Cleaning & coronavirus: experts advise us to use bleach in these two specific ways

Looking for coronavirus cleaning tips? While we all know about the importance of washing our hands thoroughly and frequently to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, many people are confused about what measures, if any, they should be taking to disinfect their homes.

Covid-19 can persist on surfaces for anywhere between a few hours and several days, so if you suspect exposure, or even if you just want to maximise the safety of your home, it makes sense to give all frequently used surfaces in your house a good clean. But how do you do this in a way that's effective in killing the virus? 

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It turns out that the same logic that applies to washing your hands also applies to cleaning surfaces in your home: soap and hot water are the simplest, most effective method to kill bacteria that linger on kitchen worktops, floors, and furniture. 

A US specialist in the professional cleaning of hazardous environments confirms that soap and water are all you need to clean your home, although you can also use a weak solution of bleach and water. Be careful, though: bleach can damage some surfaces and materials, so always do a patch test first.

Another very useful tip offered by the CEO of CG Environmental is that you should always take off your shoes when you come home, and ideally disinfect them. You can do this by placing a tub of bleach solution outside the house and dipping the shoes in it, or wiping them. If you're going on lots of runs at the moment, you will need to regularly wash your trainers – and make sure you don't walk around the house wearing them. 

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