Tips for Properly Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home

You might think your clean home is safe from viruses and bacteria but is it? Unbeknownst to some, there’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning is removing germs and possible disease-causing pathogens while disinfecting is killing those pesky microbes.

For your home to be truly devoid of germs, you’ll have to disinfect. Usually, cleaning is the first step to disinfecting; cleaning dirt and debris from surfaces prepares them for disinfection.

Check out these tips for properly cleaning and disinfecting your home. We’ll cover the major rooms!

Kitchen

When you're disinfecting, it's best to wear some gloves. Latex gloves or even dishwashing gloves will work. Gloves prevent you from transferring germs to other spots and also keep cleaning chemicals from irritating your skin.

• Hard Surfaces: You can use disinfectant wipes to clean hard surfaces in your kitchen. Cabinet doors, drawers, the refrigerator’s exterior, and any handle can harbor bacteria and pathogens.
• Countertops: Since we use countertops to prepare food, you shouldn’t use bleach products to avoid cross-contamination. You should find products with ethyl alcohol to disinfect food preparation areas.
• Utensils: You can kill germs on utensils by using the proper water temperature in the dishwasher—at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Living Room

Focus on hard surfaces and electronics in the living room. Use either a bleach wipe or other disinfecting sprays.

• End Tables, Light Switches, and Doorknobs: When disinfecting these, you'll want to focus on areas people touch. Lights and knobs are vital. Bleach wipes and sprays will do as well as alcohol-based products.
• Electronics: When disinfecting electronics like iPads, remotes, or laptops, you can use isopropyl alcohol wipes or even rubbing alcohol on cotton pads.

Bathroom

For bathrooms, you’ll focus on hard surfaces and items like towels and washcloths.

• Hard Surfaces: You can use either bleach or an alcohol-based disinfectant for hard surfaces in the bathroom. Ammonia disinfectants work well, too, but never mix bleach and ammonia. Clean the toilet last to avoid contamination. If someone in your household is ill, you should disinfectant your bathroom twice a day.
• Soft Surfaces: Don’t forget about towels and bathmats! Bathmats need washing once a week, and you should replace hand towels daily. We often forget about toothbrushes. Buy a new one every three to four months and if you have a cold or the flu, change your toothbrush after you recover.

These tips for properly cleaning and disinfecting your home will reduce your likelihood of contracting sicknesses. Want to learn more about cleaning products? Explore our blogs to find out more! Save money and buy antiseptic products from Quick Supplies Online!