Disinfecting Your Home

Times are chaotic. There are all kinds of nasty infections rearing their ugly heads out there. You don’t want them to make their way into your home.

All you want to do is protect your home (and thus your household) as much as you can. That task seems enormous, and I wouldn’t blame you for feeling overwhelmed by the idea of it. Honestly, though, you don’t have to go overboard to disinfect your home. With these tips, I’ll show you how to disinfect it in an effective, timesaving way.

But first, I’ve got to address the elephant in the room…

Isn’t Cleaning Enough?

The short answer is no. Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, although closely related, all have different meanings.

When you clean something, you’re getting rid of dirt, dust, and some germs on its surface. That doesn’t mean you’re killing those, or any, germs. You will need to remove grime from surfaces before you do anything else. Cleaning won’t be the only step to disinfecting your home, but it’s imperative that you do it first.

When you sanitize something, you lower the amount of germs to make it safe to use. Disinfecting it will kill the germs and reduce the risk of spreading infections.

Use The Right Stuff

It’s vital to know exactly what your cleaning solution does. Distilled white vinegar kills some germs, but not all of them.

Isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and even soap and water can disinfect your surfaces. We at Andy’s Quality Cleaning recommend Pine-Sol (which is a certified disinfectant) to disinfect your home, as its smell isn’t too harsh and it leaves a wonderful, long-lasting shine.

Even if you know what disinfectants to use, know how to use them. Read the directions to ensure you’re using your disinfectants properly. While cleaning a surface may be instant, disinfecting it certainly won’t be. Let a disinfectant sit for a while before you wipe it off. Don’t use too little or too much of your products.

Air Quality Control

If the air in your home can be contaminated, then so can the rest of your home (including your entire household). Be careful that the air in your home isn’t harmful. Make sure your home has an air purifier with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air, or HEPA, filter (it will remove 99.97% of all air particles that are larger than 0.3 microns).

Contaminants in the air will settle on the furniture in your home. To prevent the contaminants from being re-circulated throughout the home, dust your blinds, fans, and other furniture about three times a week. Toss your curtains in the laundry.

Disinfect Everything Your Household Touches

Every member of your household touches several things over the course of the day, and when they do, they may leave behind contaminants. Because of that, sanitize/disinfect things in your home according to how frequently they’re touched.

Disinfect your high-touch items — your remote controls, phones, light switches, your household’s toys and stuffed animals, bathroom fixtures, doorknobs, computers, handles, and counters and tables — at least once daily.

Wash all the clothes you’ve worn and your bedding weekly (side note: it sounds absurd, but you can disinfect your clothes by adding a cup of Pine-Sol to your laundry!). Mop and vacuum your floors once or twice a week, depending on how much foot traffic there is inside of your home.

With COVID-19, the flu, the common cold, and other infections wreaking havoc, you should be able to take comfort in knowing your home — the place where you and your household lay your heads at night — is free from contaminants. We at Andy’s Quality Cleaning want to see you smiling in a stress-free, disinfected environment. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll make sure your home continues to be a safe and loving place.