How To Stop Germs From Spreading In The Home
With the Coronavirus pandemic taking over every part of our lives, it’s important that we observe all of the Government guidelines; wash our hands, social distancing and staying at home. What else can we do? While on lockdown, now is the best time to fling open all the windows and have a good deep clean. Germs can live on all surfaces, so the cleaner we keep them, the less likely they can spread to other members of the same house.
We’ve put together some simple cleaning guidelines to follow, to ensure your home is as germ-free as can be –
Bathrooms and kitchens are renowned for being germ hotspots and should be paid regular and extra special attention. As with hand washing, germs can be washed away from surfaces with soap and hot water. Many tend to use an antibacterial spray which is equally effective.
When you clean anywhere with water, ensure you dry these areas straight after, as germs love to grow in damp areas.
Ensure all of your cleaning tools are clean; there is no good in mopping the floor with a dingy mop that you’ve had for a couple of years. The likelihood is you’ll be spreading more germs than killing them. After every clean, give all your cloths a good wash in the washing machine or an overnight soak in some diluted disinfectant or bleach. Ensure they all dry out quickly so as not to encourage the growth of more germs.
Cleaning Tips
Bathrooms
Keep cleaning products close to the toilet if possible, this will encourage you to keep the toilet clean regularly. Make sure after every use, the toilet is flushed. Use the toilet brush with cleaner every few days and clean the rim, seat and flush with a disinfectant. Wash your hands after using the toilet, and after cleaning the bathroom.
Keep on top of your bath and shower areas, by rinsing them out after every use and regularly wiping down surfaces with bathroom cleaner. Regularly wash shower curtains in the washing machine. They can be hung straight back up after the cycle has ended, just ensure there is plenty of ventilation in the room for it to dry.
Kitchen
Before you prepare any food, wash and dry your hands! Ensure the area you are working in has been cleaned. Use separate chopping boards for raw meat, cooked meat and other items that do not require cooking, such as salads or fruit. Make sure your always wash and dry your hands after handling any raw meat. Be careful of any other surfaces you may have touched while handling raw meat and clean those as well.
All flooring should be kept clean and disinfected. Ensure that it’s regularly cleaned and any visible dirt is immediately removed.
Carpet and soft furnishings
Steam cleaning is a great way if getting rid of germs on carpets and soft furnishings. They are very easy to get hold of and can be hired or purchased from several places.
Most curtains can be cleaned in the washing machine or disinfected with a steam cleaner.
Pets
Do not keep pet food with human food and store their dishes and any other utensils separately. Always wash your hands after touching pets, their food, toys and litter trays. Clean litter trays regularly, ensuring any fouls are removed as soon as they are spotted, placing them in an outside bin.
Toys
Some plastic toys can be hand-washed, dish-washed, or even washed in the washing machine. Make sure they are dried completely before putting them away.
Soft toys can be cleaned in the washing machine, or steam cleaned.
Laundry
Any underwear, bedding or towels should be washed at a higher temperature to kill off any germs. Make sure you always wash your hands after you have handled any dirty washing.
Don’t leave wet laundry in the machine – get it out and hung up to dry as quickly as possible. While it’s wet, germs can quickly multiply.
Bins
Try to have pedal bins in your house. These are seen to be more hygienic because you’re less likely to be touching the bin lid with your hands. Make sure all waste is disposed of in the correct manner so that you do not attract vermin. Always wash your hands after handling any waste.
Many of these points can seem fairly obvious, but when we are all going about our busy lives, it can be simple to omit a quick hand wash here and there. As we have seen in recent weeks, hand washing goes a long way to keeping a home clean and healthy. Let’s all try and stick to good home hygiene now and for the future.