Week 3.5 coronavirus update – cleaning and disinfectants

This is an update of some important sites everyone should spend some time reading and implementing into your daily and weekly routines.

These recommendations will not go away any time soon as we will have to be dealing with this virus for years to come.

Cleaning and Disinfection for Households from the CDC. This explains everything you need to know about keeping your home from being a source of infection.

When and How to Wash Your Hands from the CDC

Topical Antiseptic Products: Hand Sanitizers and Antibacterial Soaps from the FDA.

Not all hand sanitizers are 60+% alcohol, so be sure to read the label.

Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Homes and Residential Communities

What can you use to kill coronavirus on surfaces in your home:

  • If you don’t remove dirt and grime from a surface you are only disinfection the surface of the dirt and grime. Clean surfaces with a good detergent agent, which will remove dirt and oils but may not kill the virus. So clean first, then disinfect.
  • Let the detergent sit for 15-30 seconds before wiping off to make sure it removes all the oils and substances that may cover up the virus. Repeat if necessary if you see it has not removed the films from surfaces.
  • Disinfectants (those substances that actually kill the virus directly) include:
  1. 60+% and preferably 70% alcohol. Some say 100% alcohol evaporates too quickly and should be diluted with water or aloe to 70-80%. That way you can make your alcohol last longer.
  2. Typical 3% hydrogen peroxide is effective and can be diluted to 0.5% and still be effective. Hydrogen peroxide does not degrade as quickly as bleach, so can be use for a longer period of time. However cap your bottle promptly to minimize air contact with the peroxide.
  3. Bleach is an excellent disinfectant. 1/4 cup of most readily available bleach diluted in 1 gallon of water is sufficient. It can be quite irritating to the skin so use gloves when spraying and cleaning surfaces. The disinfectant property of bleach begins to degrade after 24 hours so making a new batch of disinfectant daily is recommended.
  4. Vinegars of all variety and tea tree oil have yet to be proven to kill the coronavirus and their effectiveness against the influenza viruses is weak at best.

3 thoughts on “Week 3.5 coronavirus update – cleaning and disinfectants

  1. Thank you for providing this. It is very reassuring and comforting in these times. So far so good at my house. I do live alone and that is a real challenge, but I try to walk with a friend weather permitting and talk daily to my family. As they tell us “ we will get through this”. I don’t think my house has ever been this clean!
    Bonnie

  2. I think that you missed your calling, these are better than what I find on the news.
    What do you have on Hydroxychloroquine and can you prescribe it?
    Doing okay here, so far.

    Jim

    1. So stay well! All hydrocholorquine has either been sequestered by nefarious individuals or reserved for hospital prescriptions for those in the hospital. Further clarification regarding its effectiveness is still being awaited.

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