Cleaning and hygiene tips to help keep the COVID-19 virus out of your
home
From doing
laundry to preparing meals — every day measures to help protect your family.
Can you catch the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from food? How should I do laundry now? Mundane household tasks have turned into a source of uncertainty and anxiety as families grapple with getting the basics done all while keeping their loved ones safe and healthy. Widespread misinformation about the virus puts everyone at risk and adds to the stress of having to filter fact from fiction.
While research into the COVID-19
virus is ongoing, we know the virus is transmitted through direct contact
with respiratory droplets of an infected person (through coughing and
sneezing), and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. The virus may
survive on surfaces for a few hours up to several days. The good news? Simple
disinfectants can kill it. Now what does this mean for your home?
To give parents a helping hand, we compiled the latest expert information on what is known about COVID-19 and tips to help keep it out of your home.
Cleaning
and hygiene tips to protect against COVID-19
Personal hygiene
Simple
hygiene measures can help protect your family’s health and everyone
else’s.
Don’t touch your face
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Don’t cough or sneeze into your hands
Cover
your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing.
Dispose of used tissue immediately.
Keep your distance
Maintain
a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or
sneezing.
Wash, wash, wash your hands
Yes,
you’re hearing it everywhere, because it’s the best line of defence. Wash hands
frequently with soap and water for at least 20-30 seconds.
An
easy way to time it with your children is by singing the full happy birthday
song, twice.
Make
sure to wash hands after you blow your nose, sneeze into a tissue, use the
restroom, when you leave and return to your home, before preparing or eating
food, applying make-up, handling contact lenses etc.
If
using a hand sanitizer ensure that it contains at least 60 per cent alcohol,
ensure coverage on all parts of the hands and rub hands together for 20-30
seconds until hands feel dry. If hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands
with soap and water.
Cleaning around
the home
Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch
surfaces in your home regularly is an important precaution to lower the risk of
infection.
Follow cleaning product instructions for
safe and effective use, including precautions you should take when applying the
product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation.
Some national authorities have made lists
of recommended products for use against the COVID-19 virus.
High-touch surfaces to clean and disinfect
Every home is different, but common
high-touch surfaces include: Door handles, tables, chairs, handrails, kitchen
and bathroom surfaces, taps, toilets, light switches, mobile phones, computers,
tablets, keyboards, remote controls, game controllers and favourite toys.
What to use to clean and disinfect
If a surface is dirty, first clean it with
soap or detergent and water. Then use a disinfectant product containing
alcohol (of around 70 per cent) or bleach. Vinegar and other natural products
are not recommended.
In many places it can be difficult to find
disinfectant sprays and wipes. In such cases, continue to clean with soap and
water. Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used on some surfaces.
How to disinfect
It’s important not to wipe cleaning
solutions off as soon as you’ve applied it to a surface. Many disinfectant
products, such as wipes and sprays, need to stay wet on a surface for several
minutes in order to be effective. Always read the directions to make sure
you’re using the products as recommended and to avoid damaging sensitive items
such as mobile phones and other electronic devices. Consider using wipeable
covers for electronics.
Cleaning clothes
It is currently unclear how long the
COVID-19 virus can survive on fabric, but many items of clothing have
plastic and metal elements on which it might live for a few hours to several
days.
Exercise caution and common sense. Good
practices to consider include removing your shoes when you enter your home and
changing into clean clothes when you return home after being in crowded places,
and washing your hands with soap and water immediately afterwards.
Doing laundry at home
Clean bedsheets, towels, and clothes regularly.
Don’t shake dirty laundry to minimize the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air.
Launder items with soap or detergent, using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely — both steps help to kill the virus.
Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterward.
Wash or disinfect your laundry bag and hamper as well. Consider storing laundry in disposable bags.
Doing laundry outside your home
If you need to use laundry facilities
outside of your home, take sensible precautions:
Prepare laundry before leaving your home to help minimize the amount of time you spend outside.
Try to go at a time when there are fewer people.
Maintain physical distance to other people.
Wear disposable gloves if available, disinfect the surfaces of all machines you use, and don’t touch your face.
For indoor laundry facilities, wait outside for your laundry to finish if you can.
Fold your laundry at home.
Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterward.
Wash or disinfect your laundry bag/ hamper as well. Consider storing laundry in disposable bags.
If you don’t have access to laundry
facilities, hand wash your clothes at home with soap or detergent and the
warmest appropriate water.
