Tips For Cleaning Your Home After The Flu

In the midst of flu season (and that awful stomach virus that has ripped through the Raleigh area,) surely germs are at the forefront of our thoughts. From public surfaces like shopping carts and door handles to items that enter our homes like school backpacks and lunch pails, it is easy to get overwhelmed quickly. If you have had any social contact at all, you’ve likely been exposed to some amount of germs.

If your family has suffered through that dreadful stomach virus, you know exactly what I’m talking about – it feels like everything in your home is contaminated! We’ve compiled a little checklist to help organize your post-sickness cleaning efforts. Along with this checklist, we’ve drawn from the CDC’s website to provide some basic tips on preventing the spread of germs. This is not a comprehensive list, but certainly a good starting point! Let us know if there’s anything you would add to the list!

Basic Tips on Preventing the Spread of Germs (www.cdc.gov):

• Avoid close contact with sick individuals.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Clean your hands – proper and frequent hand washing is imperative!
• Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects.

Post-Sickness Cleaning Considerations:

• If you consider the size of a virus that can easily float from person to person, ensuring that the virus is 100% removed from your home can be a daunting task. And what cleaning agents are you using to decontaminate your home? Do they have EPA-registered kill claims for bacteria and viruses? What dwell time and saturation is required to achieve those kill claims?
• Once you decide on a satisfactory sanitizing agent, you should focus on the items and surfaces that need attention. Hard surfaces will be easy to tackle, while soft goods and textiles may require a little more effort.
  Items like stuffed animals, gloves, blankets, bedding, hand towels, clothes, and pajamas should all be addressed. Hard surfaces like bathroom fixtures, toilets, flooring, kitchen sinks, interior door handles, staircase handrails, TV remote controls, and even your precious cell phone should all be thoroughly wiped.

If all of this seems a bit much to handle in your spare time, don’t hesitate to call Pettyjohn’s at 919-556-4641. We apply EPA-registered products electrostatically to ensure thorough coverage and complete treatment! Check this task off your to-do list with a sense of relief- you and Pettyjohn’s Cleaning make a great team!