In times of flu seasons and pandemic outbreak, there may be heightened need to ensure our living area is frequently cleaned and disinfected, to prevent infection of virus. Many of us may think our home is safe and clean but we could unintentionally bring back the germs and viruses from our contaminated hands, clothes, and belongings when we went out.
Difference between cleaning and disinfecting
We need to understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning means removing dirt and germs while disinfecting means eliminating the germs. So, it simply means that cleaning does not completely kill the germs; disinfecting does.
Differentiating cleaning and disinfecting is important. Because while we may be cleaning the surfaces of our home frequently but we may not be killing the germs and viruses.
So, while we hunker down at home during the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker, we can use some free time to clean and disinfect our nest. Here are some possible steps you can follow to start deep cleaning:
1. Recommended cleaning disinfectant products to use
Before disinfecting, we need to ensure we use products that are effective in eliminating the viruses, germs and bacteria. Labels that mention the products sanitise 99.99% of bacteria but do not necessarily mean they can eliminate viruses and fungi.
Singapore’s National Environmental Agency (NEA) has released a list of cleaning products with disinfectant components available in the market which we can use to clean and disinfect especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. These products contain active ingredients that are needed to effectively kill the coronavirus.
Please refer to NEA website for more detail.
Image Credit: National Environment Agency website
2. Identify the high touchpoints in the various parts of your home
High touchpoints are surfaces in your home which you often come into contact with. Some of the common ones are doorknobs or handles, light switches, telephone handset, tap, toilet flush button and more.
3. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces
Spray the disinfection solution to surfaces according to the product label instructions. Let the disinfection work on the surfaces between 30 seconds to 10 minutes, as per suggested by NEA guidelines.
4. Deep Clean with disinfectants
For a thorough disinfection process, spray disinfectants generously onto a paper towel or cloth. Wipe the frequently touched surfaces with the damp cloth that has been moistured with disinfectant solution.
After wiping a small surface – max 5 sqft area – flip the towel over and use the opposite side. Then, turn to the opposite side and use the rest of the quarters.
Do not use the same side of the cloth over large area of surface or you may end up spreading the germs around.
If you need to wipe large area of surfaces, you may need to use a new kitchen towel or cloth to wipe down.
5. Time to declutter your home
If you’ve not done thorough cleaning for a while, perhaps now is the best time to declutter your store room, drawers, and hidden corners. Give your home a good wipe down to remove the layer of dust that has accumulated over the years.
6. Caution against direct spraying liquid onto electrical points
Do not spray the disinfectant solution directly onto electrical switches like light switches as you may cause short circuit.
7. Disinfect or discard used cloth
After wipe down is completed, remember to thoroughly disinfect the used cloth for wipe down. Follow soaking disinfection steps according to the disinfectant product you purchase when disinfecting the used cloth.You may wish to discard the used cloths after disinfecting them, especially if there is an infected family member residing in your home.
The above recommendations are made based on our experience and training. De Hygienique does not take any responsibility should you not be satisfied with the cleaning or disinfection results from the above suggestions.
Should you need more professional advice on how to disinfect and clean your home or office due to COVID-19, seasonal flu infections, Hand Foot Mouth Disease, or other pandemic outbreak, you may visit our Disinfection Service Page for more details or contact our Customer Service for assistance.
