Expert tips on disinfecting your home after illness
16 reported
A recent article from The Guardian provides guidance on how to properly clean and disinfect a home after someone has been sick, based on advice from two experts. Dr Chetan Jinadatha, a clinical professor at Texas A&M who researches infection spread in hospitals, and Maddy Baker, a school custodian in Nebraska, shared their methods. The article notes that while cleaning removes germs, disinfecting kills them and helps reduce the spread of illness. The CDC advises that disinfecting is not necessary all the time but is important when someone is sick or immuno-compromised. The experts emphasized starting with a clean surface, checking disinfectant labels, and not wiping disinfectant away immediately.
What’s reported
Flu viruses stay on hands for only five minutes but can stay contagious on hard surfaces from a few hours to two days.
Cleaning removes germs; disinfecting kills germs and reduces illness spread.
The CDC advises disinfecting when someone is sick or immuno-compromised.
Dr Chetan Jinadatha is a clinical professor at Texas A&M researching infection spread in hospitals.
Maddy Baker is a school custodian based in Nebraska.
Organic material on a surface can make disinfectant less potent, so surfaces should be cleaned first.
Baker recommends a multi-purpose cleaner or degreaser like Zep, or dish soap and water for sensitive surfaces.
Baker uses microfiber cloths to trap dust and grime.
Disinfectant products list illnesses by letters; for Covid-19, look for List N; for Ebola, List Q.
Illness classifications can be found on the EPA’s website.
Jinadatha recommends disinfecting daily while someone is sick.
Jinadatha uses standard bleach with 5% to 10% concentration, diluted with water at a ratio of one to 10, applied and left for 3 to 5 minutes.
Baker likes OdoBan’s Disinfectant Concentrate, a hospital-grade option.
Disinfectants have a dwell time (minutes they must sit to be effective); wiping too soon provides no disinfectant action.
Hospital-grade disinfectants include dwell time on the label; commercial options may not.
The EPA vets all disinfectants but holds hospital-grade ones to a higher standard.
Key figures
Dr Chetan Jinadatha, clinical professor at Texas A&M
Maddy Baker, school custodian based in Nebraska
Sources: The Guardian
