Cold and flu season comes around each year whether you like it or not. Sarasota, FL residents can implement a few simple cleaning strategies to minimize this season. To get started, be sure to keep the correct cleaning products around the house to protect yourself.
Useful items to have on hand:
- Disinfecting aerosol or spray
- Bleach
- Empty spray bottle to mix bleach and water
- Disinfecting wipes with alcohol or benzalkonium chloride base
- Hand soap
- Laundry detergent
- The Best Defense Is a Good Offense
Stop the flu before it gets in your home—get a flu shot! Safe and effective for the majority of healthy people, a flu shot can help stop the flu before it starts, or lessen its severity.
But you can defend your home in other ways, as well. Hand washing is highly effective, so be sure to keep a good hand soap available at all sinks. It does not need to be anti-bacterial; any soap and water, used properly, will do. Soaps meant for hands vary widely from soaps meant for cleaning dishes, so be sure to invest in a gentle hand soap.
Likewise, wipe down areas that are frequently touched. Door knobs, handles of refrigerators or faucets and the remote control can be wiped down with a disinfecting spray, bleach mixture or wipes.
If It Gets In…
Cleaning house when a contagion is running rampant through it is another chore altogether. If you are the one cleaning up after sick family members, make sure to protect yourself. Wear gloves and wash your hands frequently. Make sure not to splash cleaning water into your mouth or nose, as this may spread germs.
Bleach-based cleaners are extremely important in disinfecting areas contaminated by bodily fluids. If you need to use bleach to clean, make sure to dilute it properly. A gallon of water should contain about ⅓ cup bleach to be safely diluted. Wipe with a cloth or spray from an unused bottle (do not mix bleach in a bottle that contained other cleaning products!) and allow the mixture to dry before wiping down the surface further, so as to kill bacteria and viruses.
Special attention should be paid to areas like bathrooms, bedding, dishes and toothbrushes. It is important for sick family members’ dishes to be cleaned well with soap and hot water. Tissues should be disposable when it comes to contagious illnesses (no handkerchiefs!). Make sure to throw out any tissue in a wastepaper basket with a liner so that they can be wrapped up and thrown away without infecting whomever is cleaning up.
HouseMaids is a family owned, professional house cleaning service – we understand wanting to keep your family and yourself healthy during cold and flu season. Our house cleaning services can be scheduled bi-weekly, weekly or monthly, preventing illness before it happens. Give us a call at (941) 953-4300 today!
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