As a responsible homeowner, you’re ready for things to get back to normal after being quarantined for so long.
You want to avoid any residual exposure to COVID-19.
Get as prepared as you can – now – and when the virus has been eradicated, you can get back to life as normal.
The way to do that is with some specific post-coronavirus cleaning tips.
Post-Coronavirus cleaning tips for the home
Post-coronavirus home cleaning tips
- Clean first, then disinfect.
- Give special attention to furniture and upholstery.
- Wear gloves and wash your hands.
- Clean your laundry machines.
A day will come when COVID-19 is in the past. And when that day comes, you’ll want to give your home an epic clean that kills any lingering germs.
Here are the post-coronavirus cleaning tips that will wipe out the cooties once and for all.
1. Clean first, then disinfect
Did you know that disinfectants aren’t effective if the surface they’re used on isn’t already clean?
Surprising but true.
Germs are sneaky and can hide out under – or IN – dirt and other organic material.
It’s better to be safe than sorry where viruses are concerned, so wash your surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner or some plain old soap and water BEFORE you disinfect.
Now, you may be thinking, “My disinfectant has a cleaner in it, so I’m good to go, killing two birds with one stone.”
Sorry, but no. Your antibacterial cleaner can’t perform both functions at once, so use it – but go over the surfaces twice.
Once the virus has passed, it’s not a bad idea to have professional cleaners come and give your hard surfaces a deep clean to make sure every bit of yuck is gone.
Clean frequently-touched surfaces every day
You’ve probably been doing this already, so you get a gold star. ⭐
In the wake of COVID-19, it’s a good habit to keep up – at least for a while – after the threat has passed.
Here’s a quick reminder of items/areas in your home that get touched a lot:
- Countertops.
- Tables.
- Light switches.
- Cabinet handles and drawer pulls.
- Door knobs.
- Remotes.
- Hard-back chairs.
- Desks.
- Sinks.
- Toilets.
A good way to remember all the areas that get a lot of touch-traffic is to go through your normal routine in your head. For example, do you use a hair dryer every morning? What about the handle of your toothbrush?
Mentally review your day and clean all the things you come into contact with regularly.
Use EPA-approved disinfectants
The Environmental Protection Agency keeps tabs on the disinfectants that have been tested and proven to work.
That saves you the headache – and expense – of trial and error.
If the product is EPA-approved, it will have an EPA registration number on the label.
Bleach and alcohol work, too
What is the correct bleach solution to kill coronavirus?
The correct bleach solution to kill coronavirus is ⅓ cup of bleach in a gallon of water. Or, you can mix 4 tablespoons of bleach into a quart of water.
We’re all about convenience, so we like something that comes in a bottle, ready-to-go.
But during this period of COVID-19, disinfecting wipes and sprays have been hard to find.
The CDC recommends using a diluted bleach solution or an alcohol solution made from at least 70% alcohol.
There are some safety guidelines you should follow, though.
- Bleach: First, don’t mix it with anything other than water. You could end up with a dangerous – deadly – situation. You also need to make sure the bleach isn’t expired and follow the safety directions on the label.
- Here are the ratios to use for a safe bleach solution: Mix ⅓ cup of bleach with one gallon of water. OR, four teaspoons of bleach with one quart of water.
- Alcohol: Remember, you need at least 70% alcohol, which is like rubbing alcohol, NOT the vodka you pull out for “special” occasions. What you may not know is that the rubbing alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol you buy at the store has already been diluted with water.
2. Give special care to furniture and upholstery
Soft surfaces need to be treated differently than hard surfaces. You can’t just spray a disinfectant on your couch and call it a day.
First, those sprays are meant for non-porous surfaces like countertops or sealed wood. Second, you could do some serious damage to your couch’s fabric.
Follow the care instructions provided by the manufacturer for your furniture and upholstery. But, your best bet is going to be calling on the services of a professional cleaner.
They’re experts at what they do and they’ll know how to safely, effectively and completely care for your furniture and upholstery without damaging your items.
3. Wear gloves and wash your hands
When you’re doing your See-Ya-Later-COVID cleaning, you need to wear gloves to protect yourself from any lingering germs.
And guess what you should do when you take the gloves off? You got it – wash your hands!
4. Clean your laundry machines
Your washer and dryer have probably been getting quite a workout during the COVID-19 quarantine period.
Once the virus has passed but before you get back to your old laundry routine, you need to clean these machines.
If your washer has a cleaning cycle, run it. If yours doesn’t, you can pour a quart of white vinegar into the drum and add a cup of baking soda. Scrub the sides with a stiff brush and then run through an empty wash cycle.
As for the dryer, wipe down the handles, knobs, and clean the lint screen with soap and water. Clean the inside of the dryer with a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water.
It’s a great idea to disinfect your clothes hampers, too.
5. Give your carpets a deep clean
This is one of the most important post-coronavirus cleaning tips.
Because nothing holds onto dirt and germs like your carpets.
From paws to shoes to feet, they get a ton of traffic and most of it is full of unhealthy contaminants.
The best way to ensure your carpets are free of sickness-causing junk is to have them professionally cleaned by the experts who know how to handle the most gnarly of germs.
Follow these post-COVID home cleaning tips
Paying attention to these post-coronavirus cleaning tips will help you rid your home of any germs that are still hanging on and give you a healthy, new start as you emerge from COVID-19 hibernation.
