Don't get Coronavirus: Cleaning & disinfecting tips from a real-life WA state house cleaner

In the last two weeks, I've had a few clients ask me for cleaning/disinfecting advice in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak here in WA state. As a Snohomish County resident, Coronavirus is in my own backyard, really, and I've not only seen an uptick in clients requesting one-time, top-to-bottom household cleans, I've also had a couple of clients flat out cancel on me last minute because they didn't want me in their house.

Funny how the same exact problem can result in two, polar-opposite responses, isn't it? But I digress.

I am not a medical professional, but I do know how to clean stuff, so here are a few tips & tricks I've picked up not only from my cleaning career, but also digging through online resources from reputable healthcare sources the last several days:

1. Clean before you disinfect. Use a regular ol' cleaning solvent or soap and water on all hard surfaces to remove dirt and debris *before* you disinfect. I'm a fan of Mrs. Meyers Multi-surface Concentrate, because it's natural, cost-effective, and waste-reducing: https://www.target.com/p/mrs-meyer-s-lavender-multi-surface-concentrate-32-fl-oz/-/A-13315174

2. Don't bother scrubbing your walls. You don't really need to! Think about the things you touch multiple times a day, and focus on those. Here are a few suggestions:

Inside the house:

-Counter tops

-Tables

-Light switches

-Door knobs

-Faucets

-Drawer pulls and cabinet handles

-Remotes

-Hard, non-porous kids' toys that go in your kids' mouths like all the time

On your person:

-Keys

-Phones

-Headphones

-Headsets

-Wallets

3. Scrub in and out, just like a sexy hospital surgeon. I've been hand sanitizing when I enter someone's home, when I leave their home, and when I get back to my home. I also disinfect my steering wheel anytime I go to or from a new public place. And please, if you have to touch a shopping cart, touch screen, ATM, or anything else that other people's hands touch, DISINFECT. I was *that* lady spraying down the entire shopping cart in the Trader Joe's vestibule yesterday, and you know what? No shame in that game.

Here's a fun website that automatically puts your favorite song lyrics to the classic hand washing visual tutorial, so you know how to long to wash. It's seriously funny. Here is one I made for all the fellow parents of toddlers out there:

https://washyourlyrics.com/

How to Disinfect When Every Store is Sold Out of Everything

Here's the thing, though. Every store this side of the Cascades is out of Clorox wipes, Purell, and Lysol. If you have some, great, but if you don't, I know for a fact that all stores have goold ol' fashioned BLEACH on the shelves- why people think bleach isn't good enough, I don't know, but, it's great.

You can make a cheap and effective disinfecting solution with a 100:1 water to bleach ratio. This is about 1/4 cup of bleach for every gallon of water. You can put this in a spray bottle for counter tops, doorknobs, etc., or mix it in your sink or bucket and executive a wash/rinse/sanitize/air dry situation for kids' toys, cups, etc. Remember to mix fresh solution daily because the solution deteriorates over time.

Here's a super legit source that goes into more detail on disinfecting with bleach: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/8340/970-216-Disinfect-en-L.pdf

Note: If you dunk your iPhone in bleach water and it stops working...this is not my fault.

Remember to breathe, keep enjoying life, and please, please please...if you know anyone who is immunocompromised, check in and ask them if they need anything. ❤