Do you know exactly what you need to clean and disinfect in your home to kill off germs and viruses and prevent your family from getting sick? Today I am sharing the places in your home that collect germs and need disinfecting, many of which most people rarely or even never clean.
Table Of Contents
Equipment that you need to disinfect your home
Before we get into what you need to clean in your home, let’s first go over what you will need to use in order to clean and disinfect these things. Although there is a huge array of cleaning product available to choose from, I have listed 4 basic items that form a reusable cleaning kit to keep your home germ free.
Microfibre cloths
Rather than using disposable options such as cleaning wipes or kitchen roll, investing in some microfibre cloths will save you money, limit the impact you have on the environment and mean that you don’t run out either.
Microfibre cloths can be used for cleaning, disinfecting and polishing. Make sure that you follow the care instructions on your cloths, but just to give you an idea, here is how I care for mine.
- Wash your cloths before first use
- Avoid using fabric softener (as this limits the absorbency of the cloths)
- Store in a plastic basket or bucket before washing
- Wash on hot with your usual detergent plus with a capful of Zoflora (which we will talk about next) or a scoop of Mio Fresh sanitiser to disinfect. Choose a cycle with an extra rinse if possible.
Disinfectant
If you’ve watched any of my cleaning videos, you’ll know that I am a huge fan of Zoflora for cleaning and disinfecting my home and leaving it smelling great too. For most of the cleaning and disinfecting tasks in this list, I use a cap full of Zoflora in a spray bottle (like the one shown below) and dilute it by filling to the top with water. As with all cleaning products, always read the label and patch test in a discreet area before cleaning a new surface.
Spray Bottle
This is the spray bottle that I use for my Zoflora. I use one capful of Zoflora and fill to the top with water to dilute. This can be sprayed directly onto most surfaces (always read the label and patch test first) but should be sprayed into the cloth then wiped onto electrical items like switches.
Gloves
It is always a good idea to wear rubber gloves when cleaning to protect your skin from any chemicals that you are using. Don’t forget to wash and disinfect your gloves before taking them off and putting them away to ensure that there are no germs or traces of chemicals left lurking on them.
Things You Need To Clean & Disinfect In Your Home
Now we know what we need to use, let’s get on with what needs to be cleaned!
Door Knobs
Door knobs are touched constantly whenever anyone enters or leaves a room, so are a hot bed for germs.
Door Knocker & Door Bell
How do people alert you that they are at your front door? If you have a doorbell or door knocker, they will be touched by everyone that visits or delivers anything to your home, so make sure that you don’t forget them.
Taps
We all need to be washing our hands throughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water in order to reduce the spread of viruses, but what do we touch before we wash our hands? The taps. Make sure that these are cleaned regularly to avoid germs being transferred back onto clean hands.
Toilet
It goes without saying that the toilet is one of the most germ ridden spots in your home. When cleaning your loo, do not forget the toilet flush button or leaver, as this will be frequently touched by people before washing their hands.
Towels
Hand towels can be germ magnets, especially if anyone dries their hands without washing them throughly enough. Make sure that you are washing your towels regularly. As always, check the care labels on your own towels, but I like to wash mine the same way I do my cloths, on a hot wash with an extra rinse and a capful of Zoflora added in with my usual detergent.
Phone
The average person picks up their phone numerous times a day to do everything from check to them, to radian emails, texting, browsing and more. As our phones are with us constantly, it stands to reason that they are one of the most germs items in our homes. As with all electrical items, do not spray directly onto your phone. Instead, spray onto your cloth then wipe over your phone.
Tablet
As with your phone, your tablet is picked up repeatedly so will need disinfecting.
Remote Controls
TV and gaming remote controls are picked up multiple times a day by everyone living in your home, make sure that they are disinfected to avoid spreading germs.
Computer Keyboard & Mouse
As may of us work at our computers for a large portion of our days, our computer keyboard and mouse will need disinfecting. Make sure that your computer is off when you clean these to avoid carrying out random actions by pressing all of the keys.
Light Switches
Unless you have voice activated lighting, light switches will be uses repeatedly and collect germs.
Handles
There are multiple handle in our homes that need cleaning, such as;
- Fridge door handle
- Oven door handle
- Kitchen cupboard handles
- Bathroom cupboard handles
- Drawer handles
- Washing machine / tumble dryer door handles
If you use a handle to open something, make sure is disinfected.
Buttons And Controls
Consider things that are pressed to control appliances such as;
- Microwave controls
- Oven controls
- Alarm control panels
- Washing machine controls
- Tumble dryer controls
Although these items are often touched by just one finger, they still need a wipe over with disinfectant.
Kitchen Worksurfaces
Your kitchen work surface should be disinfected before and after any meal prep, and also after anything such as groceries from outside the home had been placed on them.
Dining Table
It is so important that where you eat is especially clean, so make sure that you regularly disinfect your dining table, plus any placemats that you use.
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