Cleaning and disinfecting are paramount to preventing COVID-19 contamination from spreading into and throughout one’s household.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research – Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, IIAD, experts offer guidelines for keeping safe.
General guidelines for cleaning and disinfection in household settings including the following:
Cleaning • The process of removing
• The process of removing dirt and germs from a surface or item.
• This process alone does not kill germs.
• Removing as many germs as possible lowers their risk of spreading.
Disinfecting • The process of using chem
• The process of using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces.
• Does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces.
• Killing germs by disinfecting after cleaning lowers the risk of germs spreading.
For households without suspected or confirmed illness:
Practice the following preventive actions:
• Clean the most frequently touched surfaces and objects in the household daily (e.g., mobile phones, tables, countertops, faucets, switches, doorknobs, etc.) using water and a regular household cleanser.
• Before applying a disinfectant, all dirty surfaces should first be cleaned using water and a regular household cleanser.
• Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfecting products.
Recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting households with residents in self-isolation, either suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19:
General Guidelines:
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects daily — especially those in common areas such as mobile phones, remotes, tables, chairs, doorknobs, switches, handles, desks, toi-lets and sinks. • If possible, designate a dedicated bedroom and bathroom for the ill person and only clean and disinfect those areas as needed to minimize contact. • Further minimize contact by providing a set of personal cleaning supplies including tissues, paper towels, cleaners and disinfectants for the ill person to use in their designated space, unless the ill person is a child unable to handle the supplies.
• If the ill person is sharing a bathroom with others in the household, that space should be cleaned and disinfected each time after an ill person uses it.
How to clean, disinfect: Surfaces
• Wear disposable gloves. • Discard gloves after each use. • Clean hands immediately after removing gloves. • Use a detergent or soap and water to clean prior to disinfection.
• For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, or most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
• Two options for creating one’s own bleach solution: Mix 5 tablespoons or 1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water; or mix 4 teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. • For soft and porous sur
• For soft and porous surfaces such as carpet, drapes and rugs, first remove any visible dirt and then clean with products designated for use on these surfaces.
Laundry items
• Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a sick person and discard the gloves after use.
• For those who do not have gloves to use, wash hands immediately after handling dirty laundry.
• Do not shake dirty laundry — this could spread virus particles through the air.
• Wash items using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry them completely.
• It is okay to wash dirty laundry from a sick person with items from other people.
• Clean and disinfect hampers according to guidance for surfaces or place a liner in the hamper that can either be laundered or thrown out after each use.
All the guidelines were gathered from the CDC Recommendations for Cleaning and Disinfection.
