Proper hygiene is an important step in the COVID-19 fight. According to the experts, cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for the prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings. This means that you need to clean the items you bring into your home.
Here’s everything you need to think about the moment you arrive back home from the outside world.
1. Hands
Wash your hands. Soap and water should always be your first choice. If not available, choose an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60 percent isopropyl alcohol. Scrub thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, washing the front and back of your hands and fingers, between your fingers, and the fingernails (including underneath long nails). You do not need to use antibacterial soap, nor do you have to use hot water.
Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have clean hands. You will need to wash your hands again when you’re done unloading groceries or handling anything else you brought in from outside. Make sure you avoid these common handwashing mistakes, too.
2. Phone
Try not to put your phone anywhere but your pocket or purse and especially not on grocery conveyor belts, shelves, carts, and payment counters. The less exposure to public surfaces, the better.
When you return home, use disinfecting wipes (such as Clorox, or alcohol-based wipes containing at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol). Disinfect your phone at least once a day, even if you’re staying home, but more frequently if out and about.
3. Wallet or purse
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the average handbag was one of 15 everyday items dirtier than a toilet seat (specifically, three times dirtier than an office toilet seat). As with your phone, try to keep your purse or wallet on your person instead of throwing it in the shopping cart. Once back home, you’ll need to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean your wallet or purse as it depends largely on the material. At the very least, keep these items off of kitchen tables and countertops and wash your hands every time you touch it.
4. Grocery bags
While you may be in the habit of bringing your own bags to the grocery store in an effort to cut down on single-use plastic, now may not be the time to worry about environmental impact.
You should them in a washing machine or at least wiping them with disinfectant after each use. Also, whatever surface you put your grocery bags down on at home (hard non-porous surfaces like countertops, the floor, or table are easier to clean than rugs or carpet) should be disinfected thoroughly after they are clear.
5. Purchased products
OK, the bags are out of the way, but what about everything you brought home that once lived on a store shelf? Disinfect everything you can within reason—but simply rinse your produce; do not use bleach, soap, or other disinfectants.
6. Car
Now, it’s time to head back out to your car and start retracing your steps a bit. According to scientists, the viruses can live on a plastic steering wheel—the dirtiest spot in your car—for about 75 hours and a car door for roughly 40 hours.
Aside from those items, when you left the store, you likely also touched your keys, seat belt, seat, gear shift, sun visor, touchscreen, trunk latch, garage door opener, and cup holders. Use disinfectant wipes on everything except leather and touchscreens.
7. Spectacles and sunglasses
The virus can survive approximately 75 hours on your eyeglasses or sunglasses. So, you should wash them with soap and hot water upon returning home for the best disinfecting power, but you can also use an alcohol-based wipe on everything except the lenses for extra protection.
8. Clothes
Now, turn your attention toward yourself. Your clothes should go right into the washing machine (not just sitting around festering in a laundry hamper). Whatever you do, don’t mix bleach and white vinegar. The CDC warns that shaking dirty laundry may disperse the virus through the air, so avoid too much movement. Wash your hands after handling dirty laundry.
9. Shoes
Just as with your purse and wallet, shoes may be incredibly difficult to disinfect. If you happen to own a pair of machine-washable shoes, choose those for your outings and toss them in with your clothes after you return home. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to turn your house into a no-shoe zone for the time being. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll never go back to your old ways.
10. Body
Now that everything you’ve touched is as disinfected as possible, time to think about how to cleanse your body. Especially during the COVID-19 crisis, you should shower and wash your hair, if possible. If the skin and hands become dry with more frequent washing and bathing, use moisturizer.