As Covid-19 continues to spread rapidly in South Africa, hygiene practices has taken centre stage in many households.
Washing and sanitizing our hands is the “new normal” that everyone has adjusted too. Because it said that the virus lives for hours or days on surfaces, it’s important to disinfect items you regularly use.
Depending on the surface materials, you can use solutions with at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or diluted household bleach to disinfect.
Here are five items that you should also be disinfecting:
Keyboard
Many South African are working from home and spending most of their time on a PC or laptop. Unfortunately, your keyboard is a germ collector, and all of those crevices make it difficult to keep clean. To clean it, fully unplug it, turn it upside down and use compressed air to remove any crumbs and dust. To disinfect, wipe the surface with a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, being careful that liquid doesn't drip down into the keyboard.
Water bottles
The best way to track and motive yourself to drink water is drinking from your water bottle. But, any attempts to improve your health with a reusable water bottle might just backfire if you're not cleaning it on a daily basis. If you want to keep your bottle clean, just make sure to empty the water bottle at the end of every day and wash it with a mixture of antibacterial dish soap and hot water.
Your sponge
Most households probably use sponges to clean. People use them to clean your dishes and wipe down your countertops, but if you're not cleaning your dish sponge on a daily basis, all you're doing is spreading germs around your house.
According to research published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology in 2003, kitchen sponges are frequently contaminated by pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.
To clean them you can put them in your dishwasher or disinfect your sponge in the microwave. Simply saturate the sponge in the microwave with water, then heat it on high for one minute to two minutes.
Glasses
Not touching our face is something we are working on perfecting, but not touching glasses is something that proves to be a challenge. According to Bangor Daily News, the grime from your fingers, face and exposure to the outside world can build up on the frames and lenses - plus, it’s a good idea to keep your vision clear, anyway.
Regularly wipe the frames with a disinfecting wipe or a cloth dampened with disinfecting fluid. You can use a drop of dishwashing liquid and a clean, lint-free towel to clean the lenses if you don’t have a lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth, too.
Light switches
You touch them multiple times a day, so don't forget to clean these high-traffic spaces often.Use a homemade antibacterial wipe or a microfibre cloth lightly dampened with all-purpose cleaner.
Don't spray directly onto the plate, it's best to spray onto the cloth. Wipe over switch plate and surrounding wall, removing all dirt and grime. Be careful not let the liquid inside.