How to Disinfect Your Home

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Disinfecting your home is essential to kill bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms that may be harmful to humans.

Disinfecting your home is essential to kill bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms that may be harmful to humans. We come in contact with many germ carriers in the home-like knobs, tables, remotes, utensils, toilets, and more. However, to stay safe and secure, you must use disinfectants when cleaning the house. The most active disinfectants are bleach, rubbing alcohol, and hot water.

The Best Disinfectants

The Center for Disease Control recommends using a bleach solution diluted with water or a 70% alcohol solution for high-contact surfaces.

To make your bleach disinfectant, use five tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water, or four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water.

The bleach solution is practical in nonporous surfaces like the bathroom and mopping with a bleach solution is recommended.

Tip: By all means, avoid mixing bleach with anything other than water. Bleach is a powerful chemical that could set off a dangerous chemical reaction when combined with other substances. Do not mix bleach with alcohol.

You could use regular alcohol (isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol) of at least 70% alcohol if you don't have bleach at home. Rubbing alcohol should be diluted.

Different disinfectants perform different purposes. Some disinfectants are more effective than the other, depending on the composition.

• Disinfectants should be left on a surface for about 10 minutes before wiping off. Surfaces that need to be disinfected are tables, remotes, railings, doorknobs, light switches, toilets, sinks, and faucets daily or often as the case may be.

• Bleach should not be used on hardwood and other porous floors because of stain. Bleach is very powerful and may change the color of porous surfaces.

• You can disinfect counter tops first by using soap and water, then use the bleach solution or rubbing alcohol to kill the virus, bacteria, or microorganism.

• When doing the laundry, soak clothes in hot water for 30 to 45 minutes before washing and dry clothes with high heat to kill microbes.

Wipe your laundry hamper down like you would other surfaces to avoid microbes that could have migrated from clothes to remain.

Practice self-care when using disinfectants by wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands. Alcohol and bleach can be very aggressive on the skin.