Do you think your home is clean? Guess again. The average home has over 9,000 species of germs and fungi living in it.
Bacteria, fungi, and viruses can make even the homiest environment a deathtrap, especially if you have a weakened immune system. To keep bacteria at bay, you’re going to need to do some serious home disinfecting. But some practices are more effective than others, so when you’re cleaning your home next, you’ll want to be sure you’re doing things the right way.
With over 15 years of professional house cleaning experience, we’re going to let you in on some of our home disinfecting secrets. Here’s how the experts disinfect homes and keep our clients healthy.
1. Home Disinfecting 101: Pick Your Cleaning Agents Carefully
When it comes to home disinfecting, there’s a lot more to cleaning solutions than you might think. Before you get started on disinfecting your home, you’re going to need to make sure you’re using effective cleaning agents. Whether you’re picking out new cleaning solutions at the store or going through your pantry, read the labels of the cleaning solutions to make sure they’ll actually disinfect.
Many multipurpose cleaning sprays will clean surfaces, but not actually kill bacteria. Some of the main culprits here are the natural cleaning products.
Fortunately, if you really want to stick with natural cleaning solutions, you can use vinegar as your cleaning agent. This kills many types of bacteria found in homes, though it’s not as effective as other chemical disinfecting agents such as bleach.
In addition to selecting an effective cleaning agent, you’re going to want to be sure you’re not making harmful chemical vapors during your disinfecting routine. If you’re using more than one solution in an area that you’re cleaning, be sure you’re not using anything that can react with each other. Know what you can and cannot combine when disinfecting your home and make a plan for your cleaning routine.
2. Prepare Your Disinfecting Weapons
Got disinfecting tools? If you don’t have the right supplies, now’s the time to stock up.
You’re going to need a bucket and something to wipe and scrub the germs away. And if you’re deep cleaning along the way, you may want to grab these professionally-used cleaning solutions to maximize your cleaning efficiency.
If you’re using sponges in your disinfecting routine, pitch them now – they’re full of bacteria. A viable, effective, and sanitary disinfecting alternative is cloth. Terry cloth is a little more abrasive and good for scrubbing, while microfiber material is best for gentle cleaning and wiping up dust as you go.
You can purchase washcloths from a store, or cut up material from around the house (such as an old towel) to use in your disinfecting routine. Be sure that you’re washing these cloths in a heavy rinse cycle in hot water (ideally with bleach) after each cleaning session so they’ll be sanitized for your next go around.
3. Use Fresh Hot Water
When you’re getting ready for your home disinfecting session, fill your bucket with the hottest water your hands can handle. It shouldn’t burn your hands, but the hotter it is, the more bacteria it will kill. If your hands are sensitive, using cleaning gloves can help protect your skin while you’re scrubbing.
Using hot water for disinfecting comes in handy for several reasons. First, bacteria can’t stand hot temperatures, so using hot water will kill off more bacteria than a cleaning solution could do alone. Most of those cleaning solutions come in condensed concentrations and require diluting, so using hot water will help dilute them so that you don’t leave sticky surfaces behind you.
As soon as that water starts to look dirty or foggy, it’s time to replace it with more hot water. You’ll want to change your water out frequently to make sure you’re not spreading more germs and dirt back around the house.
4. Disinfect Frequently
Germs and viruses enter places fast. And once they’re present, it can be hard to get rid of them since they multiply quickly. Try to do a full disinfecting session in your home once a week (and at most, every two weeks) to keep bacteria, fungi, and viruses from taking over.
Between deep cleans in your home, try adding some lighter disinfecting into your daily routine to make sure you’re keeping these bugs at bay. You can use Lysol disposable wipes on these surface areas, or pair a washcloth with this natural DIY disinfectant recipe.
Focus on cleaning areas that are touched by others, such as door handles and sink faucets. You’ll also want to do a quick wipedown of surfaces where hands or food frequent, such as kitchen counters and dining room tables (especially if you were handling raw meat in these areas).
5. Curb Germ Development
Discouraging bacteria from entering and growing in your environment is a good preventative long-term disinfecting solution. Start with your air when you’re looking at preventative measures.
Bacteria and fungi can’t survive when fresh air and sunlight are in their environment, so open your windows and blinds whenever it’s feasible to do so. When your windows are closed, you can also reduce these microcontaminants by using a home air purifier. When you use HEPA air filters in these purifiers, they’ll reduce airborne contaminants (including bacteria, viruses, and allergens).
Bacteria also float down to ground surfaces, where they can continue to spawn with dust and crumbs to live off of. Be sure you’re covering these areas during your home cleaning sessions. Vacuuming your home frequently can reduce the bacteria found in dusty places, and using disinfecting solutions while you mop floors or steam clean carpets can further reduce bacteria and fungi.
Have a Cleaner Home
Knowing how to disinfect a home is important, and it’s a lot of work keeping bacteria from taking over. In order to keep your home germ-free, you’re going to have to clean your home frequently. You also need to remember that complete home disinfecting means you’re going to have to work from top to bottom (and everything in between).
Don’t have the time to keep the bad bugs out? You may want to hire professional help to make sure your home is as bacteria-free as it can be.
And if you’re looking for help in Raleigh, expert assistance is only a phone call away. We offer standard services for sparking results, and if you need a little extra help around the house we also offer a “neat freak” service package.
Having a clean home be easier than ever. Just fill out this form and we’ll get back to you in a jiffy. Say hello to a cleaner home and goodbye to your microscopic roommates in no time.