We are servicing calls about a lot of miss-information concerning how to clean houses in regards to the COVID-19. So let’s go over the advice we like to give as a professional cleaning service.
#1 Cleaning with regular soap and water is super effective on all surfaces. It is cheap and easy! The coronavirus family (including SARS, MERS, and COVID-19) is what is called an “envelope virus” meaning that the virus has a lipid (or fatty) shell that is needed for it to infect you. Soap strips this lipid layer away and disables the virus, then use a rag to wipe it away. No need to get fancy: USE THE SOAP!
#2 Disinfecting works by using a chemical to disable the virus. Not all disinfectants work the same. In our opinion, Alcohol is the best solution for disinfecting.
- Alcohol with a 60% or more content must be used and only requires 10 seconds of contact time.
- Hydrogen peroxide with a 0.5% mixture rate can be used but must have 1 minute of contact time. A .05% mixture needs 1 cup of 3% Hydrogen peroxide to 6 cups of water
- In a pinch, iodine can be used. 75-150 parts per million (very small amount) is effective in 1-2 seconds of contact time. Iodine WILL stain whatever it touches.
- Our least favorite choice is Bleach. Bleach is toxic and it is the least effective. Bleach needs 4+ minutes of contact time to kill viruses. Do you let your counters soak for 4 minutes? Most people do not!
Have any other questions on what you can do to keep your home clean, ask away in the comments! We’re here to help.