While COVID-19 keeps us inside the house, can we keep COVID-19 outside our homes? Keep your home interiors safe and your family safer with our easy sanitizing tips.
Research suggests that the delicate structure of the coronavirus strain cannot survive heat and detergents. So, along with basic cleaning and hygiene practices, try to use alcohol-based cleaning products with iodophors, chlorine, phenolics, and quaternary ammonium.
Because they are used in the food industry, they are safe for home interiors with kids. These are easily available in many trusted brands in products like Purell, Dettol, Cosmo, Lysol, etc.
Hydrogen Peroxide is another safe disinfectant for home interiors like shutters, lamps, tables, closets, doors, windows, and even your car. And it’s available at most general and medical shops across UAE.
But do NOT use it on fabrics, clothes or curtains as its beaches and discolors them. Go the extra COVID-mile for home interior sanitization by:
First, wear disinfected gloves and masks. Second, focus more on high-touched home interior areas. Like, doorknobs, taps, handles, remote controls, table and kitchen tops, toilet seats, etc.
Now to the actual:
Cleaning: is a process of removing surface dirt. So vacuum all the carpets, shutters, and other home interior surfaces.
Disinfection: is the process of killing contaminants. So, you need to kill all germs (including COVID-19) and bacteria that may have contaminated some surfaces due to sneeze, cough, or touch.
For this, mix hot water and a spray like ‘Gardenia’, ‘Clorox’, or ‘Pledge’. As these are easily available in every supermarket in the UAE.
Spray the mixture on all hard home interior surfaces (tables, mirrors, cupboards, shutters), then wipe clean and dry because moisture helps germs thrive.
Also, make it a point to clean home interiors like washrooms with hot water and detergent.
Also while doing laundry or using a dishwasher keep the temperature setting at the highest.
After all these reachable surfaces, do not forget the air conditioning as it is a great place for germs and bacteria.
And the most high-touch devices like computers, tabs, and phones are probably all you are using right now. So for these, a wipe of hot water mixed with a 70% alcohol cleaning liquid works best
And because home interior sanitization is recommended daily in such times.
Here’s an easy recipe for a home-made disinfectant:
- Wear Gloves.
- 1 cup bleach in an empty can.
- Pour 1 gallon of water carefully and close the lid.
- Shake gently and use every day for all your home and interior disinfecting.
If you had to step outside for an emergency or grocery shopping then remember to disinfect your car handle, doorknobs, credit cards, wallet, phone, shoes, clothes. And, of course, yourself.
Remember, that cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes. And we must now do both in the correct order as regularly as possible to keep the coronavirus out of our homes.
Now, you can sleep more soundly now that your home and family are safe from COVID.
If you know any other disinfection tips, then do let us know in the comment section.
Most importantly, stay home, stay disinfected, and stay safe!