Disinfect Your Home And Car To Help Kill Coronavirus. Here's What To Use

Having a different cleaner for each room can be tedious. Depending on the surface materials, you can use solutions with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol or diluted household bleach to kill bacteria. Dr. Laura Greci Cooke , a board-certified internist, uses disinfecting wipes to clean kitchen countertops, drawer pulls, appliance handles, phones and TV remotes.

If you have vacuum and steam cleaners then keeping these surfaces germ-free will be easier. Disinfecting involves using a chemical to kill germs on surfaces after you clean it, which lowers the risk of spreading infection. We all know that vinegar has many wonderful household uses, but it's not a disinfectant that kills coronavirus.

However, Dr. Schmidt says, "Disinfecting cleaners can give a false sense of security if they are not used properly and are only necessary if someone in the household is ill." The key areas to address are surfaces that are shared by family members and those that come in close contact with bodily fluids.

Liquid soap is more popular these days, but washing your hands with bar soap is no more or less effective Proper hand-washing technique is more important than the type of soap you use — liquid, foaming, and bar soaps are all effective when used to scrub hands for 20 seconds.

In addition to spraying on surfaces, you can house cleaning and disinfection services create a disinfecting soak of 3% hydrogen peroxide. In such cases, continue to clean with soap and water. Kill germs on these surfaces with a quick wipe from a Lysol® Dual Action Disinfecting Wipe. Reusable, non-washable PPE such as eye protection, should be wiped clean with a detergent solution first, then wiped over with a disinfectant, and left to air dry.

It's important to know that cleaning and disinfecting are separate things - cleaning removes dirt, food and other impurities that can contain germs, while disinfecting kills those germs, according to the American Cleaning Institute. Remove gloves, and wash hands right away.

Cleaning shouldn't be confused or used interchangeably with disinfecting though. Not only does an annual deep cleaning scour your place of hidden dust mites and mold spores, it also helps protect you against viruses and bacteria. You don't want to recontaminate” surfaces while cleaning.