The coronavirus outbreak has scared people into cleaning their homes religiously. All of us are trying to follow the best cleaning practices to avoid infection. The viral outbreak has caused people to stay vigilant and careful to keep themselves safe.

The deadly virus can easily be transmitted through contact, and hence the World Health Organization has issued several SOPs of which cleaning and disinfecting are the most important.

Cleaning to Prevent Coronavirus Infection

It is essential to follow the protocols and keep yourself as well as your surroundings to stay safe from the virus. World Health Organization has defined a few SOPs that can help you protect yourself from the infection.

These guidelines include:

·         Washing hands for 20 seconds using a soap

·         Staying at least at a 3-meter distance between yourself and others

·         Avoiding gatherings

·         Maintaining good hygiene

·         Self-isolation in case of minor symptoms

Home Cleaning

Given the fatal nature of the virus, homeowners are more concerned than ever about staying safe and maintaining clean, virus-free houses. COVID-19 has forced people to change their cleaning habits and pay extra attention to cleaning household surfaces to avoid any transmission through contact.

Experts suggest you must clean the areas that are most frequently touched, also called high touch surfaces, to maintain safety. Common places at home to be cleaned regularly are:

·         Doorknobs

·         Remotes

·         Switchboards

·         Cellphones

·         Staircase railings

·         Handles

The Trouble with Soft Surfaces

Soft surfaces are objects that are covered with fabric or are made with fabric. Objects such as bed linen, clothing, curtains, couches, and covered chairs, etc. are examples of soft surfaces.

Germs often find a safe home in soft surfaces because they are harder to clean. While you can just wipe a hard surface with a disinfectant, you have to make more effort with soft surfaces.

According to experts, it is important to take care of soft surface cleanliness after every use to stop the transmission. Both soft and hard surfaces at your home need some deep cleaning. We have covered a few tips that you can use to clean the soft surfaces to stay protected from the coronavirus:

1.      Go Room by Room

No matter how small or big your living space is, it's a good idea to go room by room and pay attention to each room individually. You can divide the number of rooms as per your time availability. However, it is best not to overwork yourself.

You can start with the master bed, moving on to other bedrooms, including the children's room. Each closet, rugs, and bed linen must be separately cleaned to avoid any contamination. If there is a sick person at your home, make sure to separate all their clothing and used items while washing them.

2.     Washing Your Pillows

Most of the pillows are machine friendly; hence you can easily wash them in your washer. To ensure deep cleaning, do not put more than 2 pillows at a single time. Placing the pillows vertically can keep them intact and in good shape.

·         While washing pillow, use a gentle spin

·         Use warm water and cold for the last spin

·         Keep the amount of detergent small

·         Tumble dry on low heat

·         Keep the pillows under the sun for a few hours to avoid any smell

3.     Cleaning the Mattress

It is essential to pay attention to your mattress as it can become a home of dust mites and harmful bacteria, often becoming a cause of allergies and other diseases. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust that might be inside your mattress.

Pay attention to the edges where the dust might be accumulated and press down slightly to get maximum dust sucked by the vacuum. A steam cleaner can also be used to clean mattresses. Simply place your garment steamer and hold the nozzle close to the mattress surface to kill the dust mites.

4.    Cleaning and Disinfecting

You can also create a homemade cleaner and disinfectant to clean surfaces at home. Below are the ingredients to make a simple to use homemade cleaner:

·         1 ¼ cups water

·         ¼ cups vinegar

·         ¼ cup rubbing alcohol

·         Drops of essential oil ( peppermint, lavender)

Combine all the ingredients mentioned above in a glass bottle and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then spray this mixture on the soft surface and rub with a microfiber cloth to clean.

Once cleaned, spray the same soft surface with an EPA approved disinfectant to kill any virus that might have survived the cleaning.

5.     Launder As Much as Can

According to Ryan Merszei, general manager of Jeeves, a laundry cleaning service in Hong Kong, clothes, and items made with clothing are completely disinfected when washed detergent and water. Cleaning clothes using detergent and warm water is enough to kill any bacteria and viruses that may have been on the cloth.

However, if you have a patient with coronavirus at home, then you must keep their clothes separate from other clothes. Disinfect the patient's clothes using a disinfectant and wear gloves and masks while washing their clothes. Afterward, take the gloves off immediately and dispose them.

There is no need to wear a mask while washing clothes if you do not have any person suffering from any disease at home. The purpose of masks and gloves is to stop the transmission through contact.

6.    Towels

Towels are a perfect home for a lot of harmful bacteria and microorganisms because it stays damp most of the times. It is essential to pay attention to the cleanliness and hygiene of your towels.

Ideally, a towel must be washed after 3 uses, and if the person using the towel is sick, they must get it washed after each use. You must wash towels using hot water to get rid of bacteria and other germs.

7.     Carpet Cleaning

If you have carpets and rugs at your home, then you must pay extra attention to its cleanliness as carpet can also serve as home to a lot of allergens, dust mites, and bacteria. Regularly vacuuming the carpets is vital, while a deep clean once in a month must also be ensured.

People often acquire carpet cleaning services for this matter as they have professional equipment and are much more detail-oriented. Carpet Cleaning London suggests acquiring professional services at least once in 3 months, however, you can also follow online tutorials to clean your carpets at home.

Conclusion

Although organizations and governments around the globe are trying to keep citizens safe from the spread of the virus, however, it is upon each individual to take care of themselves to stay safe. Keeping your home clean is one of the easiest way to reduce the risk of infection. The tips mentioned above can be used to give your house clean and disinfected.

Do you have any other tips for cleaning soft surfaces at home? Do share!