Tips to Protect Your Home from Coronavirus

Knowing how to protect your home from coronavirus is one of the basic premises to avoid Covid-19 infections. Even though most people are in quarantine with social distancing, hygiene measures and actions for high-level disinfection at home need to be more consistent than ever, especially if essential outings to the supermarket or pharmacy are made. Below, we present a list of actions to take into account for cleaning your home with the help of chemical and natural disinfectants. Disinfect Surfaces First, clean all dirty surfaces in your home and those frequently contacted, such as floors, door handles, light switches, windows, and faucets, with a mixture of soap and water. Then disinfect with a mixture of bleach and water, diluting one quarter cup of bleach in four liters of water; remember not to mix it with ammonia or other disinfectants. Home Laundry To avoid infections during quarantine, it is also important to wash clothes even more frequently than when going outside. Therefore, we recommend washing clothes, towels, and sheets at least once a week and at the highest temperature possible. For porous fabrics like carpets and curtains, let them soak in soap and water before washing in the washing machine. Afterwards, leave them to dry in the sun. Also, try to disinfect your laundry basket or put a liner on it that you can change regularly. Disinfect Your Cell Phone and Other Electronic Devices Knowing how to disinfect your cell phone and other devices is very important, as they are objects we frequently hold in our hands. To clean your cell phone, keyboards, and TV remotes, use a lint-free cloth and a solution of 70% alcohol with 30% water or wipes with isopropyl alcohol. Designate a Sanitization AreaRemember to assign one person to go out for groceries and select a sanitization area so that when they pass through, they can ensure to disinfect completely before entering the common areas of the house. You can spray their clothes with aerosol disinfectant, pour soapy water on the floor to clean their shoes, give them hand sanitizer, and transfer supplies to a specific area for better disinfection; here you can find a more comprehensive guide to do it correctly. Care for Your Pets Humans are not the only family members that need to maintain high hygiene levels; it is also necessary to care for the health of pets. Therefore, supervise your pet when they spend time in the garden. You can play with them outside, but keep them away from other humans and clean their paws well only with water and mild soap or special shampoo, as any other material could harm them. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) recommends maintaining proper handwashing when playing with them and don’t forget to clean their food and water bowls and contact surfaces. How many of these measures have you already implemented to disinfect your home, and how many do you still need to do? Would you recommend any other measures to add to this list?