Is house cleaning essential amid COVID-19 or is it enough if we disinfected ourselves? Do we need to clean all the surfaces in our homes or not?
Cleaning and disinfecting the home is a determining factor in the risk of infection. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention give us some recommendations.
These days, learning some recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting the home is quite timely. With the concern that exists about the coronavirus issue, it is useful to know what we can do from our homes to reduce the risk of infection and spread.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) explains, Covid-19, that is, the infectious disease the coronavirus causes, can spread from person to person when there is close contact. Transmission occurs through respiratory droplets, which can come from the nose or mouth of an infected person.
Likewise, said drip can fall on nearby surfaces and objects, which also poses a risk of infection. In these cases, if the person has contact with them and then touches his eyes, nose or mouth, he can become infected. So proper general cleaning is also important. What should we consider?
How to clean and disinfect the home?
Strategies to clean and disinfect the home aim to limit the survival of viruses that may reside within it. Although we are going to refer in particular to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around the Covid-19 issue recommends, they are guidelines that can also help prevent other infectious processes.
And, in general, proper cleaning of home spaces is synonymous with well-being. This allows to remove germs, dirt and all kinds of impurities that can facilitate the transmission of infections. In addition, combined with disinfection products, it helps kill germs on surfaces. Let’s see in detail.
Routine cleaning at home
Cleaning of the home must begin with all those surfaces with which we have continuous contact.
Frequently, throughout the day, we have continuous contact with certain surfaces of the home. Be it the tables, the door knobs, light switches, toilets, taps, etc., it is important to ensure proper disinfection. And we say disinfection because its superficial cleaning is not enough.
In this regard, the CDC advises us to use household cleaners and disinfectants that are EPA-backed and surface-appropriate. Thus, the ideal would be to take a few minutes to read the information on the label. This, among other things, is decisive in giving them proper use.
Households with isolated people: Is house cleaning essential?
For households with isolated individuals in home care (for example, by suspected or confirmed Covid-19 infection), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes more stringent cleaning recommendations.
In addition, through the home care instructions, they remember that the isolated person should stay in a specific room, away, as far as possible, from other family members. In general, in these cases, caregivers and patients should attend to the following:
Clean and disinfect daily continuous contact surfaces, such as those mentioned in the previous section.
Wash the bathroom and personal items of all family members more regularly, especially the sick person. Towels, bedding, clothing, etc. are included here.
Unless you are dealing with a child, disabled person or who cannot have contact with disinfectants, care can provide personal cleaning products for the person who is isolated.
If there is only one bathroom in the home, you should clean and disinfect it after each use per person.
Final recommendations for cleaning and disinfection
All items that are in contact with a sick person, or suspected of disease, should be disinfected with appropriate products.
There are other preventive measures that we can put into practice during the home cleaning and disinfection process. They must be applied both in case of suspected viral infection and in confirmed cases. And not only now that there is fear of Covid-19, but whenever there is a risk of infections of this type.
- Use disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. They must have a single use.
- When removing the gloves, wash your hands well, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water.
- To clean some types of surfaces, you can use a diluted solution of household bleach, but following the instructions for ventilation and use. Mix 5 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water to prepare the solution.
- All soft or porous surfaces, such as rugs and carpets, should be cleaned regularly with the appropriate cleaners. Also, it is convenient to wash these items using hot water.
- Gloves are also due when handling dirty clothing of a sick person. You should not shake these garments and, if possible, wash them with warmer water.
Finally, it is worth remembering the importance of ensuring optimal hand hygiene. Washing them with soap and water, several times a day, is key to reducing all kinds of risks of infection and further spreading. Repeat washing your hands if there are sick people in the home.
In addition, you must repeat washing the hands when in contact with pets, when preparing food, before eating, after entering the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, among other situations of consideration.
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