How to Disinfect Your House After the Flu

Disinfecting your home after the flu involves killing germs on various surfaces. This can help prevent other members of your household or those visiting your home from getting sick.
Avoiding others who are sick is one way to prevent the spread of the influenza (flu) virus.

But if you or someone in your household has recently recovered from the flu, it’s also important to clean your home to prevent other people from getting sick. The process involves disinfecting commonly used surfaces, which helps kill the viruses and bacteria that cause illnesses.

The exact life span of germs depends on the type of germ, as well as the surface it’s affected. Generally, the flu can survive on surfaces for up to 48 hoursTrusted Source. Germs can also survive on unwashed hands for an hour.
This article provides recommendations for how to clean and disinfect your home following the flu.

Cleaning vs. disinfecting
Cleaning involves removing germs, dust, and dirt from surfaces by scrubbing with soap and water. Disinfecting, on the other hand, targets germs on surfaces and involves commercial products such as sprays, wipes, or bleaches.
As a rule of thumb, you should clean surfaces firstTrusted Source, then disinfect them to remove the most germs possible.

Clean and disinfect high traffic surfaces
Commonly used surfaces in your home are the most likely to have lingering germs on them. Even if everyone does their best to wash their hands frequently, viruses and other germs are likely to spread if you touch a surface someone else has touched or sneezed on when sick.

To help prevent the spread of the flu, you might tackle some of these common areas first. These include:
• doorknobs
• light switches
• drawer handles
• stair rails

If you or a family member were sick while in a vehicle, be sure to clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces in your car, too. These include the steering wheel, door handles, navigation screens, seats, and seat belts.
Disinfecting wipes are perhaps the easiest tools to help disinfect common surfaces. Wash your hands after every use.

Clean and disinfect the kitchen
When you’re sick, a range of drinking glasses, utensils, and dishes might build up in the sink or around the house. Collect these and wash them in hot, soapy water, or place them in a dishwasher for cleaning.

Once you’ve washed dishes, you can then move on to cleaning and disinfecting the rest of your kitchen. Focus on the following areas:
• refrigerator door handles
• cabinets and drawers
• light switches
• countertops
• sink, including faucets and handles
• coffee makers or tea kettles
• other appliances, such as microwaves and ovens
• garbage cans

Clean and disinfect bathroom surfaces
Wash all laundry items
Clean and disinfect bedrooms
Clean and disinfect your electronics
Let in some fresh air
Recovery and self-care before deep cleaning