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How to Sanitize Your Hard Surfaces

Keeping your home clean and sanitized is always essential when it comes to promoting a healthy and happy lifestyle. Since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit our world earlier this year, keeping up that disinfected environment is more important than ever. With that, just because an area may look clean, doesn’t exactly mean that’s the case. It’s important to understand the difference between cleaned versus sanitized or disinfected – cleaning looks nice, while the other two effectively kill potentially harmful germs, bacteria, and viral strains. In order to clean and disinfect your hard surfaces properly, we suggest you follow these tips to feel as confident as ever in how you care for your home environment.

The Best Products to Purchase: There are many different forms of products you can choose from to ensure you’re getting the best outcome for your needs. Some examples include wipes, sprays, and liquids – although some forms are better for certain areas, so it’s key to know which one will work best for the part of your home you’re cleaning. The best practice is to make sure you take a look at the label and check for the EPA registration number, which will ensure that your chosen product is a proven and effective disinfectant or sanitizer. These types of products are made specifically to kill bacteria and/or viruses, plus the label will let you know where it’s intended to be used. A general soap or detergent is also always good to have on-hand, as it’s recommended to wash most surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting and sanitizing.

Sanitizing Safely: As always, safety comes first. When it comes time to clean, disinfect, and sanitize your home, you’ll want to be sure you know how to keep you and your family safe during this process. First, make sure you thoroughly read and follow packaging instructions to avoid accidents or injury. Next, always wear gloves, whether they are disposable or reusable gloves. If disposable, make sure you toss them after each cleaning. If reusable, keep these gloves designated to cleaning and disinfecting only, and wash regularly. Also, avoid touching your eyes and mouth during cleaning. You’ll also want to remain vigilant in keeping these products away from children, as well as keeping them in their original packaging so you can refer to the safety information at a future date, or avoid dangerous mix-ups.

How and Where to Use: Some of the most common hard surface areas include countertops, floors, showers, and sinks. With that, keep in mind some of the more commonly missed places that could benefit from a cleaning, such as phones, appliance and cabinet handles, light switches, and shared remote controls. Again, it’s very important to read and follow the instructions listed on your product’s packaging, as they’ll contain all the information you need to use them effectively and safely. Most products will require you to wash the surface with soap and water before going in with your disinfectant or sanitizer, and some products even require letting the disinfectant or sanitizer sit on the hard surface for a specific amount of time and then be washed off. Always be sure to not mix certain products, as the fumes could be harmful or even fatal.

How to Dispose: Not only will the label tell you how to properly use the product, it will also let you know how to dispose of the product, as it may not be safe to simply place it in the trash. Generally speaking, it’s a good practice to use all of the product before disposal. That said, if you find a product in your cabinet that has been there for a while and you’re not sure how to handle it, call the manufacturer to request information on its current effectiveness and how to dispose of it safely and properly.

Products used to clean, disinfect, and sanitize your home to keep it safe come in many different forms, and are all used differently. By being aware of how to use it, what not to mix it with, and how to dispose of it properly, you’ll be able to clean with confidence and know you’re creating a safe and healthy home environment for your family.