Keeping our homes clean has never seemed more important. Nowadays, hygiene is particularly topical: everyone has finally learned how to wash their hands properly in 20 seconds, and we are more careful not to touch our faces, mouths and eyes so often (if at all).
But what about our homes? CYCLE gives some tips on how to protect your family during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Perfect cleanliness in 2 steps
To make your home completely virus and bacteria free, there are two important things to consider:
Do not give pathogens room to colonise.
Destroy pathogens.
Step one: remove dust, scale and deposits
Dirt is an excellent breeding ground and hiding place for pathogens, not to mention the fact that dust helps them to travel longer distances. So, the first step in cleaning is to get rid of all dust, dirt, deposits and scale. This will reduce the chances of various pathogens settling on these surfaces. This step does not kill all viruses and bacteria, but it does reduce their number.
- Use disposable paper towels to remove dirt. Efficiency is the number one priority for cleaning, but also make sure you use an environmentally friendly sustainable cleaning product such as CYCLE - so you're putting less strain on the planet and looking after your family's health!
Step two: disinfect the surfaces
Disinfectants are really effective on surfaces that are already clean, so the first step is to use a cleaner that gets rid of the dirt that helps bacteria and viruses to settle. Disinfectants, on the other hand, kill all harmful organisms - and even non-harmful ones, so use them with care! But it is very important never to mix different cleaners and disinfectants!
Between cleaning and disinfecting, wait a little while for the cleaner to dry completely to prevent the different chemicals from mixing.
The official recommendation is to disinfect your home with:
- Home disinfectant available in most shops
- Aqueous solution of plain hypo (sodium hypochlorite), diluted according to the strength of the hypo
- At least 70% alcohol solution
More tips
- Clean and disinfect more often the surfaces we use more often: door handles, keyboards, mice, taps, light switches, even our mobile phones and wallets.
- Use rubber gloves for cleaning - to avoid polluting the environment, don't use disposable rubber gloves, use durable rubber gloves that can also be disinfected after use. After removing the rubber gloves, wash your hands with soapy water for 20 seconds!
