The common cold, seasonal flu outbreaks and bacterial infections are no laughing matter. While a cold is not usually deadly for a healthy individual, someone with a compromised immune system or who contracts a new strain of flu might not be as lucky. To prevent illness in the home or office, your best bet is to combine the powers of professional deep cleaning services with store-bought and DIY cleaning solutions. Stay healthy and stay safe by being sure to deploy the right germ-killing disinfectant for each situation. Here’s a guide to selecting disinfectants in Village to eliminate germs:
- Soap and water: Antibacterial soap only kills some bacteria, not all germs. This means it’s no more effective in the fight against viruses like the flu or colds than regular old soap and water. Use soap and water as a base cleaner before attacking surfaces with a more powerful germ-fighting product.
- Bleach: Bleach is an affordable and highly effective disinfectant that cleans up mold, mildew, dirt, most dangerous bacteria and viruses like the common cold and flu. The downside is that bleach is one of the disinfectants that’s most harmful to human health and the environment—especially if used improperly. If you use bleach to clean your home or office, ventilate the area well and avoid contact with your skin.
- Vinegar: A safer alternative to cleaning with bleach is vinegar. Vinegar is biodegradable and for the most part effective at eliminating germs. But the fact that it’s not a registered disinfectant means it does not kill dangerous bacteria like staphylococcus.
- Baking soda: You might know baking soda as a common household cleaner, but it’s not effective against most types of bacteria. If you think you’re dealing with bacteria such as E. coli, staphylococcus or salmonella, contact a trusted local cleaning service for assistance.
- Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide can be an effective household cleaner. It has antimicrobial ingredients, and is biodegradable, but concentrated hydrogen peroxide is extremely dangerous when used as a disinfectant at concentrations over 3 percent.
- Ammonia-based cleaners: Even though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have ammonia-based cleaner registered as a disinfectant, it is still considered to be one of the more eco-friendly cleaning solutions when compared to chemical-based cleaning products. Ammonia is usually good at killing E. coli and salmonella, but not the dangerous staphylococcus bacteria.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers: Let’s take a moment to address hand sanitizers. Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers claim to kill 99.9 percent of germs on your skin. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that you wash your hands often with soap and water before handling food and after using bathroom facilities. Some over-the-counter products claim to prevent the flu, colds, bacteria, viruses and some infectious diseases—however, these claims aren’t supported by the FDA. You can still use your hand sanitizer, but wash your hands frequently as well.
Selecting disinfectants in Village is a fairly simple process for small, non-hazardous cleanup needs. For more complex home or office cleaning needs, contact King’s Cleaning Service, Inc. Our team of highly knowledgeable professional cleaners is ready to help!