The COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed our attitude towards Cleaning. Naturally, the risk of infection via respiratory droplets has made us much more germ-conscious. This collective effort to improve our hygiene practices is crucial in keeping the virus at bay. We’ve learned that it can survive on surfaces for extended periods of time. Thus, health experts all over the world continue to emphasise the importance of sanitising our hands, and disinfecting public areas. Some of the key preventative measures are as follows:

• Wash your hands at regular intervals with soap and water using plenty of friction. If you don’t have water access, use hand sanitiser.
• Do not touch your face with you are in public areas.
• Maintain a distance of two metres from other people when in public.
• Wear a mask when out in public.
• Wipe down frequently touched surfaces in your home with disinfectant.
• Clean your kitchen and bathroom more often.
• Wash towels, sheets and clothes after every use.

It’s important to differentiate between cleaning and disinfecting when it comes to managing the spread of COVID-19. Cleaning refers to the removal of dirt, grime and germs. It doesn’t necessarily kill germs (such as viruses and bacteria), but removing them lowers their numbers and reduces the risk of infection. Disinfecting means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This is the safest way to protect yourself and others from the disease.

Here are our tips on how to clean and disinfect effectively.

1. Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and discard them afterwards. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds immediately after the gloves are removed and use hand sanitiser for double protection.
2. If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfectant.
3. Use a clinically proven and trusted brand of disinfectant to guarantee its effectiveness.
4. Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 70% alcohol content.
5. After disinfecting, allow the surface to dry fully as recommended on the product label. Wiping the surface with a cloth or paper towel does not allow the necessary time to kill the virus.
6. Wash towels, bathmats, clothes and sheets in hot water using a sanitiser-infused laundry detergent.
7. Disinfect kitchen counters, sinks, toilets, tables, and floors more often. Concentrate on high-contact areas, such as doorknobs, toilet flushers, fridge and cabinet handles, shower curtains, faucets, remote controls, phones and computer keyboards and anything else that you regularly touch.
8. If you use a disinfectant wipe, dispose of it afterwards.
9. Avoid mixing different chemical products. This can be highly toxic. Specifically, do not mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. All of these combinations can dangerous.
10. Wear skin protection and consider eye protection for potential chemical splash hazards.
11.  Ensure adequate room ventilation.

It will be a long time before we feel comfortable leaving the house without a mask or a bottle of hand sanitiser. However, these measures have proven to be critical in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We have no choice but to adapt to the new normal, and maintain strict hygiene practices to protect ourselves and others. Start with the right products. Euca is an Australian owned company that offers eco-friendly cleaning solutions. Shop our range of hand sanitisers, disinfectants and other virus-defence products today at www.euca.com.au.

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