How to keep your home virus-free

the top items in people’s cleaning artillery, but it’s just as important to think about how and where you might be spreading germs, as well as cleaning them in the first place.”

2. DO USE KITCHEN ROLL

Kitchen roll is a great alternative for cleaning surfaces to help stop the spread of germs, says Williams. However, remember that once an area’s been wiped, you’ll need to dispose of it — don’t use it to clean more than one area. “It’s also good to clean in one direction, so you’re wiping everything the same way,” she advises.

3. DON’T FORGET TOUCHPOINTS

Places people always forget to clean are regular household touchpoints, such as door handles and handrails on the staircase, says Cullen. “They may seem less important than food areas, for example, but they’re places everyone in the house will come in to contact with all the time without thinking.

People returning home from a trip outside will be heading into different rooms, or up to the bathroom to wash, and touching various communal points along the way. This will become even more important as lockdown measures continue to ease in coming weeks, and friends and family may be allowed to visit each other’s houses.”

4. KEEP SURFACES CLEAR

Try to keep surfaces clean and clear where you can, advises Williams.

“This is especially important at the moment, as most of us will be bringing in things from the outside, such as shopping, food or parcels and placing them around the house, so keeping surfaces clean and clear will help ensure germs don’t linger.”

5. DISINFECT WHEN NECESSARY

Williams says householders won’t always need to use disinfectant — unless someone in the house has, or could have, coronavirus.

“If someone in your house does have Covid-19 or is suspected to, ensure you’re thoroughly disinfecting all areas and surfaces,” she stresses.

6. WASH YOUR HANDS DURING HOUSE-CLEANING

“Just as we need to wash hands after being outside or handling things, we recommend always washing your hands after carrying out different tasks in the home,” says Cullen.

“This will again ensure germs don’t spread to different areas of the house. At work, we always make sure we have some moisturiser at hand, as washing all the time can dry them out.”

7. TAKE WIPES WHEN OUT AND ABOUT

If you’re out and about, make sure you’ve got cleaning wipes to hand, as these can be used for anything you take with you so you can clean it before heading home. “Remember to clean any toys you might take out for the little ones too, as they’ll be bringing them back into the home — and, knowing my own grandchildren, might be putting them in their mouths,” adds Cullen.

8. TAKE CARE WITH TAKEAWAYS

As an extra tip, Williams says that if she gets a takeaway meal, she takes an additional precaution.

“When I take it out of the bag, I like to put down some kitchen roll first so it’s not touching the table and you have an extra barrier between the surface and the container.”