There’s something deeply unsettling about stepping out of self-isolation into the panic of grocery shopping during a coronavirus outbreak. Daily life during the novel coronavirus outbreak is all about disorienting contrasts like these. Taking precautions can save you and your loved one with the contact of the COVID-19 virus.

Washing your hands more often is one of the best steps you can take, but the virus can still stay on surfaces you carry with you into your sanctuary, like your clothes, shoes, debit card, and even your smartphone. According to research, novel coronavirus is capable of living on surfaces for quite a long time. For example, on the cupboard for 24 hours, but nearly two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. So, cleaning high-touch surfaces is a very important step we should take. Everyone’s home is a little different, so just think about the surfaces you interact with most throughout the day. Some of the surfaces include doorknobs, table surfaces, hard dining chairs, kitchen counters, bathroom counters, toilet seat and handle, light switches, TV remote, game controllers, and more.

The first thing you need to know is cleaning and disinfecting are two very different things. Cleaning is all about removing contaminants from a surface while disinfecting is about killing pathogens. Do both daily, especially if anything to anyone has entered or exited your home.

Let’s check out some tips to sanitize home.

Clean the office-work equipment: Computer keyboards, laptops, printers, and telephones are breeding grounds for germs, especially if you share equipment or eat while you work. Shake your keyboard often, and use a vacuum attachment to remove any junk. You can also use wipes to disinfect it. If possible, get a skin for your computer keyboard and make sure to wash it. For mobile phones, you can use a disinfecting wipe or alcohol solution.

Sanitize the kitchen sink: The kitchen sink is one of the geekiest places in the house. Scrub it with a disinfectant cleanser every day. The sink sponge also contains bacteria. Wet it and zap it in the microwave for two to three minutes every day.

Clean kitchen counters: Make sure to clean your kitchen after you prepare your food. Wash them with hot soapy water to get rid of any grime you can see. Then use a solution of 1 cup bleach in 1 gallon of water to sanitize them. Let them air dry. To help keep your counters germ-free, don’t put your purse, laptop, phone, mail, or anything else on top of them.

Clean the surfaces: When you walk through your houses wearing shoes, you’re tracking in everything you’ve stepped on outside, including bacteria. For the cleanest floors and carpets, and the least mess, leave your shoes at the door. In case you do wear shoes inside, vacuum carpets and wash floors once a week. Use a disinfectant spray to clean carpets. Spray in a sweeping motion to cover the entire surface, then let it completely dry before sitting down or walking on the surface.

Sanitize your family room: Germs hang out where you do, especially spots everyone touches like telephones, coffee tables, remotes, and video controllers. Clean them often with disinfectant wipes. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe out the dust from your flat TV screen. Vacuum crumbs and clean spills right away, so bacteria doesn’t grow in your carpets and furniture.

Clean your bedroom: Wash all bed linens at least once a week in hot water. Wash solid items like clothes with grass stains separately from another laundry, especially sheets. Do these cleaning more often if someone is sick in your home. Make sure to keep food and snacks out of the bedrooms.

Don’t forget the knobs and railings: Germs spread quickly on doorknobs, cabinet handles, railing, light switches, and lamps. Sanitize all these surfaces every three to four days with disinfecting wipes or a cleanser. Do it more often if someone in your family is sick or someone visited your home.

Clean your towels: If one person is using a towel, wash it once a week. Wash after each use if someone is sick. Wash gym towels after each workout. Wash kitchen towels separately from other clothes. Make sure to replace hand towels every few days or every time you have guests.

Packages and Mail: Packages are at risk of transmitting the virus. Do not touch your packages for a day. After a day, disinfect your packages with wipes and open it.

What to do if you’re out of Disinfectants items?

Store shelves are empty in a lot of places, especially in the cleaning section. Well, you’ll still have plenty of options. First of all, please use more soap, water, and scrubbing. This can make a huge difference. You can also make a homemade disinfectant spray. Take 4 teaspoons of household bleach and 1-quart water. Pour both into a one-quart spray bottle and shake it. It’s ready to use now. You can spray in on surfaces to disinfect. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and wipe away with a wet cloth. Remember, bleach is excessive in most cases. You should never mix bleach solutions with any other cleaning chemicals because it might damage or discolor sensitive surfaces.

A lot is going on right now in the world. It’s horrible and stressful. It can be hard to know what you should do or what’s going on. Stay safe and stay home.