The novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc around the world, with tens of thousands of confirmed cases.
According to Worldometer, there are a total of 129,771 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world as of writing, with over 4,700 deaths. The world is in chaos and panic, especially after the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease as a pandemic.
Proper Hygiene and a Clean Surrounding
So, how do you keep yourself and your family safe?
If we're to ask the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, they would say that the best way to avoid getting coronavirus infection is to wash your hands frequently and to disinfect surfaces you get in contact with throughout the day.
That said, Business Insider has shared a few tips on how to properly wash your hands, clean your home, and clean your phone.
Firstly, stock some high-quality antibacterial soap, some disinfectants, wipes, household cleaning products, and alcohol to avoid going out now and then. As much as possible, you'll want to do social distancing, or even stop going out for a while unless absolutely necessary.
How to Clean your Home
When cleaning your home, CDC recommends prioritizing "high-touch" areas, such as doorknobs, table surfaces, and light switches, before focusing on the rest of the house. It's also better to clean first before disinfecting--and make sure you wear disposable latex gloves as you clean.
Viruses could live up to nine days on surfaces based on a research study that was published in The Journal of Hospital Infection, so it's imperative to do regular cleaning.
For cleaning products, Lysol and Clorox are rather effective at removing virus off surfaces, but your best bet is a bleach-based disinfectant--or adding bleach to Lysol could be very effective in cleaning various surfaces.
When washing your clothes, experts recommend using the warmest possible water setting on your machine. Wear gloves if you can, or never forget to wash your hands properly after handling dirty clothes.
After washing the clothes, let them dry completely before tidying them up.
It would help if you also considered washing your storage for your dirty clothes as viruses and germs can stick to them.
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Proper Hand Washing Routine
For proper handwashing, use high-quality hand soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds--about the same length as Happy Birthday sung twice, which is an excellent way of keeping track of time.
Today has even created a list of songs that you can sing to while washing your hands, including Love on Top by Beyonce, Somewhere Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz, Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees, Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, Toxic by Britney Spears, and more.
Don't Forget Your Phone!
Lastly, make sure you clean your smartphone--it's dirtier than a toilet seat.
Apple has already given the 'go' signal to wipe down your iPhone's screen hard with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfectant Wipe. But, never submerge your phone on any cleaning product.Also, don't use spray cleaners as it could put moisture on the charging port, which you should avoid at all costs.It's best to clean your smartphone regularly as viruses and germs can stick to the surface.
