Despite what we already know about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, such as the fact that the virus is spread from person-to-person commonly among those who are within six feet of one another via respiratory droplets, there remains more that has not been documented, such as transmission of COVID-19 to individuals from various surfaces that are contaminated with the virus. Something like this makes it even more important to become familiar with how to keep your home sanitized with kids back in school in many areas of the country. According to present evidence, the virus may remain viable for anywhere from a few hours to a few days on surfaces such as counter tops, doorknobs, toys, keyboards, and more, meaning that cleaning and disinfecting these surfaces is considered to be perhaps the most effective measure in terms of preventing the spread of COVID-19, as well as other types of respiratory illnesses.
When it comes to ensuring that your home is properly cleaned and disinfected to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, one of the most important things that can be done is to perform routine cleaning of surfaces that are frequently touched by using household cleaners and disinfectants that are officially registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s important to note that these cleaners and disinfectants should all be appropriate for the surfaces that they will be used on and that all instructions listed on the label should be followed.
This How to Keep your Home Sanitized With Kids Back in School. Some of the most general recommendations in terms of cleaning and disinfecting in households with those who have either been confirmed or suspected to have contracted COVID-19 include the following:
- Always clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces in common areas on a daily basis.
- Ensure that those individuals who are ill remain in specific rooms and away from those who are not ill.
- Ensure that those individuals who are ill are provided with personal cleaning supplies for their bedroom and bathroom unless the room is being occupied by a child or other individual for which the supplies wouldn’t be appropriate.
- In the event that a separate bathroom is unavailable, ensure that the bathroom is always cleaned and disinfected following each use by an ill individual.
When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting harder surfaces, here are the most common steps to follow:
- Always wear disposable gloves and discard them following each cleaning. In the event that you plan to use reusable gloves, these should only be used for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces for COVID-19.
- Clean all hard surfaces using either a soap or detergent prior to disinfecting the surface.
- In terms of disinfecting a hard surface, the most effective disinfectants that can be used are those that are officially registered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In terms of cleaning and disinfecting soft surfaces, here are the most common steps to follow:
- Always remove any and all visible signs of contamination before then cleaning with all appropriate cleaners that are designed for use on these specific surfaces.
- Place items in the laundry and wash them in accordance with the instructions from the manufacturer. Whenever possible, take the time to launder these items using the most appropriate warm water setting, then dry the items completely.
- Whenever possible, use products that are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to help fight COVID-19 and that are also suitable to be used on soft surfaces.
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