Covid-19: Effective Tips To Clean And Disinfect Your House Properly

Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at home is important to prevent catching Covid-19. It is all the more important if you have a person infected with Covid-19 at home. Washing hands with soap and water regularly is important. At the same time, it is important to know which disinfectants work in the most effective manner. The likes of vinegar and vodka do not work as effective disinfectants. Dr Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, , Internal Medicine Board Certified, in a recent IGTV talks about ways to disinfect your house properly.

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How to disinfect your house properly in times of Covid-19

In the video, Dr Arefa talks about the importance of cleaning house for removing dirt and germs including the novel coronavirus. Wash your hands with soap and water as regularly as possible.

Following are the tips she suggests for properly cleaning and disinfecting the house:

1. Instead of using paper towels, you can create your own cleaning towels at home with old clothes and discard them off every day.

2. Surfaces like kitchen sinks, the faucet for the sink, fridge handles, door handles (both sides), nobs of cabinets, microwave, etc need to be scrubbed and cleaned regularly. These are high-touch surfaces and it is easy for one to miss on cleaning them.

Also read: Coronavirus Prevention: Is It Important To Wear Gloves To The Grocery Store?

3. For wet surfaces, soap, rubbing alcohol, bleach and the usual cleaners work well.

4. Do not use vinegar as a disinfectant as it is ineffective.

5. You can use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning surfaces. Let at least 70% of alcohol sit on the surface for 30 seconds.

6. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a disinfectant. You should let 3% hydrogen peroxide sit on the surface for one minute.

7. Make sure you read the back of disinfectants (it could be difficult to read as it is written in a very small font). It contains important directions like using gloves when using them. Disinfectants may contain chemicals which can be toxic and cause irritation or rashes on the skin. Disinfecting regularly removes most of the germs and reduces chances of catching an infection.

Wear gloves while disinfecting the house
Photo Credit: iStock

8. Disinfecting is different from santising. Sanitising is a process which reduces bacteria but not viruses.

9. If you are using bleach, you need to use 1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Mix only with water. Do not mix any other products because it could create fumes and become toxic. To clean with bleach, but a layer of the solution, leave it for a minute, and then wipe it away with a sponge. Bleach can be harmful for medals and plastic so use it with caution.

Also read: 7 Personal Hygiene Tips You Must Know

How to do your laundry?

Clean clothes with detergent, like the usual. Use warmer water if possible. Dry them out quickly. Wear gloves if you are handling laundry and clothing of an infected person.

Electronics

Phones need to be cleaned with a damp cloth. You can use an alcohol wipe (ideally 70%) to clean your phone, says Dr Arefa in the WebMD IGTV.

Also read: Coronavirus Tips: Just Like Your Hands, You Need To Disinfect Your Phone Too! Know Why And How

(Dr Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, Doctor, Internal Medicine Board Certified)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.