Still at an office? Here’s how to clean
With most of us working remotely, local cleaning pros warn we need to sanitize and disinfect our home offices — the new breeding ground for germs, threatening the health and safety of our families.
Even though we’re isolating, every trip to the grocery store, gas station or pharmacy can bring additional exposure to germs back into the home office.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces and recommends disinfecting these areas to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Top 5 tips to sanitize the home office
• Hot Spots – Be aware of the commonly touched areas of the new home workspace such as a desk, keyboard, mouse, phone and personal files that have constant exposure to our hands should be sanitized regularly.
• Wipe This Way – Contrary to the way we usually clean, wiping down a surface in a circular or back-and-forth direction redeposits the germs that were just wiped up. Instead, wipe down commonly touched surfaces in a single direction.
• Bleach is best – Use diluted household bleach solutions if appropriate for the surface. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
To make a bleach solution, mix 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water.
• Wait, wet? – Regardless of the cleaning solution used, keep the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed.
• Color Coded Cleaning – Create a color-coded system of cleaning cloths for specific spaces around the home and office. This keeps you from using the same cloth to clean both the kitchen and desk area and will prevent cross-contamination.
