How to clean your phone, home, and hands to prevent #coronavirus spread.
The best way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, is to wash your hands and disinfect day to day surfaces, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means stocking up on high-quality hand soap and household cleaning products is extremely important.
But because the virus can last different amounts of time on different types of surfaces, there are different best practices on how to clean everything at your house.
Business Insider has compiled a list of the best cleaning tips to keep you healthy and supplies to stock up on before a possible coronavirus quarantine.
The coronavirus can last up to 5 days on nonporous surfaces made of plastic and metal like doorknobs, tabletops, and kitchen counters — so clean at least once a day.
The National Institute of Health compared the lifespan of coronavirus on different types of surfaces and found that it could last up to three days on stainless steel and plastic — common materials used in toys, door hands, and everyday appliances.
In general, nonporous surfaces like plastics and metals can allow the virus to live for longer periods of time, so it’s important to disinfect high-touch areas like tabletops and kitchen counters at least once a day.
Clorox and Lysol wipes work, but bleach sprays are the most effective for high-touch, non-porous surfaces made of metal, glass, and wood.
While cleaning your entire house can seem like a daunting task, the CDC recommends prioritizing cleaning high-touch areas like doorknobs, light switches, tables, and cell phones first before moving into the rest of the house.
Rather than focusing on cleaning (removing germs from surfaces with soap and water) and disinfecting (using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces) at the same time, the CDC also recommends focusing on cleaning first before circling back to disinfect.
Spray products like bleach and Lysol can be effective to disinfect most surfaces. For people looking for more natural cleaners, Business Insider recommends buying Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner (3-pack), $11.85, available at Amazon.
Wash your laundry at the highest possible heat.
While the NIH found that fabric doesn’t hold onto the virus as long, clothes still can be exposed to the virus when you’re out and about, so it’s important to wash after wearing them.
Use the warmest appropriate water setting for washing the items and let them dry completely afterward.
If you’re not using gloves when washing dirty laundry, make sure to wash your hands afterward.
Also, consider washing the laundry bag that holds your clothes, as that surface can also collect germs.
Wear gloves and make sure you have quality ventilation when you clean.
The CDC recommends using latex gloves while you disinfect household surfaces.
If you’re using reusable gloves, don’t use them for other purposes, and clean your hands immediately after the gloves are removed. Peel the gloves away from your body, pulling them inside out, and try not to let the outside of the glove touch your skin.
Wash your hands for 20 seconds or more with quality hand soap.
According to the CDC, the best defense against the coronavirus is washing our hands for at least 20 seconds.
For those of us who have trouble keeping track of time, that’s about the same length as the “Happy Birthday” song sung twice or the chorus to “Juicy” by Doja Cat.
Because scrubbing your hands with soap and warm water is essential in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, your choice of soap is not a light decision.
The best overall hand soap Business Insider recommends is a three-pack of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Scented Hand Soap for $10.19 on Walmart. For people on a budget, we recommend using Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap for $3.39 on Staples.
Your smartphone carries more germs than a toilet seat — here’s how to clean it.
The glass and metal a smartphone is made out of can make it the perfect environment for coronavirus to live on, so it’s important to disinfect at least once a day, if not more.
As Business Insider recently reported, The University of Arizona found back in 2012 that cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Toilet seats are cleaned frequently; cellphones are not.
Apple says it’s safe to wipe down hard, nonporous surfaces like its screen with a Clorox Disinfectant Wipe or 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, but do not submerge your phone in a cleaning product.
Avoid getting moisture in the charging port, and do not use spray cleaners on the device.
You can scrub your phone with a microfiber cloth, which can be purchased online. You can also consider UV phone sanitizers like Phone Soap, which uses UV-C light to break down germs and bacteria.
Read More: Businessinsider.com
