That first sneeze and fever are enough to make anyone run for these tips for disinfecting a home after an illness. After all, the cold and flu are responsible for thousands of dollars of medical bills and downtime every year in Wisconsin. Put simply, the cold and flu can put a real damper on work and fun, making a thorough deep clean and disinfection a necessity.
Home Disinfection and Cleaning Tips
- Choose your disinfectant products carefully. Make sure that the product contains a disinfectant, instead of just using a regular cleaning product.
- Avoid using the same towel or sponge for disinfecting.
- Concentrate on areas that the person with the illness frequents, especially the bathroom, bedroom, and main areas.
- Replace towels and bedding that the infected person has used, but be careful about handling dirty laundry. If there are stuffed animals in the bed, launder those as well.
- ALWAYS wash your hands after cleaning. Schedule a deep clean with a professional home cleaner after the illness has passed.
Home Disinfection and Cleaning Checklist
Every surface in your home is a suspect, because the flu can live on hard surfaces for a whole day. However, these commonly used surfaces are considered hot zones that should be disinfected and cleaned whenever someone in the home gets sick.
Whole Home
___ Door Knobs
___ Tablets and Smartphones (carefully to protect the device)
___ Light Switches
___ Garbage cans
___ Toys and stuffed animals
Living Room
___ Remote Control
___ Tables
___ Electronics, such as DVD player, video game controllers, etc. (carefully to protect the device)
___ TV cabinets
Kitchen
___ Appliances, such as stove, range hood, refrigerator, microwave, etc.
___ Coffee makers
___ Toasters
___ Cabinet handles
Bathroom
___ Countertops
___ Faucet handles
___ Toilet
___ Cabinet handles
___ Shower handles
Bedroom
___ Bedding
___ Tables
___ Alarm clocks and electronics
