain germs and must be disinfected regularly.
Clean High Contact Points First
You don’t have to fully sanitize your whole house every day, you can just sanitize the points of high contact. Things like light switches, doorknobs, refrigerators, toilets and countertops are points that almost every family member will touch and just give those few points of contact a little spring clean it can drastically limit the chances of spreading anything.
Reduce Contamination On Surfaces
Every surface requires a special product that is suitable for cleaning it. Buy products specific to each surface and read the instructions carefully so you are sure that you are using them correctly. Simultaneously you must take steps to limit the contamination in your home from airborne particles. Also, you must limit the contamination that usually comes from touching surfaces with contaminated hands. One way of doing this is to ask guests who enter the house to keep their masks on if they are not vaccinated. If you have someone at your house who has COVID-19 then you should refrain from calling guests to your house. Make sure that all members of your household make it a habit to wash their hands properly, especially if they are coming home after being outdoors for a while.
Using The Right Sanitizer
It is important that you use the right product for the right surface in your home because some sanitisers can damage softer surfaces like furniture and untreated wooden tables. This might mean you need several different kinds of sanitizer to make your home clean, but it’s better than damaging anything, even if it’s just by slight decolourisation.
Disinfection To Avoid Getting Sick
If someone in your house is sick or has been tested positive for Covid-19 then you will have to disinfect your home properly. By doing so you will be able to kill germs that are on the surfaces and thereby reduce the risk of spreading them. Follow caregiver guides available online when you are taking care of someone who has Covid-19. Make sure that all disinfectants are stored properly and are out of reach of children. Most disinfectants come with clear instructions on how to use them. They also advise of the personal protective equipment (PPE) that you need to use when you are handling the disinfectant. This PPE may include gloves, glasses, and so on. Remember that you will first need to clean the dirt from the house using a cleaning product and then follow with a disinfectant. Disinfectants do not clean the surface but only sanitize it.
Directions For Disinfectants
There are specific disinfectants now available that can help you sanitize the house specifically against Covid-19. Some products may need to be kept on the surface wet for some time as that is the contact time needed for sanitizing. When you are sanitizing your house using a disinfectant, make sure that you have adequate ventilation in the area. You can do so by keeping the windows open, using a fan, or turning on your HVAC to improve the airflow. Once you have completed sanitizing, you should wash your hands with soap and discard the gloves. You can use a sanitizer if the handwashing facility is not available.
Sanitize When Someone Is Sick
To begin with, the person who has been tested positive with Covid-19 should be put in isolation. That means that the person should be kept in a separate bedroom and have a bathroom too that is solely for their use. If the person who is sick still can clean their room then you can provide them with the cleaning and sanitizing supplies. Give them supplies that include tissues, paper towels, cleaners, hand sanitizer and other disinfectants. The person who is sick must try to clean and disinfect all the surfaces and items that they use. However, in some cases, the sick person cannot clean their own room due to weakness or other reasons. In such cases, you must put on a mask before entering their room and also ask the sick person to keep their mask on. Wear gloves and disinfect and clean the area around the sick person. Avoid contact with the person who is sick at all costs. Ensure that the ventilation is proper so a fresh airflow can be maintained. Even the dishes and other items that are being used by the sick person should be handled with caution.
Stay Outside
A good way to keep your home clean and fully sanitized is to invite people outside of your family bubble into the garden area. By reducing the risk of contact inside your home you can cut down on the time spent fully sanitising it. While it is still suggested that you keep up with any house cleaning regime you have, it could well lower your chances of spreading any illnesses.
Sanitization After Recovery From Covid-19
Once the person who is sick has recovered, wait for the negative results before moving them back into the common area of the house. After that is confirmed you will need to clean and disinfect all the surfaces, areas, and items that were in contact with the sick person including their bed and bathroom facilities. Wear a mask and keep the windows open to increase airflow. This cleaning and disinfection should be conducted regularly for three days in a row. For soft surfaces like rugs and carpets, you can use soap and water or a specific cleaner to disinfect them. Keep them in warm and dry areas so they can dry quickly. Vacuuming can be carried on as usual. The laundry of the sick person should be washed separately from others and you must wash your hands properly after handling it.
It’s a Good Habit to Get Into
It’s not just the times of Covid when it is a good idea to sanitize your home, it is a good habit to get into. With more and more seasonal flu’s and colds going around giving your home a good sanitise now and again will help prevent all sorts of things from spreading to other family members.
The key to keeping your house sanitized is to clean it every day and once a month call in for deep-cleaning services to reach out to all those tough spots that you can miss. For the sake of the health of your family and yours, it is absolutely worth it.