House Cleaning Guidelines and Advice
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends keeping a clean and hygienic household, frequent hand washing and avoidance of touching face and other orifices. As a cleaning company with 60 years of experience, and providing environmental services for hospitals and medical centers throughout the Midwest, we’ve put together a detailed guide to help the average homeowner effectively clean their home.
you’ll need the following Tools; a clean bucket that you can easily move from room to room, hot water, soap, rubber gloves, rags for both washing and drying.
Some basic safety considerations:
Always test an inconspicuous area to be cleaned first to avoid any damage to surfaces
Unplug any electrical appliances, and wipe down with a damp cloth, do NOT soak.
In the kitchen:
- All touch surfaces within the kitchen area, this would include cabinet handles and drawer pulls
- Refrigerator handles and interior drawer’s and shelves
- Oven and microwave handles knobs touchpads
- The face of the dishwasher and if equipped garbage compactor
In the bathroom
- Both sides of the door handle
- The entire sink area with special attention to the faucet and handles
- The entire toilet, with special attention to the toilet seat and handle, don’t forget the tissue roll holder
- Shower doors or machine wash of the shower curtain
- Towel racks
In the laundry
- All control surfaces for both the washer and dryer
- The lids and doors for both the washer and dryer
- The handle of the lint trap
- The bottle handles all detergents, fabric softeners, etc.
Other household areas and items that are often overlooked
- The TV remote (remove the batteries first)
- The DVD player and video game consoles controllers
- Computer Printer Mouse and mouse pad
- Telephones
- Kitchen chairs and other chair someone would pull out to use
- The mailbox
- Closet doors
- Dresser drawer handles
- Personal grooming items
- Everything you touch in your Car
- Your cell phones and tablets, remove them from any protective cases and clean separately
Other considerations:
- As COVID-19 is an airborne virus, we recommend replacing the filter element in the HVAC system, on a minimum of a monthly basis. The 3M Company manufactures a high-quality filtration element available to fit most styles and sizes of “furnace filters”. Their technology claims to filter out airborne particulates bacteria and viruses. https://www.filtrete.com/
- We would also recommend that residents have their HVAC ducts cleaned, especially if they have not been cleaned in the last 2-5 years. HVAC ductwork can be a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and viruses. We also highly recommend that the dryer ventilation duct be inspected/cleaned/replaced, and the ventilation duct above the stove.
- While you’re on your COVID-19 Spring cleaning mission, it’s a good idea to check/replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.