Due to the novel coronavirus, many of these items are currently out of stock, so we'll do our best to keep this post updated with accurate in-purchase links. We've kept all links live in case the item becomes available.
Our homes are supposed to be a safe haven where we can relax and recuperate from what we've encountered out in the world. Unfortunately, we wind up bringing home the world and all its germs through dirty hands, shoes, clothing, and phones.
Even if your home looks clean, it may still harbor contaminants that could affect your health. Dr. Michael G. Schmidt, professor of microbiology at the Medical University of South Carolina and chair of the American Society of Microbiology's Council on Microbial Sciences, says that the best way to protect your family is to simply clean your house.
Dr. Schmidt explains that after washing our hands, the next best way to protect your family is to wipe down countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and common surfaces with a microfiber cloth dampened in a solution of hot water and an all-purpose cleaner like this one from Method twice per day. "The slight abrasion of the microfiber cloth and the cleaning solution will lift and dilute any microbes that have settled on the surfaces," says Dr. Schmidt. "Since electronics don't hold up well to soap and water, use an alcohol wipe with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean cell phones, remotes, and keyboards."
The difference between cleaning and disinfecting
Cleaning shouldn't be confused or used interchangeably with disinfecting. The former means you're removing germs but not killing, while the latter means you're actually killing them. This distinction is important because you might clean surfaces effectively but you might not be disinfecting, leaving germs and bacteria to fester and grow.
Disinfecting, if done correctly, will kill microscopic organisms so that they can no longer cause harm. However, Dr. Schmidt says, "Disinfecting cleaners can give a false sense of security if they are not used properly and are only necessary if someone in the household is ill." The key areas to address are surfaces that are shared by family members and those that come in close contact with bodily fluids. If your windows are dirty, they aren't a big concern to your health but a doorknob touched after a sneeze can be.
According to Dr. Joseph Horvath, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of South Carolina Medical School, it is important to read labels and follow the directions on products. "Products labeled as disinfectants will adequately kill viruses and bacteria if used correctly." If the label promises to just "sanitize" a surface, the fine print might say that it will kill 99.9% of the bacteria, but not mention if it's effective against viruses or fungi. You want to look for disinfectants as they can kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi when used properly.
How to disinfect every room in your house
As a house-keeping expert with more than 20 years of experience, I have tested all the products listed here and gathered my best tips to help you disinfect the surfaces in every area of your home and slow the transfer of common communicable diseases. While many of the types of surfaces overlap, it's meant to be a comprehensive list of products you need to help keep your family healthy.
Unfortunately, due to the novel coronavirus, many of the items have stock issues or are heavily marked up. In an interview with Reuters, Clorox CEO Benno Dorer said products like Clorox wipes won't be more readily available until 2021. We're actively researching and testing more products for their effectiveness, and we'll do our best to update this post with accurate purchase options as they become available. Your local brick-and-mortar stores might have more availability than online stores, but we've also kept the links live in case the item becomes available.
If you're looking to disinfect a specific room in your house, click on the links below, otherwise, keep reading to see how you can disinfect your entire home.
Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty Image
Before you disinfect anything in your house, you should wear gloves. Rubber gloves are more durable and reusable, but disposable latex ones are fine too. Remember to always wash your hands with soap and warm water after using any cleaning products.
Kitchen surfaces can not only harbor the bacteria we transfer from our hands and belongings but also foodborne bacteria so it's particularly important to disinfect items properly.
Every light fixture, cabinet, and appliance in your kitchen has some type of handle or control panel that's touched each time it's turned on or opened. If any surface is touched after raw food is prepared or before hands are washed, bacteria like salmonella, listeria, E. coli, mold, and yeast can be present. All of these surfaces should be cleaned multiple times daily, especially after food preparation, with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.
Wipes are convenient and easy to use but don't use just one wipe in an attempt to disinfect an entire kitchen. There must be enough of the disinfecting solution left by the wipe to leave a surface visibly wet for at least four minutes while air-drying to be effective.
This is currently out of stock on Amazon and many other online retailers, though we've kept the links live in here in case the item becomes available. A bottle of 75-count wipes cost around $6 on Amazon in late 2019, but due to the novel coronavirus, what becomes available can highly be marked up. We don't suggest buying items at these high prices, but if you need them, it's something to consider.
How to disinfect food preparation areas and tools
Amazon
Many disinfecting products, including ones with chlorine bleach, are not safe to use in food preparation areas without an added step of a rinse after disinfecting. That's why you need SaniDate Hard Surface Sanitizer.
While SaniDate doesn't pretend to deep clean surfaces, the one-step disinfectant will kill bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus aureus on plastic and sealed wood cutting boards, stone, tile, and laminate countertops, and even utensils and dishware with patented ethyl alcohol technology.
With a rapid kill time of only 30 seconds, the product is also quick drying and registered with the EPA. Surfaces are safe to touch nearly instantly without rinsing and it contains no bleach or ammonia. SaniDate is unscented and can be used to clean fruits and vegetables as well as kitchen surfaces.
According to the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel, a one-gallon jug ranged between $20-$40 on Amazon last year, so be aware of potential price-gouging if you see it marked up.
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How to disinfect utensils, dishes, and glassware
Amazon
If you're using an automatic dishwasher with the proper water temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit and a dishwasher detergent that contains chlorine bleach as one of the ingredients, you can rest assured that eating utensils, dishes, and glassware are disinfected and free of bacterial growth.
When handwashing dishes, wash as usual and add a final soak in a solution of one tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach per one gallon of cool water for two minutes before draining the solution and allowing the dishes to air-dry. Do not use on silver, aluminum, or chipped enamel.
Make sure to use a chlorine bleach like Clorox Germicidal Concentrated Liquid Bleach that contains a high-enough concentration of sodium hypochlorite to thoroughly kill bacteria. You can use chlorine test strips to confirm that you have 200 parts per million (ppm) required for the correct concentration of bleach.
According to CamelCamelCamel, prices for a 3-pack can range from $15-$27 on Amazon. It's currently unavailable at most retailers, but we've kept the links below live in case the item becomes available.
Quill previously had availability for a three-pack of 121-ounce jugs, but if you're looking for just one jug, Home Depot might have them for under $5. It's currently unavailable, but the price seems accurate and normal. The Walmart price at $6 isn't the worst we've seen, though it's currently out of stock.
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How to disinfect the living room
Flickr via topastrodfogna
When disinfecting shared living spaces, don't forget to treat soft-surfaces like pillows and upholstered furniture as well as hard surfaces. We'll go over hard surfaces here, but you can skip ahead to soft-surface disinfecting here.
Spray the surface with enough Microban so it will stay wet for five minutes before air-drying for the most protection. If you simply can't wait, and the surface needs cleaning as well as disinfecting, spray it on and let it sit for five seconds before drying the surface with a clean microfiber cloth.
This was previously available online at Walmart for a little under $4, but now it appears as an item you can only buy in stores, though inventory is limited. It's currently unavailable at Office Depot though you can add yourself to the online waiting list. Note that it's around $13 — significantly higher than the Walmart price.
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How to disinfect electronics
Amazon
Phones, remotes, laptops, and keyboards hold onto every bacteria they encounter — and we all know they encounter a lot.
You can use an alcohol wipe that's 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean iPhone screens; these pads from Curity should do the job though any should be fine. Certain carriers may have different coatings to prevent smudges and scratches that may be harmed by alcohol, so we suggest checking out this list of techniques to clean your phones effectively. Always read the manual before cleaning the screen of a cell phone.
Though it's not a liquid that comes in contact with your phone screens, HomeSoap UV Electronics Sanitizer safely kills bacteria in just 10 minutes using UV-C light. It's a larger version of the popular PhoneSoap, which we've tested, and can hold two phones at once.
With interior dimensions of 13.18 inches long by 3.43 inches wide and 9.13 inches high, this device can accommodate almost every type of hand-held electronics. And with two USB ports for charging, electronics come out sanitized and charged at the same time. The UV-C germicidal short wavelength, ultraviolet light breaks apart the DNA of bacteria and germs leaving it unable to harm or reproduce.
This is the same UV-C light technology used in hospital surgical suites to aid in killing superbugs.
It's available on the PhoneSoap site for pre-order but will ship at the end of September, so if you're not planning to wait for one, we'd suggest alcohol wipes, the smaller $80 PhoneSoap 3, the new $120 PhoneSoap Pro, or this $40 phone sanitizer from HoMedics instead. HoMedics provides lab results that show its effectiveness against common bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, staph, and more.
How to disinfect remotes and video game controllers
Amazon
If a HomeSoap is a bit out of your price range or you don't want to wait that long, you can still disinfect electronics with Towei Alcohol Wipes.
The wipes are a large non-woven fabric that is saturated with a 75% isopropyl alcohol. This is the same concentration that doctors and hospitals use to rid your skin of bacteria before giving a vaccination or drawing blood.
Just wipe down the remote or controller and allow the item to air-dry. You can go wash your hands while you wait.
It was previously on Amazon through third-party sellers for $24 with $4 shipping, but it appears as though the item is no longer available on Amazon or elsewhere online. We suggest regular alcohol pads with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol instead.
In addition to hard surfaces like showers, toilets, and counters, be sure to disinfect and wash towels and bathmats regularly. A fresh handtowel should be put in place at least daily. Giving everyone a new toothbrush regularly, and especially after getting over a cold, can also help keep bacteria levels under control.
To remove dried mucus from a sneeze or spittle after teeth are brushed, a microfiber cloth will provide the gentle abrasion needed to loosen the matter so it can be cleaned away. Use a separate microfiber cloth for the toilet or clean it last to avoid transferring germs.
The spray was previously available online at Walmart for a little under $4, but now it appears as an item you can only buy in stores, and it's available at Target for just under $5. It's currently unavailable at Office Depot though you can add yourself to the online waiting list. If you choose to buy this, note that it's around $13 — significantly higher than the Walmart price.
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How to disinfect toilets
Amazon
It's a good idea to disinfect every surface of a toilet including the bowl. The outer surfaces can be cleaned with Microban 24, but to disinfect the interior of the bowl, use Lysol Complete Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach.
The thick gel clings to bowl surfaces and the angled head makes it easier to reach the often forgotten area under the rim. Squirt the gel into the bowl at the beginning of your bathroom cleaning session and close the toilet lid while you finish the rest of the bathroom. Giving the cleaner time to work will make it easier to remove residue as you scrub the bowl.
The Walmart prices of around $2 for a bottle and $8 for a 4-pack seem normal, though the item is unavailable online. We suggest signing up for e-mail alerts as the item becomes available. There is a 2-pack option for $4 at The Home Depot, which is unavailable as of this post's update time.
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How to disinfect the bedroom
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Soft surfaces like bed linens, pillows, and clothing need special attention to kill bacteria especially if someone is ill. Don't forget outerwear, gloves, and scarves that may have been exposed to communal germs.
Mattresses, pillows, and some bedding just can't be tossed in the washer. The same theory applies to any upholstered furniture.
That's why you need a good phenolic disinfecting spray like Lysol. This is not just an air-freshener, it contains the ingredients necessary to kill bacteria and is safe to use on fabrics and hard surfaces. I like to use it on bed linens between changes to freshen the fabric and kill lingering bacteria which is particularly important if someone is ill.
The key to proper protection is to cover the surface with the mist and allow it to remain wet for at least 30 seconds up to 10 minutes so the active ingredients in the spray have time to work. Drying times for specific viruses are listed on the container.
Remember, if you are spraying surfaces that might end up in a mouth, they must be rinsed with clean water after the Lysol spray has dried.
There are also a dozen scents available, so you can find one that suits your sensibilities and possibly find them easier than other disinfecting items in this story.
The Crisp Linen is currently out of stock at Walmart, but depending on your zip code, available at Target and the $6 price is about right for an item like this. There's also a 1-ounce travel-sized can available at Quill for around $5, which is expensive for the amount of product but a potentially useful solution.
While washing clothes and drying them at a high heat will take care of most of the harmful bacteria, you can be sure that every bedsheet and pair of is bacteria-free with Lysol Laundry Sanitizer.
Bacteria and germs can live on fabric surfaces for days and regular washing, especially in cold water, won't take care of every problem. There are several ways you can sanitize washable fabrics.
Chlorine bleach and pine oil kill germs but can harm some fabrics, and quaternary formulas used in hospitals are difficult to find, but Lysol's phenolic disinfectant is readily available and appropriate for all washable fabrics.
Bleach-free and safe to use in standard and high-efficiency washers, Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is easy to use. Just add the recommended amount of liquid to the washer's fabric softener dispenser so the sanitizer will be dispersed through the rinse water. If you don't have a dispenser, wait until the rinse cycle to add the product directly to the washer drum. The product comes in a Crisp Linen scent and is also available in an unscented dye-free formula.
In addition to the health benefits, the sanitizer also kills odor-causing bacteria that can leave clothes like socks and underwear smelling less-than-fresh.
While there isn't just one product that will easily disinfect everything in your home, we've put together the best disinfecting cleaners for everything from clothes to counters and athletic gear. These are the best disinfecting cleaners.
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