You’re likely to have heard by now that COVID-19, the coronavirus responsible for it, can remain on surfaces for up to 24 hours. You may also be curious about what this means for your home and your health.
First, the virus can be spread easily from one person to another via aerosol droplets. These are drops of spit from the person who is ill that enter the air and then get into your nose.
Is it technically possible to become ill from infected surfaces? If they touch the infected surface, then they can get sick if their hands touch it. It’s not as common.
Marilyn Roberts, a UW microbiologist who studies antibiotic-resistant bacteria, says that contaminated surfaces can lead to infections in some cases, such as MRSA (a skin infection caused by staph bacteria).
It’s still important to clean your home and hands. Roberts shared his tips for cleaning high-touch surfaces.
Clean daily, but don’t obsess
It is a good idea to keep things clean. This will help prevent foodborne diseases and other viruses. Roberts states that it’s not necessary to be obsessive.
She means “keeping things tidy” by wiping down high-use surfaces at least once a day.
You can also wipe down the light switches and door handles if you wish.
If someone is sick, it’s a good idea to clean more often
If you are caring for someone who is sick, the whole “no obsessive cleaner” thing can change dramatically. You might not know if they have COVID-19, but you must clean your house thoroughly if you want to catch it.
Roberts suggests that you isolate the person with a sick condition and keep them at least 6 feet from you. If possible, have them use their own bathroom and don’t share any items. Germs can spread even if you share a tube toothpaste.
If possible, serve food on disposable plates and cutlery. If this is not possible and dishes must be washed, use the dishwasher’s highest setting. Also, make sure to wash your clothes with hot water.
Wash your hands immediately after coming in contact with them.
After cleaning, disinfect
You think you can spray disinfectant all over everything and then call it good. It’s not so easy.
Roberts says that if there are food particles, bodily fluids, dirt, or other organic matter, any disinfectant you use will be inactivated by it.
This can be prevented by washing the area with regular cleaning solutions (or soap and water) first to get rid of any mess, and then disinfect.
There is no need to disinfect the packages
There have been many articles in the news about how safe it is to receive packages. You’re receiving a lot more mail and takeout than you used to, even though you are staying at home. Do you need to disinfect all mail that you receive?
Roberts says that this is completely unnecessary. It is unlikely that packages will be contaminated by the coronavirus.
The coronavirus (COVID-19), as mentioned, can remain on surfaces but in low levels. To get infected, someone would need to touch the object and then touch their face to spread the virus to their eyes or mouth.
Roberts advises, “If you are concerned about it, open the box outside, take out the contents, and then put them in the recycling bin.”
Gloves don’t need to be worn
Some prefer to use gloves while others prefer not. You can do what you like, but don’t hoard latex gloves or other single-use gloves. Healthcare workers also need them (same with surgical masks).
After cleaning, wash your hands. You can use the yellow rubber gloves to clean your hands. Just rinse them and wash your hands.
Paper towels vs. reusable towels
You can use paper towels for cleaning and then throw away the towels. Reusable towels and sponges are fine, as long as they can be washed in the dishwasher or washed in the washing machine at the highest temperature.
Roberts enjoys using microfiber cloths to clean. She then puts the microfiber cloths in the washer on high heat. Use sponges to clean dishes.
What should you do if your disinfectant runs out?
It’s been difficult to find disinfectant sprays or wipes these days. They seem to be flying off the shelves as soon as you step foot inside the store.
There are several DIY solutions that can be used to disinfect your home if you run out of disinfectant.
70% rubbing alcohol is sufficient to disinfect any phone or tablet. Mix 1% bleach with water to disinfect more delicate items like toilets and sinks.
Some surfaces can be damaged by bleach and alcohol. However, you can do your research online to learn what you should and shouldn’t clean.
If all else fails use soap and water. This is safe for all electronics except those with electronic devices.
More important are hand-washing and social distancing
In the end, cleaning what and how often is more important than washing your hands or social distancing.
COVID-19 is spread primarily by aerosol droplets. It’s important to avoid others. This protects you and your community.
