Considering the exceptional circumstances we find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to take every precaution when it comes to properly clean and disinfecting our house.
It is our responsibility to do the best we can to avert a crisis, and a part of that is without a doubt keeping our homes adequately sanitized.
And don’t forget, the most effective way of preventing this disease is by frequently washing and sanitizing our hands.
What basic precautions should I take?
Your house should be cleaned and sanitized several times a day, especially if somebody in your household is showing symptoms or members of your family have to leave the house regularly.
Make sure you focus your cleaning efforts on areas and objects that are used most frequently: kitchen countertops, sinks, door knobs, taps, switches, remotes, etc.
While sanitizing the kitchen, the most appropriate option is to clean everything in the following order:
– Do the dishes, whether it’s in a dishwasher or by hand with hot water and dish soap;
– Clean and sanitize the countertops, cabinets, and spend more time cleaning those places where people touch more often: cabinet handles, drawer handles, fridge and freezer handles, etc.
– Clean and disinfect the garbage disposal, the counter, and the sink drain.
The cleaning products you should be used to sanitize your home can be quite aggressive on your skin and can ruin your clothes. Wearing gloves, old clothes you can ruin and a plastic apron is very important. Wash the clothes at 60 degrees afterward and discard the gloves and the apron.
Before putting on gloves, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Repeat this after you take them off as well.
What Products Should I Use?
Several cleaning products have sold out or are on high demand in department stores everywhere.
Luckily, this virus can be eliminated using simple household products like water and soap, bleach and alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol.
How to Use?
Water and Soap: these products are the easiest to find and can be enough to break the virus’s protective envelope with enough friction. Scrub the surfaces as if they were covered in sticky grime. Discard the towel afterward, or let it soak in soap and hot water for a while.
Bleach: bleach should be diluted in the following proportion: a measure of bleach for 49 identical measures of water. Don’t mix it with other products and don’t keep this solution for more than a day.
First, you should wash the surfaces with water and detergent to avoid unwanted chemical reactions, dry them and apply the solution, let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and let it air dry. Ventilate the room afterward.
It is important to rinse out the bleach so it doesn’t cause discoloration of the materials, especially on countertops. If it’s used too frequently on taps and stainless steel it can cause them to deteriorate as well.
Also, you can read more tips on how to clean and maintain your Rodi solutions here.
Alcohol: the solution used should be at least 70% alcohol.
Wash the surfaces with water and soap, apply the alcohol solution and let it sit for 30 seconds.
What You Should not Use?
Do not use homemade hand sanitizer, the proportions have to be very precise for it to work, and if they aren’t it can be completely ineffective or even cause damage. Alcoholic beverages are also not disinfectant, and there is no scientific proof that vinegar is effective against the virus.
Don’t forget to check regularly for updates on the World Health Organization recommendations on how to prevent contagion. Most importantly, keep yourself and your family safe.
