At this point, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has already placed everyone on a heightened state of anxiety over how we can combat the ongoing pandemic. And though the government and health organizations are doing their best to battle the current situation, what most of us can do right now is to perform even the simplest precautionary measures to prevent the virus from infecting more individuals. Keeping our house clean and disinfected regularly is one of the best ways to contribute to limiting the number of cases from rising.
There’s a single product with the potency to thoroughly disinfect your house from germs that can cause illnesses like bacteria and viruses: sodium hypochlorite, or more commonly known as bleach.
Here’s how you can use bleach as an agent for cleaning and disinfecting your living area.
Guidelines In Using Bleach As A Disinfectant
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Bleach Cleaning Solution
The standard bleach solution for cleaning is at a 1:32 ratio. For a gallon of water, you can put ⅓ cup of (8.25% sodium hypochlorite) bleach or approximately 20ml bleach for one litter of water. This is applicable for daily use.
If you want to increase the potency of the bleach, you can make it with ½ cup of bleach for one gallon of water.
However, it would be best if you won’t go less than the standard concentration of the bleach solution ratio, or it may not be effective enough to kill the bacteria or viruses.
As recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), using a bleach solution is one way to disinfect areas contaminated by the COVID-19. You can prevent the virus from surviving in your living area if you can use it to disinfect your home regularly.
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Disinfect With Bleach After Cleaning
A disinfectant is ideally applied to areas that are previously cleaned.
Areas that are cleaned using commercial cleaning products do not necessarily kill germs that cause illnesses. A disinfectant is needed for that job alone, and it should not get mixed or diluted with other cleaning residues for a bleach solution to work.
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Working Time
Most people ask how long it takes for bleach to take effect as a disinfectant.
It takes about 10 minutes for the bleach solution to have a full effect on surfaces it came in contact with. Removing the bleach before then does not guarantee its promised results.
Make sure that you let it sit for at least 10 minutes before rinsing.
If you want to apply these disinfecting methods while the infected family member is still sick, feel free to do so, mostly on the shared spaces.
However, to make sure that no one else gets infected, a complete rundown of these steps should be performed right after the person gets better.
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Rinse & Dry
It is required to rinse the bleach solution after it has taken effect. If it’s applied on house furniture that can’t get wet, you can at least wipe it again with a clean damp cloth. And of course, let it dry afterward.
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Storage
You can store newly mixed bleach solutions for a good 24 hours. Its potency does not last for long, especially when combined with water.
Stay Safe and Disinfected
Take advantage of how easy it is for you to keep your house disinfected and less prone to getting contaminated with the COVID-19 virus. Fortunately, bleach is an accessible product that you can easily buy from the grocery store. Imagine how it only takes for as long as 10 minutes for a bleach solution to disinfect an entire room. It’s a simple solution that can at least ease your worries at a significant level.
If you’re looking for professional disinfection and sanitation services, visit SanitizeandClean.com to find the best providers for your home and community.