Keeping Your House Safer During COVID-19: The Latest Recommendations

Last Updated on January 12, 2022

By now we’ve all heard it a million times: wash your hands, wear a mask, social distance, and get vaccinated. Keeping our homes clean and disinfecting surfaces have always been important in keeping our families healthy and helping to prevent the spread of germs. But as we continue to battle COVID-19 and its subsequent variants, cleaning and disinfecting our homes has become an even higher priority for many. It’s true we all like to think our homes are clean—for the most part.

At Granite and TREND Transformations, your safety is our priority. This month, we turn to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as other industry experts for their updated recommendations on cleaning and disinfecting “high touch areas” inside your home—and some outside—that may help keep you and your loved ones safer. It all starts with washing your hands. Here’s what comes next:

Early in the pandemic, there were indications that the virus could live on various surfaces for an extended period of time. Thankfully, new research shows that (while not impossible) it is unlikely for COVID-19 to be transmitted via hard surfaces. Even so, there are a few steps you can take to continue to protect yourself and your family.

Keep in mind that cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes. You will want to follow the appropriate guidelines depending on what your home and family needs.

Clean:

Establishing a routine cleaning process will help keep your home safe for yourself and your family. A few daily habits will help keep your home cleaner and safer.

• Clean any regularly touched surfaces often. These areas include doorknobs, cabinet doors, light switches, countertops, and tables.
• If you are allowing visitors in your home, clean any common surface areas after they leave.
• You can use either standard soap and water or a distilled white vinegar mixture for regular cleaning, unless you have a sick family member. If this is the case, you will want to disinfect common areas.

Faucets & Handles

Remote Control

Other important “high touch areas” to clean and disinfect:

• Light switches
• Tables
• Handles
• Desks
• Chairs
• Toilets
• Sinks
• Keyboards
• Hampers

Turn to disinfectant if you have a sick family member or if you have had a COVID-positive visitor to your home recently.

• You only want to disinfect after you have thoroughly cleaned the area.
• The CDC advises to always follow the instructions on the label of your disinfectant and use any recommended PPE (personal protective equipment).
• Always wash your hands thoroughly once you have completed disinfecting areas in your home

Granite and TREND Transformations encourages everyone to stay safe and healthy. We have provided the most recent advice and guidelines, but our knowledge of COVID-19 and its variants is constantly adapting. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your local health department for guidance. And remember, we are all in this together.