If you’ve just recovered from an illness and are feeling better, the last thing you’d like to do is start cleaning. But knowing how to clean a room after being sick is crucial to preventing anybody from contracting the disease. Diseases such as cold, flu, and COVID-19 can all persist for several days after the original patient has recovered. To safeguard your family and guests from contracting the same disease, it is essential to clean thoroughly.
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How to avoid spreading an illness when sharing a home
How to sanitize house if you are living in a house with other people? The best thing you can do if you’re sick is isolate yourself from other people. This stops the disease from spreading. Sneezes, coughs, and stomach upsets can all carry bacteria and viruses. High-touch places like door handles, TV remotes, and light switches can also act as fomites and helps in spreading sickness.
To stop this from happening while you’re sick, follow these Pro tips.
- Isolate yourself as much as you can from others
- Use disinfectant wipes to clean the areas that are most touched after use
- Keep doors closed to prevent air from circulating inside
- Open windows to let fresh air into sickrooms
- Make sure to separate your bathroom and bedroom from others if possible.
- Wear a mask (for respiratory infections) and wash your hands regularly
- Do not share personal belongings such as towels, cups, and toothpaste
- Use disposable plates and cutlery
You can stop following the above measures after recovering from your illness. It’s recommended to clean thoroughly before everyone in your home can relax.
How to do a Covid deep clean
If someone in your family has contracted COVID-19, you may be thinking about how to do a deep clean after a Covid case. The virus that creates Covid is known as SARS-CoV-2, and it’s no tougher than any other virus. In fact, the COVID-19 virus has an outer fatty membrane, so anything designed to break down fats can kill it. This makes an antiseptic soap an effective tool against this virus!
While performing a deep home sanitization after Covid, wear gloves and mask and clean all the surfaces that the patient touched. It’s also essential to thoroughly clean the room where the patient was while they were sick.
The most frequent places that require to be cleaned are bedrooms, bathrooms, and even vehicles. But these tips can also be applied to other areas of the home that need a good cleaning after sickness!
Cleaning a bedroom after sickness
Most likely, you spent most of your time sleeping, which is why it’s the best place to start cleaning. Start by opening all the windows and curtains if possible. Get as much light and fresh air into the room as you can. The UV light emitted by sunlight contains the ability to kill germs, so it will make your room healthier.
Next, clean the mattress. Clean your bedding on a hot water cycle to kill any bacteria that might be lurking in the fabric. If you have an extra mattress protector, wash the protector too. Also, consider cleaning your mattress. Steam cleaners are an excellent tool that is suitable for all mattresses (except memory foam).
While washing your bedding, make sure you don’t forget any clothes worn by the sick person. They can also be put through a hot wash to clean them. If you have a canvas laundry bag, wash that too. For wooden or plastic laundry hampers, give them a spray with disinfectant.
Pro Tip: When you use disinfectants, be sure to follow the directions of the package. Most of them must be applied generously and allowed to air dry in order to ensure that it is effective against bacteria and germs.
Clean down all surfaces and objects the sick person touched. This includes bedside tables, alarm clocks, and electronic devices.
Then, clean carpets or mop wood flooring. Use an appropriate disinfectant spray or soapy water to kill any remaining virus.
When you’ve finished cleaning, thoroughly wash your hands with hot soapy water. According to the CDC, soap is a better cleanser than hand sanitizers against COVID-19.
How to disinfect a mattress from Covid
If someone in your home has recently recovered from COVID-19, you have to take extra precautions in order to ensure that others don’t get sick. It’s pretty simple to do a deep clean after a Covid case.
- If you’re not the one who contracted the illness, put on gloves and wear a mask while cleaning
- Clean the mattress and then use a vacuum brush attachment to vacuum the mattress
- Steam clean your mattress, if possible
- Alternatively, cover the mattress with a thin layer of baking soda, and leave for 4-24 hours before vacuuming the mattress
- Spray a fabric disinfectant on the mattress, and allow it to air dry
- Alternatively, you can use a small amount of fabric soap and enough water to dampen the mattress and allow it to air dry
How long does Covid last on a mattress?
A study conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases focused on how long SARS-CoV-2 may live on various surfaces. The virus is most active on solid, smooth surfaces such as metal and plastic. On soft, porous surfaces such as cardboard and fabric, the virus can only live for a day or two at most.
Bathroom cleaning after sickness
Bathrooms have more non-porous surfaces than bedrooms, so there are more places for the virus to survive. Bathrooms are generally easy to clean as you can clean most areas using water.
Use hot, soapy water or a suitable disinfectant spray tested on bacteria and viruses and thoroughly clean the following areas:
- Bath and/or shower
- Sink and faucets
- Toilet, including handle
- Countertops
- Walls and floor
- Door and door handle
You should also take care to clean all the bathroom objects that the sick person might have touched. Clean the bath mat and towels and wipe down any toothpaste tubes, bottles, brushes, and other items with the help of a disinfectant wipe or soapy water.
How to disinfect a toothbrush after illness
If you have an electric toothbrush with a replaceable head, you should change it when you’ve recovered from illness. And don’t hang on to cheap manual toothbrushes, either. It’s better to get rid of them. They require changing at least every 3- 4 months anyway.
If you need to disinfect your toothbrush to make it safe for reuse, follow these tips:
- Soak the toothbrush for five minutes in alcohol-based or antibacterial mouthwash, then rinse it with plain water.
- Soak your toothbrush in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes, then rinse it with normal water.
- Make use of denture cleaners, like Polident, to disinfect your toothbrush.
Clean all the toothbrushes in the bathroom that the sick person used, not just their toothbrush.
Final thoughts
After recovering from an illness, the last thing you’ll feel like doing is cleaning. But it’s an important step to make sure you get rid of any bacteria or viruses that might still be hanging around. This will help to ensure that your family and guests are protected from also getting sick. It will also make your home feel like a fresher, healthier place to be and help you feel better too.
