Five things you should clean after someone has been sick at home

When a family member catches a cold or sniffles, its only human nature to want to minimize the spread. And with Covid-19 still looming amongst us, we can never be too careful.

Sometimes isolating the individual is not easy since you all have to share some common areas like the bathroom and living room.

That being said, when a virus sneaks into your home, you need to up your cleaning game to ensure all surfaces and surroundings are clean at all times.

Here are some things often forgotten but need to be cleaned after someone has been sick or is still sick at home:

When cleaning, it is easy to ignore door knobs because you only touch them for a second but they can actually spread viruses.

It is one of the few things everyone has to touch when moving around the home, when going in and out of different rooms and it is likely someone will follow thereafter.

Always disinfect door knobs and encourage everyone in the house to use a sanitizer after visiting different rooms within the house.

Most sick people do a lot of binge watching and are likely to share laptops, mobile phones, the remote control or other surfaces like light switches and keypads.

These are common things people use daily and are likely to be forgotten during cleaning.

Disinfect all electronic devices and put a disparity between those being used by sick individuals from those to be used by healthy family members, so it makes the cleaning process easier.

This is an area likely to spread disease causing viruses and bacteria you should not skimp on when cleaning. The bathroom is a common area that everyone is likely to visit all the time.

Ensure the surfaces are always clean after every visit. If possible each person should have their own soap and toothpaste to prevent unnecessary sharing of common products.

Remember to toss used toothbrushes and soap from individuals who have recovered from illness in your house.

Since sick people are likely to spend a lot of their time sleeping, their sheets will need regular changing and washing.

Always disinfect the sheets and ensure they are washed in hot water to kill all the germs that may survive washing products.

The same goes for towels These may include face towels used to sponge them or those they used after showering. Always wash and soak them in hot water to kill all germs.

A person with a flu is likely to use a lot of tissue that is disposed in the waste basket and in most cases emptying the contents of the bin is not enough.

When the basket itself is not cleaned, it becomes a breeding ground for germs. Always disinfect the dustbin itself after emptying its contents.

Also cover the bin with a disposable plastic bag, to make it easier to clean and dispose of the bins contents.

Tip: When cleaning the house after someone has been sick or still sick, always use protective gear like gloves and masks to protect yourself against germs.