The WoW Style

Viruses are harmful organisms that may cause diseases, including colds, flu, and the most recent COVID-19. Around the world, people have been asked to stay at home to prevent the possible spread of infection. People have been finding different activities to do while spending time indoors and trying to survive the boredom. Simplysurvival.com suggests many different ways to spend time at home productively.

Still, getting sick during this time is very difficult. Medical professionals say that the best way to prevent illnesses is to keep your body healthy and your immune system at its best. Maintaining cleanliness in your body and inside your home also helps in the fight against viruses.

Here are some things to have inside your home to keep everything virus-free.

1. Soap And Water

You’ve probably heard this one many times before, but it’s still important to stress that the best way to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 and other diseases caused by germs and viruses is to keep your hands clean. This is especially true after coughing, sneezing, using the restroom, or leaving and returning from another place, like the grocery. Thus, it’s imperative to keep some soap and clean water within your reach around your home.

For instance, it’s best to keep some soap and water by the gate or the door to encourage people to wash their hands before entering the
home.

2. Hand Sanitizer

Sometimes, having soap and water around may not be too convenient. So, the next best thing is hand sanitizer. While it’s not as effective as hand washing, having a hand sanitizer with you anywhere you go like in your bag or by your front or back door can still minimize the risk of spreading, or contracting viruses.

3. Gloves

When cleaning and disinfecting your home, it’s best to use gloves to keep germs and viruses away and to protect your skin free from strong chemicals. Disposable gloves should be carefully discarded each time after use. This means throwing the gloves away in the appropriate garbage bin to avoid other members of the home from touching or re-using them. Doing this also ensures that the gloves don’t touch other surfaces of the house.

If you’re using reusable gloves, ensure that these gloves are used only for cleaning and disinfecting purposes. Check manufacturer instructions for the proper ways to clean and disinfect the gloves. You should still wash your hands thoroughly after taking the gloves off.

4. Cleaning Products

Cleaning your home means that you remove impurities, dirt, and germs from surfaces of things. While this process may not necessarily kill the germs, cleaning may remove them and reduce their numbers to help lower your risk of spreading infection. Thus, to keep your home clean, you need some cleaning tools and products. Here’s a list of some products to make cleaning easier and faster:

• Scrubbing brush
• Steel pot scourer
• Broom and dustpan
• Floor mop or squeegee
• Bucket
• Hand basins
• Laundry tubs
• Paper or cloth towels
• Dishwashing detergent
• Laundry detergent
• Sponges and cleaning cloths

5. Disinfecting Products

Disinfecting your home means using products that contain chemicals to kill germs on different surfaces of your home. Doing this alone won’t clean dirty objects, but disinfecting surfaces immediately after cleaning can further reduce the risk of getting sick due to the spread of bacteria and viruses. Here are some disinfecting products to help you kill harmful germs on your home surfaces:

• Disinfecting spray
• Disinfecting wipes
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Isopropyl alcohol

Home Cleaning And Disinfecting Tips

Person-to-person contact presents a higher risk of infection compared to surface transmission. However, experts recommend that you clean and disinfect various surfaces at home at least once a day. This is especially applicable to frequently-touched surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, faucets, toilets, desks, light switches, and electronics.

Research has shown that viruses can live on surfaces for up to three days. Thus, daily cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces is a step to help prevent the spread of diseases and infection.

Cleaning Hard (Porous) Surfaces

Don’t forget to wear gloves when cleaning and disinfecting anything. Disposable gloves should be discarded properly, and reusable gloves should be cleaned and disinfected according to instructions. Here are some tips:

• Clean dirty surfaces with soap or detergent and water before disinfecting.
• Use any household disinfectant you have at home. Read and follow the instructions on the label, including application method, the concentration used, and contact time to ensure effective use.
• If there’s a possibility of splashing, it’s best to wear skin and eye protection for safety.
• Make sure that there’s adequate ventilation.
• Avoid combining chemical products.
• Label any diluted cleaning solution.
• Store chemicals or cleaning solutions away from children’s and pet’s reach.

Cleaning Soft (Porous) Surfaces

Soft porous surfaces refer to rugs, carpets, drapes, or any similar items in your home.

For these items, clean any visible contamination if there’s any, with the proper cleaners recommended for these items.

After cleaning these, launder the items according to manufacturer instructions. Dry the items thoroughly.

Additionally, you can use any appropriate disinfecting products approved for use on these surfaces.

Cleaning Electronics

For remote controls, touch screens, tablets, cell phones, and keyboards, use the appropriate cleaning products to remove any visible dirt.

• Follow cleaning and disinfecting instructions from the manufacturer.
• Think about using easy-to-wipe covers for your electronics.
• If you can’t find manufacturer instructions for cleaning and disinfecting, use alcohol-based sprays or wipes with at least 70 percent alcohol in disinfecting touch screens.
• Dry surfaces completely to prevent the pooling of liquids, which can destroy these items.

Clothing, Linens And Other Laundry Items

When washing laundry items, follow these steps:

• Use gloves when handling dirty clothes and linens from a sick person. Wash your hands carefully after taking off the gloves.
• If possible, avoid shaking dirty laundry to prevent dispersing virus into the air.
• Wash items according to manufacturer instructions. If possible, wash the items using the warmest possible water setting. Ensure that the items are completely dry.
• Clean and disinfect laundry hampers according to instructions. If possible, use disposable bag liners and dispose of these accordingly after use. Or, you can also use washable bag liners, which you can also clean and disinfect accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched items at home is a step further to keeping illnesses at bay. If you don’t have access to disinfectants, you can use diluted household bleach as an alternative. You need to keep cleaning and disinfecting your home at least once a day if someone in the house has had contact with the outside.