How to Disinfect Your Home
It starts with a runny nose, or watery eyes, or perhaps even a fever. One by one, your family members succumb to the unseen enemy - germs. Whether it's a common cold virus or more serious bacteria, most people will need to disinfect their homes top to bottom at some point. Here's how I did it.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- bleach, disinfecting carpet shampoo, vacuum, carpet shampooer, gloves, trash bags, sponge mop, paper towels, spray bottles
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1
Pick up. Put everything in its place, and make sure all the trash is taken out. The fewer surfaces you have to clean, the better. Ideally, you want to pick up your home so thoroughly that it looks like a hotel room, not a personal residence. Start doing laundry right away, since you'll be doing it for days. Use a disinfecting detergent to wash every washable soft surface in your home.
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2
Next, work on the bathrooms. Using a diluted bleach solution, as per the measurements on the bottle, spray and wipe down all the hard surfaces. Start at the ceiling and work down toward the floor. Fill the bathtub with a bleach solution as well, and disinfect any non-porous items there, e.g. kids' bath toys, plastic steps, or "potty" seats, as well as the curtain liner, toothbrush cup, and any other plastic items. Use the same bleach solution to clean the toilet, inside and out, the sink, the vanity, and the floor.
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3
Clean the smallest, least crowded room. This will be your "safe room" for laundry as it gets done, any mobile items you've already cleaned, and your kids while you're working with chemicals in the other parts of the house. The procedure will be the same for most rooms. Start at the ceiling and work down. Remove all soft surfaces that can be washed. Vacuum all soft surfaces that can't be washed, making sure to vacuum the drapes, mattresses, furniture and carpets.
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4
Continue throughout the house following step 3, working from the ceiling down. Wipe down all hard surfaces with a disinfecting wipe, and shampoo the carpets and upholstery with disinfecting carpet shampoo. Mop hard flooring with a disinfecting solution as well. This is a great time to open all the windows and air out the home, too.
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The kitchen will be easy since it's almost all hard, non-porous surfaces - yea! Go the extra mile and disinfect the disposal, dishwasher, and refrigerator, too. Don't forget to wash high-chairs or booster seats thoroughly.
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Use disinfecting wipes to clean out your car and everything in it. Many people practically live in their cars, so imagine, for a minute, just how many times everything in there has been touched - ick! If you have kids, it's just that much worse.
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Finally, I discovered peace of mind in a can. If you like the convenience of a bug "fogger" for ridding your home of pests, you'll love using the same delivery method for killing germs. I selected a product by SafeSpace that is both antibacterial and antiviral. It's serious stuff, and requires planning and common sense precautions. The company that makes it suggests using it as a final step in your cleaning process. See the Resources below for more information.
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Tips & Warnings
Always read chemical labels carefully and follow instructions.
Visit your local cleaning supply store for hospital-grade disinfectants and support regarding their use. They usually have great prices on the tools, too.
Open windows and use fans to make sure you have good ventilation at all times.
Never mix chemicals. Pick your weapon (I chose chlorine bleach) and stick with it.
This may take a few days, depending on the size and condition of your home.
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Resources
- Photo Credit squeegee.com
