Cleaning and disinfecting your home

During lockdown and even more so once the lockdown restrictions start to be lifted, it is of the utmost importance that we pay attention to keeping our homes clean, hygienic and germ-free. COVID-19 can survive for long periods on certain surfaces, and in order to protect your family, you need to take great care to ensure that your home is regularly and thoroughly cleaned.

First things first - if you or a member of your family has gone out anywhere, the first thing you do when you get home is wash your hands and your children's hands thoroughly, with soap and water - scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. This needs to be as much part of your routine as putting your keys down in the same place - and it needs to remain so until COVID-19 is entirely a thing of the past. It's important to remember that the end of lockdown will not mean the end of Covid-19, and your guard will need to stay up.

The onset of COVID-19 means that it's more important than ever for your home to be clean - and no home can get thoroughly cleaned until it has been tidied. This is where the children can do their part. By making sure that all toys, games and books have been put away, they can help ensure every corner of the house can be kept as germ-free as possible.

When it comes to cleaning, extreme attention needs to be paid to what is described as "high-touch" surfaces. These are the surfaces that every member of your family will touch without thinking about it multiple times a day. Toilet flush handles, fridge doors, microwaves, taps, light switches, computers, keyboards, tablets and iPads, remote controls, game consoles and toys are all on the list. If you are using wet wipes to keep these clean, look for ones that promise to kill 99.9% of all germs.

If you have carpets or area rugs in your home, these also need regular and thorough cleaning with soap and water or an appropriate detergent. If they are removable, allow them to dry outside if possible, as sunlight will continue the good work that was begun by the soap or detergent.

The cleaning process in your home needs to be stepped up a notch during this time, and the normal washing with soap or detergent and water needs to be followed up with the use of a disinfectant product containing approximately 70% alcohol. If this is not available, then you can use a diluted household bleach solution. To make this solution, mix a cup of bleach into 20 litres of water. You should pour the bleach in first, and then add the water. Place the mixture into a container with a lid and shake to blend the bleach and water well. When making home solutions, do not ever mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or rubbing alcohol - these will all form toxic blends that can cause harm to you and your family.

There are some steps you can follow in every room of your house:

• In the bathroom, hang towels up immediately after use and don't allow anything to stay damp.
• In bedrooms, change linen frequently.
• In the kitchen, throw away the packets that you bring groceries home in - and empty the bin every day.
• In your home office as well as in your lounge, ensure that all frequently-touched items, from mouses to remote controls, are regularly and thoroughly cleaned.

In a nutshell, the best way to protect your family from the threat of COVID-19 in your home is to clean often and thoroughly, using cleaning products which advertise their germ-killing properties. As has been seen all over the world, this disease is particularly infectious, and every step must be taken to protect the people you love.

During these difficult times, the team from the CSi Property Group continue to work from home, and are available to answer any questions that you may have. Contact us for more information or advice about your next property investment.