Cleaning and disinfecting household surfaces is important if you want to prevent illnesses from spreading. If you fail to maintain a clean home, it is just a matter of time before one of your family members gets sick, which is never ideal. Even if the individual manages to deal with the sickness, your work won’t be finished. Appropriate cleaning will always be paramount if you want to ensure that the germs do not spread.
Typically, people start using commercial cleaning products and disinfectants to keep their living space healthy. However, that is not a wise thing to do since chemicals can lead to plenty of health issues. It is a fact that you do not need to use toxic chemicals to maintain a clean and germ–free house and get rid of airborne contaminants. Apart from using natural products, there are a few things you need to do to clean and disinfect your living space. Here is how to clean and disinfect for a healthy home.
Learn the Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
Put simply, both cleaning and disinfecting are crucial steps to ensure your home is safe from infection. Cleaning is perfect for eliminating dust, dirt, and grime from several household surfaces. On the other hand, disinfecting is all about killing germs and decreasing the chances of spreading infection. Unlike disinfecting, cleaning does not kill germs, which is why it is always best to clean first before disinfecting. When you are using disinfectants, ensuring proper ventilation is key. You can do so by opening the windows.
Best Way to Clean and Disinfect
Cleaning and disinfecting your home does not have to be daunting or overwhelming. It can be quite straightforward if you follow a step-by-step procedure. This is how experts do professional end-of-lease cleaning and disinfecting homes. Here are the steps you should follow:
- Wear personal protective equipment like gloves.
- Use a DIY cleaning solution along with rags or paper towels to clean the surfaces, and avoid using cleaning chemicals.
- Spray an effective disinfectant to wet the cleaned surfaces.
- Let the disinfectant sit there for a while.
- Let it air dry and evaporate.
- Next, use hot, soapy water to wash the rags or dispose of the paper towels.
- Remove the gloves.
- Wash your hands
- Tightly close all the supplies and store them safely so they are out of children’s reach.
Surfaces that You Should Clean and Disinfect Often
When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting, you should primarily focus on high-touch surfaces in your residence. Ideally, you should start with the higher surfaces and then work your way down. For instance, it is better to clean the sinks and counters first and then clean the toilets and floors. Here are the high-touch surfaces:
- Faucet handles
- Door handles
- Light switches
- Countertops
- Every bathroom surface, including the toilet, sink, toilet handle, and shower spot.
- Appliance handles
- Cabinet handles
- Electronics such as tablets, smartphones, remote controls, and keyboards.
Natural Cleaners and Disinfectants You Can Use
If you prefer to use natural cleaners and disinfectants over commercial products, you will significantly reduce the environmental impact. DIY cleaners can prove to be just as effective as the commercial ones. However, depending on the surface, you might need to reapply the cleaner or scrub a little more. Plus, it is always important to test the solution on an unnoticed area before applying it on the desired surface. There are many household items that you can use to clean and disinfect your living space. Here are a few examples:
All-Purpose Cleaner
There is a very effective all-purpose cleaner that you can easily prepare. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- One part water
- One part white vinegar
- Rosemary sprigs
- Lemon rind
Mix all of these ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Let the mixture infuse for a week. After that, use this all-purpose cleaner to eliminate hard water stains, clean trash cans, get rid of wall smudges, etc. Apart from a refreshing scent, the lemon rind will help boost cleaning power. Refrain from using such acidic cleaners on granite surfaces since they will likely etch the material. If you use this mixture on stainless steel, it is a must to proceed with caution.
Use Vinegar as a Disinfectant
Vinegar is the ideal household item for disinfecting your space. Even though it is smelly, vinegar still serves as an excellent, all-natural disinfectant. It has acetic acid, which gives vinegar antimicrobial properties, making it perfect for killing mold. There are plenty of surfaces you can use vinegar on. For some cleaning jobs, you can use vinegar as it is, while for everyday tasks, it would be better to mix about 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 cup of water and store the mixture in a spray bottle.
Wrapping Up
Cleaning and disinfecting your home is highly important if you want to keep the germs away. However, there is a way to correctly do the cleaning work. Use this guide to effectively clean and disinfect your home.
