With the current health situation, there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to prevention methods. And the best prevention tip that we can give you, besides to stay at home and take your vitamins, is to make sure that you keep everything properly disinfected. And by everything, we mean your hands, your clothes, your home – even your cat’s favourite plaything.
You are probably thinking “Ok, I got it. But what is the most effective disinfectant out there?”
This is where we come in!
Not only will we tell what are your best home disinfection options in general and how and when to use the product, but we will also talk about:
To put it plainly – when you clean an item or surface with a disinfection product, you are basically killing all present microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, mould or mildews, located on the object. Every disinfection detergent has the so-called “active ingredient” that destroys pathogens by damaging their cells.
Many people get disinfection mixed up with sanitisation and sanitation. Needless to say – all of the cleaning methods are very, very different. If you want more information on the topic, you can check our blog post on Cleaning vs sanitising vs disinfecting.
There are many types of disinfectants out there, but today we are going to talk about the most effective ones that can be bought from a regular store. Below you’ll also find detailed information about how to use the disinfectants correctly and what kind of areas they are suitable for.
One of the most popular, effective and not to mention – cheap, disinfectant alternative is bleach. You can get a huge bottle of bleach for around £1 and clean your whole house with it, not once, but multiple times. The disinfectant kills most types of dangerous bacteria and viruses including COVID-19.
In order to successfully disinfect your home with bleach, mix 5 tablespoons with 1 gallon of water and start cleaning. This solution will kill everything it touches, which makes it, as you’ve probably already guessed – toxic. That said, make sure to properly ventilate your home when using bleach products, to wash any food-prep surfaces with water after disinfecting them, and TO NOT use bleach on your skin.
Alcohol is widely known for its antiseptic and disinfecting properties. Ethyl alcohol is especially good at killing germs and an impressive number of viruses including influenza and coronaviruses. However, if you decide to use alcohol-based cleaning agents for your home, you need to make sure that the product contains at least 70% alcohol in order for it to properly work.
In the case of hand-sanitizers – they need to contain no less than 60% alcohol. Again, when using alcohol-based agents and sanitizers, make sure to keep the area well-ventilated.
Hydrogen peroxide is a very common household cleaning product that can be also used as a disinfectant. Similar to bleach, the cleaning agent is colourless, has a very potent chemical smell and whitening properties. You can use the product to clean almost anything – from the floor to the cat’s litter box. For more cleaning ideas, check our 15 Cleaning Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide article.
Note that you have to be extremely careful when purchasing the product – the only kind of hydrogen peroxide that is safe to use is the 3% one. Everything above that percentage is extremely dangerous. Also, NEVER mix hydrogen peroxide with bleach.
The most popular sentence of 2020, besides “STAY AT HOME!”, is definitely “WASH YOUR HANDS!”. But does hand-washing actually kill germs? Well, actually no – it doesn’t. Soap and water wash away bacteria – it doesn’t completely destroy it. Which still makes it effective against transferring nasty bacteria and viruses.
Your next question is probably “What about antibacterial soap?”. This topic is quite tricky. Antibacterial soap is good at killing some types of bacteria, but not all. Also, antibacterial soaps are not recommended by many health experts, because most products contain triclosan, which can be potentially harmful to your skin.
As you can see for yourself, dealing with chemical disinfectants is a serious matter. You have to be extra careful when shopping for a specific product and always, always read the label and follow the instructions. Now, that said, if you feel overwhelmed by the whole experience, like most people are, and constantly fear that you’ve missed to disinfect an area, or just prefer to be on the extra-safe side – you can count on our help.
Fantastic Services has created a professional antiviral sanitation service suitable both for domestic and commercial properties. The service is BS EN 1276 CERTIFIED, destroys 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, is done by fully-equipped with protective gear virucidal cleaners, and is available 24/7. You can make an appointment on our website or through our GoFantastic app.
See how our antiviral sanitisation & disinfection service can help you.
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We hope you found our article on the most effective disinfectant helpful. Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section located below.
Image source: Shutterstock / SKatzenberger
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