– family handyman
You Don’t Cleaning Before Disinfecting
Disinfecting is all about the germs in your home. Disinfectants kill bacteria and viruses, but they’re not always the best at wiping up dust, dirt and pet fur. Do the cleaning before disinfecting, like sweeping before mopping, so you don’t just smear dirt around.
You Reach For the Bleach For a Quick Cleanup
Bleach will do the trick but only if you use it correctly. Many people make the mistake of cleaning with bleach for a short amount of time. “Bleach generally takes four-plus minutes of contact time to kill viruses,” says Ledoux. “If you use bleach, I [actually] recommend a 10- to 15-minute dwell time.”
You Use a Disinfectant With a Low Alcohol Concentration
Eco-friendly products are great, but these cleaning options might not always have a high enough alcohol or bleach concentration to kill COVID-19. That’s why reading labels is so important, especially now. You should be looking for products that have at least a 70 percent alcohol concentration. If you can’t find your normal go-to products? “Opt for cleaning alcohol itself, which is normally sold in pharmacies,” advises Ledoux. “The content is important because the higher concentration kills the coronavirus in less than one minute. Plus, it’s effective, doesn’t leave a residue, and evaporates.”
You Don’t Read the Fine Print
Ignoring a product’s how-to-use instructions is a common mistake by consumers, says Ledoux. “[Professional cleaners] follow the label. The manufacturers perform extensive testing and make their instructions based on that,” she notes. “Many consumers don’t read those labels, and, as a result, don’t allow sufficient dwell time for the product to be effective. If we use a disinfecting spray that’s labeled for two to three minutes but wiped it after 10 seconds, there will be very minimal, if any, cleaning and sanitizing effect.” For example, here are the directions on a can of Lysol: “Pre-clean surface. Spray surface until thoroughly wet. Leave for two minutes before wiping.”
You Don’t Read the Fine Print
Ignoring a product’s how-to-use instructions is a common mistake by consumers, says Ledoux. “[Professional cleaners] follow the label. The manufacturers perform extensive testing and make their instructions based on that,” she notes. “Many consumers don’t read those labels, and, as a result, don’t allow sufficient dwell time for the product to be effective. If we use a disinfecting spray that’s labeled for two to three minutes but wiped it after 10 seconds, there will be very minimal, if any, cleaning and sanitizing effect.” For example, here are the directions on a can of Lysol: “Pre-clean surface. Spray surface until thoroughly wet. Leave for two minutes before wiping.”
You Use Disinfecting Wipes Instead of a Spray
“Wipes are convenient to keep in your purse, briefcase, or backpack for use when you are away from home and need to touch surfaces like shopping carts, door handles, and so forth,” explains Jim Epstein, CEO of Intercon Chemical & Clearly Better, which makes PURE Hard Surface Disinfectant. “When at home, though, it is best to use a spray disinfectant. Wipes become dirty quickly, and you can overload a wipe, so its disinfectant material loses effectiveness.” Antibacterial wipes are a time-crunched cleaner’s best friend, but sometimes they’re not the best option
You Don’t Wash Your Hands Before Cleaning
Guess what — you don’t just need to wash your hands when you come in from outside. You need to wash them before you start cleaning. Otherwise, you’re introducing germs into what should be a clean environment. So before you get started, Lake recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Then put on a pair of disposable gloves — and not just to protect your delicate hands from harsh chemicals. “When cleaning, you’re going to come in to contact with many different germ-ridden surfaces,” says Lake.
You Ignore Past Magic Erasers
Meet your new BFF: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Not only do they remove errant marks on your walls when nothing else can, but they also can also aid your disinfecting efforts. “While they do not disinfect, they make it easier to get [the] dirt off of surfaces so a disinfectant can do the work,” says Lake. “I absolutely love Magic Erasers and use them every single day.” You can use them on high-contact areas that need a good cleaning, including countertops, toilets and door handles before applying your disinfectant of choice.
You Don’t Try DIYs
Today, many disinfectants, such as hand sanitizer, are sold out as we try to keep our homes safe and clean. But don’t give up. There are some DIY recipes out there that can help you. “If you’re in a pinch or short on product, rubbing alcohol, diluted with water, will work,” says Lake. “Use a 50/50 dilution ration of 50 percent water and 50 percent rubbing alcohol.”
You Use the Same Rag to Clean Multiple Surfaces
This is a bad habit that many of us have. But when you use the same rag on multiple surfaces, you’re cross-contaminating and giving germs a free ride throughout your house. Instead, use a new rag for each surface. At her company, Lake uses color-coded microfiber cloths so that employees know what should be used where and how much cleaning the cloths need afterward. “For example, we use brown microfiber to clean toilets and the floor right by the toilet. Those then get double sanitized in the wash,” she explains.
You Forget About Your Remote Control
Don’t forget to clean your remote control. There’s a specific way to do it, according to Consumer Reports. First, remove the batteries. Then turn the device upside down so the buttons are facing downward, and “shake it or tap it against your palm to dislodge any debris that might have fallen between the keys.” Grab a compressed air canister and give the remote a blast to shake free any additional matter.
You Use Windex Everywhere
Glass cleaner is good for windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces. But glass cleaners are not disinfectants, according to Epstein. They’re not intended to kill germs, so there are some things you shouldn’t clean with Windex. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding aside, it’s just a glass cleaner and not a disinfectant,” he says. “When you need to disinfect, especially for ‘high-touch surfaces,’ use a low-toxicity, people-friendly, hospital-grade disinfectant that can be used to both clean and disinfect those hard surfaces: door handles, light switches, bathroom fixtures and handles, kitchen surfaces, and more.”
You Don’t Wash Your Clothes in Hot Water
When it comes to your laundry, every load needs to be washed on hot right now, says environmental-toxin expert Tonya Harris, founder of Slightly Greener. Studies show that water needs to be 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to kill viruses and pathogenic bacteria on laundry. To save your clothes from shrinking, Harris recommends drying clothes on normal settings or hanging to dry. Also, she adds, make sure that clothes are 100 percent dry before putting them away “so more germs and bacteria don’t grow on your damp fabric.”
You Use Baby Wipes on Everything, Not Just Babies
If you’re guilty of using baby wipes to clean surfaces in your home, you’re not alone. It’s an oft-cited parenting and cleaning hack, but know this: Those disposable wipes are not disinfecting anything. “They contain gentle ingredients because they are used on skin and moisturizing ingredients meant to soothe,” says Harris. “While they may be good for general quick cleaning, they are not meant for killing germs and viruses.” The same goes for general cleansing wipes, she adds.
