COVID-19 can be controlled right from your home! Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces at home regularly, doing the laundry right and making sure your food preparation is done right are important precautions to lower the risk of infection. Follow cleaning product instructions for safe and effective use, including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation. Let’s get started, shall we?
COVID-19 Home Tips – Clean & Disinfect High-touch Surfaces
While homes differ in size and fixtures, there are common high-touch surfaces such as door handles, tables, chairs, handrails, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, taps, toilets, light switches, mobile phones, computers, tablets, keyboards, remote controls, game controllers and favourite toys.
What to use to clean and disinfect
If a surface is dirty, first clean it with soap or detergent and water. Then use a hospital grade disinfectant product containing alcohol (of around 70 per cent) or bleach. Vinegar and other natural products are not recommended. In the event that it becomes difficult to find disinfectant sprays and wipes, continue to clean with soap and water. Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used on some surfaces.
How to disinfect
It’s important not to wipe cleaning solutions off as soon as you’ve applied it to a surface. Many disinfectant products, such as wipes and sprays, need to stay wet on a surface for several minutes in order to be effective. Always read the directions to make sure you’re using the products as recommended and to avoid damaging sensitive items such as mobile phones and other electronic devices. Consider using wipeable covers for electronics.
COVID-19 Home Tips – Continue With Normal Cleaning Activities
Don’t stop with your regular cleaning activities. While there are additional measures you’ll need to take, it’s important that you keep your carpets clean by vacuuming and your floors clean by sweeping. Your bathrooms are another place to put the emphasis – stick to your regular cleaning patterns with toilets, sinks, and showers.
COVID-19 Home Tips – Cleaning clothes
The authorities have yet to ascertain how long the COVID-19 virus can survive on fabric but many items of clothing have plastic and metal elements on which it might live for a few hours to several days.
Hence it is always important to exercise caution and common sense. Good practices to consider include removing your shoes when you enter your home and changing into clean clothes when you return home after being in crowded places and washing your hands with soap and water immediately afterwards.
Doing laundry at home
Clean bedsheets, towels and clothes regularly. Take note not to shake dirty laundry to minimize the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air. You should always launder items with soap or detergent, using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely — both steps help to kill the virus.
Remember to wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterwards. Wash or disinfect your laundry bag and hamper as well. Consider storing laundry in disposable bags.
Doing laundry outside your home
If for some reasons why you are not doing laundry at home, take sensible precautions such as preparing laundry before leaving your home to help minimize the amount of time you spend outside. YOu should also try to go at a time when there are fewer people. For indoor laundry facilities, wait outside for your laundry to finish if you can.
Remember to always maintain physical distance to other people and wear disposable gloves and disinfect the surfaces of all machines you use and don’t touch your face.
Once the washing is done, fold your laundry at home. Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterwards. Wash or disinfect your laundry bag/ hamper as well. Consider storing laundry in disposable bags.
COVID-19 Home Tips – Handling & Preparing Food
While there is no evidence of people catching the COVID-19 virus from food or food packaging as of now, it may be possible that people can become infected by touching a surface or object contaminated by the virus and then touching their face. The risk from being in close contact with other people while buying food outside or receiving a food delivery is much higher. As always, good hygiene is important when handling food to prevent any food-borne illnesses.
Food packaging and handling precautions
Once you received the food packaging, remove any unnecessary packaging and dispose into a waste bin with a lid. Remove your food from take-out containers, place on a clean plate and dispose of the container. Packaging like cans can be wiped clean with a disinfectant before being opened or stored. Wash unpackaged produce, such as fruit and vegetables, thoroughly under running water. Finally, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterwards. 
General food hygiene tips
Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing any food.
Where possible, keep perishable items refrigerated or frozen, and pay attention to product expiry dates. When preparing uncooked meat and fish. remember to use separate chopping boards to prepare uncooked meat and fish. Cook food to the recommended temperature. When plating, always use clean utensils and plates.
You should aim to recycle or dispose of food waste and packaging in an appropriate and sanitary manner, avoiding the build-up of refuse which could attract pests. If your helper is making the meals, make sure you supervise and teach her the right procedures.
Finally, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating and make sure your children do the same.
We hope you find these tips useful. Do share with your friends and loved ones to make sure they can learn and keep their families safe during this trying period.
