Coronavirus has globally affected people and none of us ever anticipated this situation. With the fatal virus in the air, everyone has become conscious about their hygiene and cleanliness more than ever before.
As the virus is highly contagious, people are practicing social distancing, self-isolation as well as deep-cleaning. These are the only ways to stop the virus from spreading rapidly and eventually flatten the curve to eliminate it altogether.
A lot of areas and establishments including the Diamond Princess cruise ships, various churches, and others are claiming that they have “deeply cleaned” their spaces after finding out that there had been people visiting who were carrying the virus.
Deep cleaning refers to the process of thoroughly disinfecting surfaces through which transmission is suspected. The transmission of the disease largely occurs via droplets. However, its complete knowledge is still uncertain.
There is no set protocol for deep cleaning, however, a few important techniques are defined by healthcare officials. Authorities recommend cleaning the high-touched spots frequently with disinfectants, avoiding unnecessary touching, providing sanitizers to people and washing hands frequently.
Who needs Deep Cleaning?
Deep cleaning or disinfecting means cleaning surfaces through disinfectants in order to kill germs residing on them. Every place should try to maintain the best hygiene in the current scenario, but places like hospitals, grocery stores, airports, etc. which are heavily frequented by the public should pay extra attention to regular disinfecting. Although cleaning does not confirm complete safety but minimizes the chances of catching the virus.
What to Clean and Disinfect?
Cleaning requires you to simply clean surfaces including door handles, knobs, tables, chairs, keyboards, keys, gadgets, etc. using soap and water. However, disinfection requires you to use EPA-registered disinfectants. Follow the instructions on the product; make sure to follow the exact steps.
- Keep surfaces wet for some time
- Wear gloves and a mask while disinfecting as it could be harmful to your health or skin
Several surfaces around the house need thorough cleaning including doorknobs, tables, chairs, toilets, mirrors, windows, switchboards, remotes, consoles, etc. Although cleaning doesn’t ensure complete riddance from germs, disinfecting ensures safety and protection against the virus.
You should clean the surfaces first from any dust or other particles and then disinfect them. After you have cleaned the surfaces with normal water and soap, you can disinfect the surfaces using a disinfectant.
Disinfectant products to look for:
- Disinfectant wipes
- Disinfectant sprays
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
Home-based solution:
If you are finding it difficult to get a disinfectant from stores you can make one at home as well. Household bleach disinfectant can also be used to disinfect the surfaces in your house. Make a bleach solution by mixing it with water for the best results. A simple way to make one is as follows:
- Take water (0.95 liters)
- Take household bleach (4 teaspoons)
- Take a spray bottle and combine the two
- Shake the solution
- Spray the solution onto surfaces and let it sit for around 8-12 minutes and wipe away with a cloth.
However, be careful while using bleach and do not mix it with any other chemical as it can have harsh effects. Follow proper instructions and use gloves to avoid direct exposure. The following are a few elaborated instructions for deep cleaning at home:
Hands:
Clean hands can help you stay safe from the virus. The World Health Organization suggests washing hands frequently, using soap and water. In case of unavailability of soap and water, an alcohol-based rubbing agent can be used to clean the hands. It is suggested to clean your hands and wash them for 20 seconds while carefully covering all parts of your hands, and putting enough soap around the hand and the areas between fingers.
Soft Surfaces:
To clean soft surfaces like your carpets, rugs, curtains, etc., use soap and water. You can use detergents to clean carpets by following the instructions provided on the packaging. It is recommended to use warm water to wash your curtains and rugs. Disinfecting can be done using EPA-registered disinfectants. Otherwise, you can also delegate this task to professional service providers such as Carpet Cleaning London.
Gadgets and Electronics:
It is highly recommended that you clean all your gadgets and electronics thoroughly to keep them germ-free as they can be high-touch points and can cause transmission. To clean your remote controllers, phones, laptops, iPads, and other gadgets, use alcohol swabs or wipes containing at least 70% alcohol.
Linen:
In order to clean your towels, bedspreads and other such items it is advised that you wash them with warm water while following the fabric instructions. Afterward, thoroughly dry the items. It is also advised that the clothes used outside the house should be washed separately, as they might have germs that could be transmitted to the rest of your clothes.
Try to keep the clothes separate and wear disposable gloves while handling dirty laundry to keep yourself protected. After washing the clothes, you must take off your gloves, dispose of them and wash your hands thoroughly.
Disposal and trash:
It is recommended to not keep the trash inside for long and daily dispose of the trash in your homes. Using gloves while handling garbage is also recommended.
Food:
There is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus through food so far, so it is recommended to follow the general instructions including washing your hands and disinfecting the outside surfaces of packages. For raw items like vegetables and meat, just thoroughly clean them before consumption.
The above mentioned were a few tips on how to deep clean the surfaces at your home using disinfectants. However, keep in mind that the definition of deep cleaning varies depending upon the situation. For healthcare facilities, hospitals and bigger organizations deep cleaning would require a professional team of cleaners continuously spraying around to keep the place clean at every moment, while for people staying at home cleaning once daily would be enough.
Cleaning surfaces is important but staying indoors and avoiding contact from the outside world is a necessity. If you deep clean the areas but continue to go out frequently, you might become a carrier and bring along the virus with yourself. Hence, it is recommended to stay indoors.
