Living in a pandemic-stricken world is nowhere easy. Even after a few months after the first cases were recorded, we still fear about going out to eat or even running important errands for fear of getting the virus. As we continue to shelter in place, we observe the necessary steps to keep the virus out of our home. Most people are exercising cleaning and disinfecting practices without knowing they are already doing it the wrong way. Are you also guilty of these Covid-19 home cleaning and disinfection mistakes?
Investing and Using the Wrong Cleaning Materials and Disinfectants
You may use tons of disinfectants and cleaning materials for your home. But what you invest in and how you use them can make or break your effort.
For one, you should never mix chemical cleaners. If you are diluting concentrated solutions, be sure to label them and keep these out of reach of the little ones. Also, don’t simply settle on a soap and water mixture since such a solution is not enough to disinfect high-traffic areas.
You need to invest in strong enough disinfectants. If you are DIY-ing your disinfectants, make sure you will be mixing them properly to ensure their effectiveness. Don’t mix old solutions with the new ones and keep track of each solution’s expiration dates.
As for your cleaning rugs, choose to shop rags in bulk and enjoy more savings in the process. For all of your cleaning materials, make sure you disinfect them before and after using them. Launder rugs according to the instructions.
Disinfecting Food Items
Some people are too focused on disinfecting their homes that they are now adding food items to their disinfection list. But accidental ingestion of disinfectants, isopropyl alcohol, or even bleach can lead to pain, internal bleeding, or even death. In reality, one should never disinfect food items.
There are proper ways to wash food. You can also clean grocery items without using harmful chemicals. But note that the likelihood of you getting infected with the virus is a lot higher during close contact when shopping for your groceries.
Using Your Bare Hands when Cleaning and Disinfecting the House
Not everyone makes use of gloves to clean and disinfect their home. But as a general rule, we need to invest in a great pair of reusable or disposable gloves whenever we clean and disinfect anything. This does more than provide you with a better grip, avoid touching gross stuff, and protect both your nails and skin when exposing yourself to hot water, cleansing agents, or other harsh chemicals.
To keep your home Covid-19-free, you need to use strong enough cleaners and disinfectants. Using your bare hands when handling such chemicals can leave you with dry, cracked, and even painful hands. You can also end up with allergies if you have sensitive skin.
Simply using your hands and failing to clean them before cleaning only spread germs, bacteria, and viruses inside the house. Proper usage of gloves helps protect yourself against the areas in your home that could be nursing harmful bacteria and viruses, including the novel coronavirus. With your gloves on, you can have that confidence knowing you get that extra protection layer when cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched areas in the house.
How you remove, clean, and dispose of your gloves also matters. Be sure to only touch the insides of the gloves and to sanitize after usage. You will want to make sure you perform proper hand hygiene after donning the gloves.
Proper home cleaning and disinfection is critical during the pandemic. Failure to do so can put your loved ones at risk, especially those who are seniors and immunocompromised. If you want to maintain your family’s health, be sure not to commit these three mistakes.
