MIAMI (WSVN) - Keeping frequently used areas at home clean could make a crucial difference as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in South Florida, and a local cleaning professional has several suggestions to keep living spaces as free of germs as possible.
Every trip to the grocery store or the gas station could bring the coronavirus home, and that’s why it’s important to keep hot spots sanitized and disinfected.
“Hot spots are common areas,” said Jesus Gonzalez from the Florida-based business AdvantaClean.
The areas to focus on are spaces like kitchens, bathrooms or home offices.
“Computers, cellphones, walls, tables, chairs. Everything that we touch, that’s an area we will consider hot spots,” said Gonzalez. “Those are the areas that we always have to take care of them. At the end of every day, at the end of every time that we’re working in an office, we want to make sure that we address those correctly every single time.”
Gonzalez said how an area is wiped is key, because wiping back and forth and around in circles just spreads the germs.
“Get a cloth. You fold it twice, and those are going to be eight faces you’re going to be using to wipe down, never using the same side twice,” he said. “It’s easy. Go one side, rub all the way to the end, fold it, use the other side, go all the way to the side, and you do that eight times. Once you’re done, [the cloth] goes to the laundry machine.”
Gonzalez advised against using the same cleaning cloth twice. Another important tip is to keep the surface being cleaned wet with disinfectant for 5 to 10 minutes.
“Those 5 to 10 minutes is actually when the chemicals are going to be reacting, and they’re actually going to be killing everything it’s coming into contact with,” said Gonzalez.
As for what to clean with, Gonzalez said, a diluted bleach solution is best. It’s made by mixing one-third cup bleach with one gallon of water.
“Make sure you clean everything, and you keep cleaning it and clean it every day,” he said.
Finally, Gonzalez recommends color coding cleaning cloths, because using a specific color in one area, like the bathroom, prevents cross contamination in other areas of the home.
Cloth furniture is more difficult to disinfect, but experts recommend using a cleaner appropriate for couches or chairs and wiping them down daily.
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