We are all spending more time at home during these challenging and unprecedented times. Social distancing and staying at home are our first line of defense against COVID-19, but we should also be keeping our homes safe and disinfected to prevent possible transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a wealth of guidelines for making your home healthy when it comes to COVID-19.

Those guidelines start with the recommendation to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in household common areas. Those surfaces include tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, and sinks. How do you do that? Follow these simple guidelines:

• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
• For disinfection, you can use diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, or an EPA-registered household disinfectant.
• If you have a child with asthma, always separate the child from the room being cleaned to avoid the bleach triggering an asthma attack, and do not over-concentrate your cleaning solution.  

Prepare a bleach solution:

     4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water, or
     5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water

Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. 

Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims are expected to be effective against COVID-19.

For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely, or use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims (examples at this link) that are suitable for porous surfaces.

Follow these guidelines from the CDC to keep your children and family safe during this time.