Tips to Disinfect Often Used Home Exteriors

Cold and flu season is in full motion, which means one thing: you need to regularly disinfect and clean home appliances and frequently used exteriors. Doing this not only prevents the transfer of germs and bacteria but it ensures that your home exteriors are well-kept and maintained. To disinfect often-used home exteriors can include roof cleaning, window cleaning (both from the inside and outside), and patio cleaning. 

In this article, we’ll cover some tips you can use when disinfecting your home, including what to use, how to do it and more!

Some Terminology…

According to the CDC, the main difference between cleaning and disinfecting is that cleaning simply removes germs and other impurities from an exterior, whereas disinfecting kills the germs on surfaces. You should clean any surface before proceeding to disinfect it as a best practice.

What to use

For cleaning, you can use a washcloth with soap or another liquid cleaner, such as a hard surface cleaner that you can pick up from your local supermarket or online. When it comes to disinfectants, you’ll need to do your due diligence and be careful in selecting the right one based on the surface. For example, if you want to disinfect a window, you’ll probably be using a less harsh and abrasive disinfectant than if you were disinfecting a roof.

What to Disinfect

You want to disinfect what are called ‘high touch surfaces.’ As the name suggests, these are surfaces that are constantly being touched by many people, and you want to disinfect them to prevent any potential spread of bacteria or viruses. This could include your windows, door knobs, kitchen appliances, certain parts of your patio, and more.

When to Disinfect

There’s no limitation on when you can clean and disinfect, but usually, people choose to clean when the surface is visibly dirty or dusty, and then follow that by disinfecting the surface. The rule of thumb is that the more often a surface is touched and used, the more often you should be cleaning and disinfecting. For example, you may not want to do roof cleaning as often as you do window cleaning.

Establish a routine

Fall is usually the time when people pick up the pace when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting because viruses are spreading around during this time. In reality, you want to be well prepared and establish a regular cleaning and disinfecting routine throughout the year.

Consider the Surface

This may be a given, but make sure you pay close attention to the surface you’re cleaning and disinfecting and be selective with the method you use. Soft surfaces could be ruined if you’re too aggressive with your cleaning or use the wrong disinfectant.

To wrap up

Whether you’re a homeowner or tenant, you must regularly disinfect and clean your home exteriors. Doing so will help you prevent germs from spreading around and the transfer of illnesses that could affect everyone in the household.