The Proper Way of Disinfecting Against COVID-19 According to Experts
SARS-CoV-2 is the official name of the virus that has been causing the COVID-19 pandemic; research shows that it can survive on surfaces for up to 16 hours, it clearly doesn’t go away very quickly, this is why it is imperative that you continuously disinfect surfaces and every nook and crannies that are commonly touched touch by the members of your household.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you have to disinfect your home at least once daily. According to experts, some everyday household products like Isopropyl alcohol, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide can be used to kill SARS-CoV-2, they also go on to say that other everyday household products are also not recommended to be used as a disinfectant against the virus. These are expert times for properly disinfecting your home against Coronavirus.
How The Virus Die Through Disinfection
The United States CDC recommends that you disinfect commonly touched areas in your home like computer peripherals, tables, faucets, sinks, toilets, handles, doorknobs, and phones at least daily. They also go on to say that for dirty surfaces, a solution if soap and water work best when disinfecting. If someone in your household is experiencing flu-like symptoms, also make sure to clean the objects they use regularly.
When you are disinfecting, whatever chemical you use, let it remain in contact with the surface you are cleaning as the chemicals need time to eliminate the virus, the time you wait varies on what chemical you use and how potent they are. Do not mix just any household chemicals, because a wrong mixture has the potential to release harmful gasses.
Disinfecting Using Bleach
When diluted in cold water, bleach makes a very effective disinfectant; bleach can kill fungi, bacteria, and a lot of viruses, including the Coronavirus. Ideally, you should mix ¼ cup of bleach for every gallon of cold water; on some brands of bleach, the ratio of bleach to water may vary a little bit. Make sure to use the diluted bleach within 24 hours and make some again when needed as the old solution loses disinfecting capabilities in time.
Submerge plastic toys that cannot be penetrated by water in the diluted bleach solution for at least 30 seconds. Bleach-safe surfaces, on the other hand, must be exposed to the bleach solution for at least 10 minutes. Effective disinfectants maybe, but bleach solutions must not be used as a substitute for alcohol and hand sanitizers as they are very harsh on the skin.
Using Alcohol For Disinfection
Alcohol comes in many varieties, some common examples are isopropyl, rubbing, and ethyl alcohol, they are very potent and therefore, very effective in killing bacteria, a lot of pathogens, and viruses as well. Juice can also be diluted with water to make a disinfecting solution, if you, on the other hand, want to make hand sanitizer, dilute it with aloe vera. To make your solution be able to kill the Coronavirus, be sure that the alcohol you would use is rated at least 70%. Most alcohol is rated at 70% alcohol, Hand sanitizers are at 60%, and Lysol is more potent at 80%, they are all effective in disinfecting against the Coronavirus.
If you use a 70% alcohol solution, apply it on surfaces, and must stay for at least 30 seconds for it to be able to disinfect correctly, you can also use it to clean remote controls and mobile devices. 100% alcohol, on the other hand, does not effectively work for this purpose as it evaporates much too quickly. Drinks that are rated at least 70% must be in a sealed container to prevent it from fading. Alcohols, unlike bleach solutions, do not lose their disinfecting power over time. 70% juice diluted with water can be very harsh and skin and make it dry. Therefore it is not recommended to be used as a substitute for hand sanitizer and hand washing.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Most hydrogen peroxide sold is usually around the concentration levels of about 3%. You can use it without diluting it with other liquids, or for the purpose of conservation, you may dilute it in water down to 0.5% concentration, despite the lower concentration levels, it is still very much lethal against Coronavirus on surfaces. You should wait at least 60 seconds from the moment you apply before you wipe it to make sure it kills the virus.
Can Vinegar Be Used To Kill Coronavirus?
The United States CDC does not recommend vinegar or other natural household products like tea tree oil to be used to disinfect against the Coronavirus. There was a study done about the influenza virus that purifying using malt vinegar at 10% solution was effective in killing the virus, but other than that, there are only a few more studies that have proven that vinegar is capable of killing most viruses and microbes.
Tea tree oil, on the other hand, may help mitigate the spread of the virus that causes cold sores, but there is no study found that proves it can kill the Coronavirus.
Other Household Disinfecting Tips
Although hand sanitizers and alcohol are within easy access, nothing beats old fashioned hand washing using water and soap; it is still by far the most effective way of disinfecting your hands against the Coronavirus. You can also use regular soap to clean surfaces at home.
Make sure you don’t experiment and mix disinfecting and cleaning products together as it may produce gasses that are toxic to humans.
Soft surfaces like foam, pillows, stuffed toys, and fabric absorb water, and regular disinfecting products do not usually reach deep enough to clean its insides, for this purpose, you may use antibacterial aerosols that are specifically designed to sanitize these kinds of surfaces. You must test your solutions first in a small hidden area of the soft surfaces you are disinfecting to check if it is safe to apply there.
Founder, Editor-In-Chief // A native Angeleno. John studied engineering at UCLA; founded Schmoozd, an offline social tech networking event in LA with 30,000 subs; ran a startup accelerator (StartEngine). Worked for several major brands like Toyota, DIRECTV, Hitachi, ICANN, and Raytheon. A mentor at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Entrepreneur School, Dr. David Choi. And advises a dozen local LA startups building amazing tech in various industries; and invested in some. // Let's Connect: john@lastartups.com
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