When they were confined at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, many French people took the opportunity to take great care of their interiors. And these good maintenance actions continue today. This requires a major cleaning including all these small areas that we generally forget! However, we also try to do our best to disinfect our interior. The virus can in fact remain active for 3 hours in the air, 24 hours on cardboard, 3 days maximum on plastic and steel, 4 on wood and 5 on glass. Everything can also vary depending on the humidity level and the ambient temperature of the room. In short, it’s all very complicated… To help you see things clearly, grandmother explains how to clean your interior to deal with Covid-19. And above all, we explain to you if the famous white vinegar is enough to carry out this cleaning!
What household products should I use to clean during the Covid-19 pandemic?
One of the best natural ingredients to use as a cleaning product, white vinegar is the ideal tool for descaling, deodorizing all stubborn bad odors, removing stains and degreasing. However, unfortunately it does not have no virucidal properties. In short, grandma’s favorite product has no effect on coronavirus !
On its website, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises the use of any disinfectant cleaner. This therefore includes bleach, which the Directorate General of Health (France) also recommends. Very effective against germs, you have to mix it 4 teaspoons for a liter of cold water. Then rinse with cold running water as well. Indeed, hot water deactivates the bleach and releases very toxic fumes ! If using this dangerous and bad for the environment virucide doesn’t mean much to you (we understand, we’re not fans of it either), you can also use 95% ethyl alcohol or 75% propanol. . Alcohol used to disinfect should be at least 70° to deal with bacteria.
Good and bad actions to clean everything and deal with Covid-19
First of all, know that bleach does not contain surfactants. This therefore means that she disinfects, but does not clean. Also, specialists advise always clean first then disinfect with a dedicated product. And for greater efficiency in the face of Covid-19, remember to clean remote controls, faucets, switches, door handles and elevator buttons. Brief, everything you touch must be thoroughly cleaned to remove all pathogens!
Clean the dishes:
Given that the coronavirus is resistant to heat, washing dishes in the dishwasher should be done at 60°C minimum. If you don’t have this device, a 15 minute soak in a 0.1% bleach and water solution is a good replacement. However, rinse and wash the dishes well afterward!
Clean the floors:
On the other hand, Professor Daniel Camus, infectious disease specialist at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, does not recommend using a vacuum cleaner to clean floors during the Covid-19 pandemic. He believes in fact that this device “risk of spreading viral particles“. Faced with the risks of contamination by infectious diseases in this way, he therefore recommends the use of disinfectant wipes or a classic mop.
Clean laundry potentially exposed to Covid-19
As for laundry, washing in the washing machine at a temperature of 60°C for at least 30 minutes is recommended. In fact, this temperature and this washing time have a sufficient virucidal effect. Above all, don’t skimp on washing after contact with other people or you be sitting on public transport. This is suitable for clothes as well as sheets and towels. These must also be changed at least every week preferably, or even more regularly if possible. Remember that the virus can survive on household linen! Also, to minimize risks, avoid shaking the laundry. Like the vacuum cleaner, this has the effect of diffusing the viral particles. Finally, UNICEF recommends the use of single-use towels, particularly for drying hands.
After good hand hygiene, you will also have good hygiene of all potentially contaminated surfaces! Each simple sanitation action presented here will help combat the spread of this viral infection and eliminate germs in your home.
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