When cold and flu season arrives, it’s nearly inevitable that germs will invade your home. Once the siege is over, don't forget to disinfect these important germ-harboring spots in your house.
When you or someone in your household falls ill, the first priority is getting back to health. But once the symptoms alleviate, you’ll want to make sure you do a thorough job cleaning the house. Even if the sick person successfully isolates in one area, the germs, virus, or bacteria could still be living on things they have touched. Read on for the most important things in the house that you need to disinfect to stop sickness from spreading and to restore a healthy home.
Here are the top 13 places to be sure to sanitize post illness…
1. Bathrooms - The bathroom is often ground zero when a germ invasion takes over your home. Once the storm has passed through, be sure to deep clean the bathroom, thoroughly disinfecting the toilet, all the faucet handles, and other hard surfaces.
2. Kitchen - The kitchen is the heart of your home and can be hard hit during when there is an illness in the family. It leaves in its area germ-filled cups, dishes, and utensils. Wash all dishes in very hot water or in the hottest setting on your dishwasher, and use the heated dry cycle. Disinfect refrigerator handles and all the electronic keypads on your appliances, and sanitize the countertops and sinks.
3. All door handles - We are always taught that frequent hand washing will lessen the spread of germs in a home, but we all know that's easier said than done. To be on the safe side, grab some disinfecting wipes and hit every door knob and handle in the house—indoors and out.
4. Towels - Towels are such great germ traps because every time you use a towel, you transfer any germs you're carrying onto their surface therefore they should be sanitized by washing in hot water every day or two during illness.
5. Bedding - When you’re sick, you spend a lot of time in bed. Well, those sheets, blankets, and comforters you've been lying on need to be disinfected, too, so throw them in the washing machine and set it on a hot cycle. And if your mattress has been soiled, give it a good cleaning. Start by vacuuming, then spot-clean (if necessary) and spray on disinfectant. Let it air out for the day before you put the linens back on.
6. Clothing - Any clothing worn while you're sick also needs to be sanitized. Wash everything in hot water in a separate load. Use the high heat or sanitize setting on your dryer to finish it off.
7. Hard Surfaces - Hard surfaces throughout the house that are frequently touched need to be cleaned both during and after an illness. This includes all kitchen counters and the dining table and chairs. Don't forget about light switches, stair railings, cabinet knobs and handles, and anything else you touch on a regular basis—these all need to be wiped down with disinfectant too.
8. Get some clean air - If you have central air in your home, make sure you switch out your air filter after someone’s been ill. It’s an easy way to make sure you’re not recirculating those germs throughout your whole house. Clean out your bathroom exhaust fans too to make sure you’re not sending dust and dirt back into your air. And if it’s not too cold outside, open the windows to let some fresh air in; the fresh air will reinvigorate you and will help clean out the stale air in your home.
9. Phone and other electronics - Our tech devices are some of the most often touched items in your home and absolute germ magnets. After an illness has hit your home, make sure you disinfect all your cell phones, tablets, computer keyboards, TV remotes and any other often-touched electronic devices with disinfectant wipes.
10. Toys - This is huge! If you have kids, you've got to do it: Thoroughly sanitize any hard or plastic toys to stop the further spread of germs. Disinfectant wipes work for larger items, but many little things like Lego bricks and other small plastic and rubber toys can be put in a mesh bag and run through the dishwasher in the top rack.
11. Toothbrushes - The holy grail of germ infestation when ill, toothbrushes. Soak toothbrushes in a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide for an hour, and then rinse them thoroughly with hot water. You can also run toothbrushes through the dishwasher. Don’t forget to clean your toothbrush holder as well.
12. Garbage Cans - Garbage cans often see some serious unpleasantness when sickness strikes. After you’ve emptied the cans, spray them down with disinfectant.
13. Inside of your car - Another often touched place is the inside of your car. Wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard controls, gear shift, and door handles with a disinfectant spray or disinfectant wipes.
After illness descends on your home, you've got to take some cleaning action. It is essential to rid those germs from your home to avoid becoming ill again. It seems like a tall order, but in the long run, you will be grateful you took the time and effort to make sure your family is safe from these germs.