When your home is your haven during this outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), it’s important to minimise the virus spread as much as we can. And yes, that means we must all become cleaning powerhouse ninjas.
Good news is though, with these new cleaning habits under our hats we’re sure to be healthier for longer AND blitz any future rental house inspections.
Without further ado, here’s your Coronavirus cleaning tips and hotspots.
Disinfectant is your new go-to
It’s important to note you ARE going to need disinfectant, be it bottles of liquid or disinfectant wipes. And you are going to have to be vigilant – ESPECIALLY if you have beautiful, young children in your home. They’re officially the WORST when it comes to personal hygiene. 😉
So sure, you’re going to need a small supply of disinfectant products. But that doesn’t mean you need to panic buy at the store. Remember, we’re ALL IN THIS TOGETHER so leave some for others.
A 101 in Coronavirus cleaning
Firstly, here are some ways to disinfect your home on a daily and weekly basis:
DAILY disinfecting routines to prevent the spread of Coronavirus:
In the kitchen:
- Clean and disinfect kitchen bench tops, sink taps, kitchen cabinet handles, appliance handles (eg. microwave, fridge, freezer, kettle, blender, toaster etc)
- Use dishcloths you can wash on the hot cycle. (You absolutely can wash Chux style dishcloths too). Use clean dishcloths and tea towels every single day.
- Clean any spills quickly so they don’t attract more dirt and bacteria.
- Empty bins daily. Clean and disinfect before putting a fresh bin liner in!
In the bathroom:
- Clean and disinfect the bathroom basin hardware.
- Empty bathroom bins and disinfect them daily. Use a bin liner so you’re not touching used tissues.
- Wipe over the toilet and flush buttons with disinfectant or sanitising wipes.
- Do not use bath towels or face washers more than once to prevent the growth of germs and bacteria.
WEEKLY disinfecting routines to prevent Coronavirus:
In the kitchen:
- Wash kitchen sink strainers/catchers on the top shelf in the dishwasher.
- Remove and hand wash oven and stove top knobs.
- Clean and disinfect the kitchen sink.
- Disinfect the kitchen dish brush if you use one.
In the bathroom:
- Wash your toothbrush holder and toothbrushes and disinfect them. You can soak them in mouthwash for 5 minutes to do this!
- Despite the fact that the kids will take to it again with bath crayons, clean and disinfect your bathtub. Also the shower, including the shower doors and handles. Shower curtains need to be thrown into the washing machine too!
Other rooms within your home:
- Sheets, pillowcases and quilt covers (in fact all bedding)Â needs to be washed in hot water. Limit shaking out your blankets and sheets before washing as to not spread of dust and germs.
- Vacuum and mop all floors.
And now the nitty gritty stuff you mustn’t forget
You need to think of all of the things you touch on a daily basis. Run a disinfectant wipe over:
- computer keyboards and mice
- light switches
- power points
- mobile phones
- tablets
- gaming devices and
- remote controls.
NOTE: Be sure to turn the power OFF on any electronics before cleaning or disinfecting.
Don’t forget your car too – all the places you touch should be wiped over!
- Car steering wheel
- seat belts
- console
Plus, remember to wash your hands! A hand wash up to the wrists for 30 seconds (think like a surgeon preparing for surgery) is excellent. Using a hand sanitiser is the icing on the cake, but as we all know, it’s hard to come by at the moment.
In short, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you come in contact with by touch needs to be thought about, cleaned and disinfected often. And yes, it’s A LOT. And yes, it’ll be a pain in the butt to do day in, day out but we must do it to minimise the Coronavirus spread both at home and in the wider community.
Be safe, remain vigilant and we’ll all get through the other (extra squeaky clean) side!
