Ten Surfaces to Disinfect Right Now
A Guide to Disinfecting On the Go
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces are on everyone’s mind in the wake of COVID-19. Between homeschooling kids and juggling working at home, doing a detailed deep clean can be daunting. If you find yourself with a small amount of spare time, use the old 1950s housekeeper motto and just tackle the task if it will take two minutes or less. Disinfecting high-traffic surfaces can certainly keep germs and bacteria at bay and help give you peace of mind. Below are 10 common surfaces people generally forget about when cleaning their homes. And of course, if you are overwhelmed and tired, consider having our staff (who are up to date with the latest industry best practices) come and help out with disinfecting your home.
1. Door handles
Look around and make a checklist of all the door handles and knobs in your house. This list will help you hit every handle in the house, and also help you notice ones you often forget. For instance, refrigerator doors and the microwave handle are commonly overlooked during regular cleaning sessions.
2. Light switches
Have you ever been to someone’s house and noticed discolored light switches? Its one of the first things I notice when walking into a home. If not cleaned properly, these surfaces can build up a layer of grime that quickly becomes noticeable to the eye. Plus, they’re prime candidates for harboring bacteria and other germs because you touch them so frequently.
3. Toothbrush holder
Give your toothbrush holder a thorough cleaning to lift off all the leftover toothpaste and water from the surface. You’re putting your toothbrush into that holder every day, so you want to make sure it remains clean and doesn’t infect your brush with unnecessary germs.
4. Shower head and faucets
Cleaning the shower head and faucets is often an afterthought for most people. It may cross your mind as you’re rinsing your hair or washing your hands, but it’s gone again as soon as you dry off. Mineral deposits and mold can form around the water holes on your shower head and water faucets. This can lead to clogs as well as harmful bacteria being flushed out of the spout each time you turn on the faucet.
5. Laundry baskets
Dead skin cells, grime, and bacteria make their way onto your clothes daily. When you deposit your dirty outfits into the laundry basket, all of that dirt as well as germs are transferred to your laundry bin. Next time you go to wash your clothes, remove the bin liner and toss it into the washer as well. If you have a fully plastic laundry basket, set it in the bathtub, rinse off any apparent dirty spots, and spray it down with a disinfectant.
6. Remote control
Remote controls collect a shocking amount of dirt. Dead skin cells build on the surface and small particles fall into the button cracks. Remove the remote batteries before wiping down the surface with alcohol. After that, a Q-tip is a handy tool that will help you get into the nooks and crannies of the buttons.
7. Eye glasses
You might not be touching your face right now, but you’re certainly touching your glasses. Take a few minutes to remove your glasses and fully wipe down the surface in addition to the lenses. Clean glasses will help you see better, and keep you from bringing harmful bacteria close to your eyes.
8. Sponges
A study published in Scientific Reports discovered the crevices of your sponge harbor over 300 different kinds of bacteria. Running this bacteria-coated sponge over your dishes isn’t doing as much cleaning as you thought. Your best course of action is actually to throw away your sponge and switch to a cleaning brush. A silicone or plastic brush is easier to clean and bacteria can’t grow as easily on this surface.
9. Stuffed animals
Your kids drag their favorite stuffed animal everywhere and by doing so collect a variety of germs and dirt along the way. Give fluffy a thorough cleaning every now and then by placing it through a gentle wash cycle in the washing machine. You can also add a laundry sanitizer product to the load to ensure bacteria and viruses have been removed from the toy’s surface.
10. Electronic devices
Collect all of your electronic devices and deposit them on the table or countertop. You probably use these items daily so you should disinfect the surface of your laptop, phone, tablet, etc. on a regular basis.
You might be looking at this list and feeling a little overwhelmed. Yes, it will take you some time to get through everything, but you’ll feel so relieved once everything has been sanitized. If you want to save yourself time and make sure everything is properly cleaned, then hire Soap Bubble Cleaning to handle your home disinfectant needs for you. You’ll love walking into your home to spotless and thoroughly sanitized surfaces.