How should I be cleaning my home during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Although it is currently unclear exactly how long COVID-19 can remain on a surface for, the most recent evidence suggests that the virus can survive on surfaces for several days at room temperature. In light of this, the government has advised that we should all be regularly cleaning commonly touched surfaces in our homes in order to help to prevent the spread of the virus.
So which areas of our homes should we focus on?
All high-touch areas
High-touch areas such as door handles, phones, remote controls, drawers, and light switches. These areas need to be wiped down as frequently as they are touched.
Horizontal surfaces
Horizontal surfaces where cough droplets are most likely to land. These areas include countertops, kitchen tables, desks, and floors.
Bathrooms
It’s important to clean bathroom surfaces before and after use, and dry surfaces with a separate clean cloth as germs grow faster on wet surfaces.
Remember to allocate a separate bath towel for each person in the house.
Kitchen
Clean kitchen surfaces and wipe down handles before and after use, and always remember to soak any kitchen equipment in hot, soapy water before you leave the kitchen.
Mobile phones
One thing that we often forget about is our mobile phones. Think about how many times we pick up our phone each day… each and every one of these occasions provide the perfect opportunity for your phone to be contaminated.
Towels and bed linen
Towels and bed linen should be washed on a 60º cycle, hung to dry in direct sunlight or tumble dried – the quicker the drying process is, the better.
Children’s Toys
Children’s toys are a breeding ground for germs, and therefore they should be cleaned regularly. To help minimise the load, it might be beneficial to temporarily limit the number of toys your children can access – this way there wont be as many things to try and keep on top of.
Wipe toys over with a child-safe antibacterial or soapy water solution and dry immediately.
Is there anything else I can do to help keep my home clean?
It goes without saying that we should be – now, more than ever – making a conscious effort to increase the frequency and longevity of our handwashing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to one another. The NHS states that in order to reduce transmission to others, we must all adhere to the following handwashing guidelines:
“You should wash your hands with soap and water for the amount of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice (around 20 seconds).”
Not only will this kill and remove the virus on your hands, but it will also prevent it from contaminating areas in your home that you have already cleaned.
Want to check you’re washing your hands correctly? You can view the complete NHS guide to correctly washing your hands, here.