Cleaning experts open up on the right way to kill germs

The coronavirus has spread all over the world like wildfire with over 114 countries affected and the death toll rising to 5000. It has become all the more important for people to start disinfecting their living quarters and even basic things like faucets, handles and even phones. We're sure you already clean your house every day but did you know that the product you use might not be up to par in getting rid of certain bacteria and viruses? This is why cleaning experts have now spoken about how you can effectively kill germs.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come up with a list of cleaning products that were effective in killing viruses of similar strength to the coronavirus like the rhinovirus. These products are, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Lysol Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Bleach, Lysol Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Hydrogen Peroxide, Purell Multi Surface Disinfectant Spray, Microban 24 Hour Sanitizing Spray.

Now, all of these products may not be available everywhere around the world but you could definitely ask for one with the same make and chemical components. One could also use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect non-porous surfaces only since it seems to work well enough in cleaning germs. Do remember to use gloves if you use this though. And do remember to leave it on the surface for at least a minute before wiping it off.

The experts have also said that one must read the labels and ingredients to make sure that the product is effective in killing bacteria and virus before investing in any type of cleaning or disinfecting product. A few other things they mentioned was that sanitising is not the same as disinfecting (the latter is better), non-porous surfaces might require multiple cleaning sessions and you must always clean with soap water first and then use disinfectants on the area since disinfectants alone aren't enough.

Some more things you should know about cleaning your house are: Do not combine disinfecting or any cleaning products and make sure to crack open the windows if the fumes are too strong, make sure to do a small test on the surfaces before bathing them in a product to avoid any sort of damage, you can use soap and water to clean surfaces but to truly get rid of germs you must also use disinfectants and use antibacterial sprays on soft surfaces like plush toys, pillows and beddings.