Cleaning Tips During the Covid-19 Pandemic

14 April 2020

CLEANING TIPS TO HELP THROUGHOUT THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

During the Coranavirus Outbreak it is as vital as ever to keep the home, and in particular our kitchens clean from germs and bacteria. As people are spending an increasing amount of time at home during this period, the kitchen will need cleaning a lot more than usual.

Information about the Covid -19 pandemic is being updated as we learn more about the Virus. To obtain the latest information about the virus there are various informative websites. These include the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi9zU5oPm6AIVCLrtCh3PGgfYEAAYASAAEgJOqfD_BwE)  our government website www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do  and also the WHO website https://www.who.int/   All of these provide informative and up to date information and advice on the Covid -19 outbreak.

New evidence shows that the Coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on certain surfaces. Cleaning surfaces and high-touched areas first removes the dirt and the organisms that adhere to it. It may be helpful to make a checklist of the places to clean and keep it at hand. Clean these items with a simple soap and warm water, disinfectant sprays if available or simply bleach diluted with water.

Listed below are critical areas to clean within the kitchen to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Vital areas within the kitchen to clean

• Kitchen worksurfaces
• Appliance handles and frontages
• Dining table surfaces
• Handles on the fridge/freezer, cupboards and doors
• Chopping boards
• Toasters
• Kettle or Hot tap
• Coffee machine
• Light switches / Socket switches
• The sink and draining area
• Breakfast Bar stools and dining chairs

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Tips For Cleaning Within The Kitchen

Disinfect all areas after cleaning following the directions on how to use them in order for them to work. You need to leave the surface wet for at least 30 seconds before rinsing or wiping clean. Allowing this gives enough time to kill the viruses.

Bleach diluted with water is great on surfaces that can tolerate it. Worktops such as engineered quartz can tolerate the diluted bleach solutions, but laminate or older worktops that have a sealant may be damaged.

Research from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, says that diluted bleach, hydrogen peroxide or 70% isopropyl alcohol can effectively kill coronavirus. You can also make your own solution by mixing 3tsps of bleach per quarter of water. Make sure to leave it on for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute until drying it off.

Important to remember is that kitchen sponges and cloths are known to be teeming with germs themselves, so place them in the dishwasher, washing machine or give them a good scrub with hot soapy water yourself. Microfibre cloths are another great cleaning material to use. These again can be easily washed or put in the washing machine at 60 degrees.

Wear rubber gloves when you can, but make sure you wash your hands thoroughly if you don’t.  Cleaning products such as wipes and solutions are equally effective, but we have seen in the news recently that many Brits are stockpiling on these essentials and proving difficult to attain.

Remember to read the information labels on the back of all products, as the instructions vary on all disinfectants and wipes. Some instructions say how long you may have to leave the cleaning solution on the surface before wiping it away.  Run your dishwasher on the highest temperature settings to eliminate as many germs as possible. These are usually the intensive settings.

Food Tips

• Consider disinfecting nonporous containers, as there’s always a chance it could have been handled by someone with the virus. use disinfectant wipes or solutions to clean bottles and jars.
• Transfer foods to clean containers, items such as whole grains, dried beans, pasta and cereal.
• Leave containers and packages in a designated corner if you don’t have time to disinfect them.
• Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds as previously mentioned and dry your clean hands on a clean towel.  Have separate towels for dishes and hands to avoid the disease spreading.  Remember you can never wash your hands too many times a day!
• 
  Our showroom is closed but we are still designing kitchens and manufacturing albeit on a reduced scale whilst following government guidelines.

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If you have plans and measurements on your kitchen design you can email them to us for a quotation at enquiries@charnwoodkitchens.co.uk. – please provide contact details so we can discuss your project in more detail.

www.charnwoodkitchens.co.uk

enquiries@charnwoodkitchens.co.uk

01530 835834