Cleaning and sanitising your house has become more important than ever to protect yourself and your family from Covid-19. Studies have shown the virus is able to survive in the air for up to three hours, as well as on surfaces such as cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for up to three days.

While concerns about fomite transmission have diminished, it’s still recommended to sanitise high-touch surfaces at least once a day, especially as more people recover at home and undergo isolation and quarantine periods.

To start cleaning, you will need the following:

• detergent such as all-purpose and floor cleaners, as well as disinfectants that indicate effectiveness against viruses, or a bleach solution such as Clorox;
• mop and buckets;
• personal protective equipment (PPE) such as rubber gloves, face masks, glasses or goggles;
• disposable cloths or rags;
• laundry detergent.

Always read and follow labels carefully, and keep disinfectants and bleach away from your skin. If you’re using chemical products, ensure the area is well-ventilated to help minimise the concentration of air pollutants in the room, including viruses.

Surfaces to sanitise

You don’t have to clean your house from top to bottom every day, but you should sanitise places where germs are most likely to spread.

This includes:

• doorknobs and handles, including on refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens;
• kitchen and bathroom counters;
• mobile phones, tablets and other devices;
• taps and fixtures;
• toilets,including the seats and handles;
• light switches;
• remote controls;
• computer keyboards and mice.

Now that you know what you are going to sanitise, here’s how you do it:

1. Prepare your supplies

Apart from the first list above, you will generally need three buckets for cleaning:

• one filled with warm water;
• one with warm water mixed with detergent (soap or dishwashing liquid, multipurpose or floor cleaners, etc.);
• one with disinfectant or bleach solution.

2. Clean all surfaces

Using warm water and a floor cleaner, mop the entire house from one end to the other. After each area has dried, use the disinfectant or bleach solution to mop it again.

Wipe toilet surfaces with the bleach solution, scrub down the bowl with disinfectant or bleach, and/or drop disinfectant tablets into the water cistern.

Using a damp cloth and detergent, sanitise all taps and fittings.

Apply detergent to various surfaces around the house and wipe them down using disposable cloths or rags. These include doorknobs or handles, kitchen and bathroom counters, table surfaces, and so on.

If any of these surfaces have dirt, dust or debris, clean them off first with a damp cloth.

Next, apply disinfectant and let it sit on the surface for 10 minutes. Use only the amount recommended on the label.

Finally, wipe the surfaces down with a damp cloth, and rinse and repeat as necessary to remove all the disinfectant.

Remember to leave the windows open for ventilation.

3. Wash clothing and fabrics

It is important to wash all linens as pathogens can stay on them for up to three days. This includes curtains, bed sheets, blankets, pillow covers, and so on.

Load your garments and linens into the washer and launder them with washing detergent. If possible, dry your laundry at a higher temperature than you normally would – a clothes dryer is recommended.

Cleaning cloths should be laundered separately if you intend on reusing them; otherwise, it is best you throw them away.

4. Finish the process

As soon as you finish sanitising the house, remove and discard all used clothes, PPE, and other waste into a double-lined plastic trash bag. If you use reusable gloves, make sure to disinfect them.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds upon removing your gloves and PPE.

To complete the sanitisation process, take a shower and change into clean clothes. Maintain good ventilation in your home and launder your used clothing as soon as possible.

This article first appeared in kaodim.com. One of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing local services platform, Kaodim connects users to dependable and professional local service providers – fast and hassle-free. With the Kaodim app, users can access professional services for home renovation, office cleaning, and much more.