Cleaning Tips to Keep Household Germs at Bay

As the battle between you and germs continues during this coronavirus pandemic, it becomes so important to even keep household germs at bay! In fact, cleaning and disinfecting your house can help you keep colds, flu and other infections from spreading. Believe it or not, your house has certain hotspots where germs meet. Here are some cleaning tips which will help you keep those germs away! 

Cleaning Tips For a Germ-Free House! . 

1. Sanitize Your House: Cleaning certain areas of the house like bathroom surfaces and kitchen countertops with soapy water isn’t always effective but a bleached based cleaner can do the trick! Bleach kills illness-causing microorganisms by attacking the proteins that make up the bacteria, algae, etc. This causes the proteins to unfold and break apart which leads to the death of the microorganism. You can use bleach-based disinfectant but with proper safety measures by wearing mask, gloves, goggles and also avoid marble surfaces.
2. Keep Common Areas Clean: Find out areas or things which are frequently used or touched like handles, doorknobs, taps, toilet handles, railings, etc. and clean them with disinfectant to prevent the spread of germs. Bacteria or viruses can live on these surfaces for days or even weeks.
3. Bedding & Hand Towels: When your bed is not in use, cover it with a bedspread to avoid dust particles from accumulating on the bed sheet and pillows. Change your sheets once every 3-4 days to maintain hygiene. Wash things such as blankets, cushion covers and hand towels which are used regularly by people at home. 
4. Allow Cross-Ventilation: There should be proper ventilation in all rooms. Keep windows and doors open for some time during the day, preferably in the morning. If someone is sick at home, don’t keep the windows closed as it will keep germs in the house for longer. Windows should be open for circulation and fresh air. You can also keep some air-purifying plants at home.  
5. Clean Hotspots: You can use homemade all-purpose disinfectant to keep your home germ free. Disinfect your doorknobs, toilet handles, laptops, doorbell, computer keyboards, remote controls, phones, and your kids’ toys regularly.
6. If you have a home office, study or work desk: where you spend long hours during the day, it is important to keep that area clean as well. Again, cross-ventilation is essential. Make sure you have a hand sanitiser and there isn’t much clutter around. The more organised the space, the easier it is to clean. Use cleaning wipes to clean your laptop, keyboard, mouse and dust other gadgets regularly. It is a good idea to keep your books inside a shelf to avoid them collecting dust, and keep electronics covered with a cloth when they are not in use.
7. Dry Out: Make sure your sponges and cleaning rags don’t become sources for the very germs you want removed. To prevent spreading additional germs, thoroughly wash and dry out your cleaning sponges, dish towels, etc.

How To Make Your Own Disinfectant 

You can get rid of germs by cleaning surfaces with soap and hot water but sometimes, that isn’t sufficient. There are many disinfectants which are available in the market but they are often filled with chemicals which aren’t very effective on germs. Let’s look at some homemade disinfectants to keep your house germ-free!

a. All Purpose Disinfectant: This versatile disinfectant can be used for doorknobs, handles, water taps, microwave, refrigerator, etc. All you need to do is mix the below ingredients and store the mixture in a spray bottle. Then, you can just spray it on the surfaces and wipe down to clean.  

• • 3 cups (705 ml) of water
  • 1 cup (235 ml) of vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of lemon juice
  • 10 drops lemon essential oil

b. Using Bleach: Soap and hot water removes dirt and kills a few germs. It’s usually enough for many surfaces but if you want to disinfect areas that are home to a lot of germs such as kitchen countertops, bathroom surfaces, etc., you need something stronger. Mix up to 3 teaspoons of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Never pair bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Apply it and leave it on the surface for 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse and let air-dry to save time or dry with a clean towel.

We hope these cleaning tips help you keep household germs at bay! Do you have any special cleaning methods you use? Do share them with us in comments below. 

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Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce!