Hygiene tips to keep COVID-19 out of the house & how to protect ourselves

Hygiene tips can vary from people to people, but we hope this selection helps bring a targeted approach to protection from any possible spread of COVID-19. Although the virus is transferred from infected people through coughing and sneezing, research shows that the Coronavirus can be transmitted through surfaces as well. The virus can live on different surfaces from hours to days depending on the material and it is vital to make sure that material potentially contaminated with the virus is dealt with in the correct way.

Cleaning around the house
The virus can be killed with household disinfectants but what is the correct way to do so? There are many areas in the home that high-traffic touch areas that get touched multiple times a day by everyone in the house. These include door handles, handrails, remote controllers, phones and more. Each house is different and there may be different high-touch surfaces in your home.

So how do we tackle these areas? If the surface is actually visibly dirty, remove the dirt with soap and water first. The next step is to actually disinfect the item. It is crucial not to apply the disinfectant and then wipe it away straight away. You must let the disinfectant sit on the surface of the item for over two minutes to make sure it works effectively. Different disinfectants have their own instructions so make sure to read before using.

Door handles and other hard to clean surfaces can be cleaned with a range of disinfectant wipes or sprays, which can be left to dry on their own without the need to wipe further. Consider having a range of these available in high traffic areas, such as bathrooms, hallways and living rooms.

Personal hygiene – hygiene tips
Although practising good hygiene everyday is beneficial for you, there are extra steps that need to be considered to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the members in your house. Make sure you avoid touching your face, especially around the mouth, nose, and eyes wherever possible.

To prevent the spread, make sure to cough or sneeze into your elbow, rather than your hands. If other people in your household are sneezing or coughing, maintain at distance of at least 3 feet so you do not directly inhale it.

Hygiene tips such as washing hands may seem pretty obvious but it’s one of, if not the most effective way of protecting yourself. Washing your hands is an obvious way to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses, but it must be done correctly to effectively remove the virus. Be mindful to wash your hands often for at least 20-30 seconds, making sure all areas of your hands are lathered in soap. A good habit to get into is to sing the full happy birthday song twice.

Hands should especially be washed if you have coughed, sneezed, before eating, before preparing food, before applying makeup etc.

If hand washing facilities are not available, antibacterial hand gel can be used and is a great alternative. The antibacterial hand gel has to contain at least 60% alcohol to work successfully. To make sure it kills all of the bacteria, it should be rubbed over all parts of the hand up to and including the wrist until it has completely dried.

Cleaning clothes
There is no formal information regarding the length of time the virus can stay on clothes, but we know it can stay on other surfaces for hours, so it is best practice to be thorough when washing clothes. To make sure the virus is not spread around the home, be sure to wash your clothes when you come home from being outside and that bed sheets and towels are washed on a regular basis.

Try to keep the dirty laundry contained and avoid shaking it in the air. This prevents the spread of the virus through the air, so it is not inhaled by people in the home. Be sure to use laundry detergent when washing laundry and use a high heat setting if possible to effectively kill the virus.

Another important one of our hygiene tips, remember, wash your hands immediately after handling the dirty washing. Clean hands with soap and water or alcohol-based antibacterial hand gel. Make sure that you disinfect the laundry bag/basket after use to prevent further spread of the virus.