How Can I Disinfect My Apartment?

When it comes to your home, simply cleaning it may not be sufficient due to the high concentration of germs and bacteria that may be lurking in various surfaces and rooms. Disinfecting the various rooms in your home is more effective in killing the germs that can cause common illnesses such as e-coli, influenza, and many others. With the right disinfectants a little effort on your part, you can make your home cleaner and safer.

How can I disinfect my apartment? In order to disinfect your apartment, you will need the right products. This may be chemical products with ingredients that are tested and proven to be safe to use, or natural ingredients you may already have in your home. Focus on high traffic areas and frequently touched items and surfaces disinfecting everything carefully. To ensure that you don’t miss any spots, consider disinfecting one room at a time.

Keeping germs at bay within your home is integral in keeping infectious illnesses from spreading. While most people are good at cleaning their home, it is not too often that they take time to disinfect it as well. As a result, nasty germs are unknowingly spread from one person to another. To help you avoid such predicaments, here is a guide on how you can effectively disinfect your home.

Table of Contents

How to effectively disinfect your home?

1. Gathering your disinfecting supplies

Supplies you can use to disinfect your home include:

Disinfectant spray – Disinfecting spray is effective in eliminating germs on frequently touched hard and soft surfaces.

Hydrogen peroxide – At one point or another, you might have used hydrogen peroxide to clean out a cut. What you might not know is that this multi-purpose product can also be used to remove stains and disinfect various items around your home.

Vinegar – Vinegar is an all-natural disinfectant that contains acetic acid which gives it antimicrobial properties. It is effective in disinfecting a wide range of surfaces and household items, and you can also use it to remove odors.

Disinfectant wipes – You can use disinfectant wipes the same way you would use a cloth or sponge; wipe surfaces carefully with them.

Bleach – Due to the strong chemical contents in bleach, ensure that you use it in small amounts.

Essential oils – Essential oils such as tea tree and lemongrass naturally contain antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic. They are more commonly used for skin care, but they can also serve as household disinfectants when mixed with water.

Gloves – Use gloves to protect your hands from any chemicals you might be dealing with.

2. The kitchen

Your kitchen may be the most-germ infested room in your house. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise since this is the area you prepare your meals, and it is common knowledge that food is breeding ground for bacteria and other germs. Even refrigerated items can get contaminated once left out in the open for extended periods of time.

Cleaning your countertops – Kitchen countertops are frequently in direct contact with food, and it is important to keep them germ-free that could potentially result in illnesses. If you use dishcloths and sponges to clean your countertops over and over again without disinfecting them, they could easily create a conducive environment for bacteria. Sanitize them using a small amount of bleach or better still, use disinfectant wipes on your countertops instead.

If you are not too fond of bleach, go for natural disinfectants such as vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Do not mix them since this will only reduce their effectiveness. Clean your countertops with warm soapy water and a washcloth as you normally would, and then spray them with vinegar first before finishing up with hydrogen peroxide. To eliminate the moist environment that attracts germs, ensure that you keep your countertops dry.

Sink – The sink is another crucial area in the kitchen that requires frequent disinfecting. To get rid of any lurking germs, plug the rain and fill the sink up with warm water, adding a small amount of bleach. Scrub it with a clean washcloth and then let it sit for some time before draining it.

Wipe down the faucet and handles using vinegar and a paper. This will help to get rid of any spots as well as disinfect them.

Floor – Disinfect the kitchen floor using a small amount of bleach mixed with water. Scrub the floor to remove any germs that may have fallen on the floor during the preparation of food.

3. The bathroom

The bathroom typically requires regular cleaning, but just like the kitchen, you also need to disinfect it as often as you can.

The toilet – Before you start disinfecting the toilet bowl, squirt your toilet cleaner on the sides of the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing it with a toilet bowl brush and flushing it. To disinfect it with natural ingredients, use either hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. Spray the disinfectant of your choice on the sides of the toilet bowl and let it sit for about an hour before flushing it.

The bathtub/shower – Fill your clean bathtub with hot water as high as you can without it overflowing. Pour in some bleach into the water and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. After enough time has elapsed, drain the bathtub and then rinse it thoroughly with warm water. The shower is disinfected in a similar way but with less water. Do not forget to disinfect the walls as well.

The rest of the bathroom – Ensure that you wash the toilet surface, sink, handles, and faucet, and then let them air dry. Use a mixture of water and a small amount of bleach in a spray bottle. Spray these surfaces with the diluted bleach and then let them air dry. Mop the bathroom floor with the diluted bleach solution and let it air dry as well.

4. Bedroom

Since you spend a considerable amount of time in the bedroom, it should be disinfected as necessary.

Bedding – Start by removing the pillows, sheets, comforter, and any other covering from the bed. Wash the sheets and pillowcases in hot water to kill bacteria. Vacuum the pillows and mattress on both sides with disinfecting spray until they are slightly damp and then let them air dry.

Clothes – Wash clothes with hot water to kill germs or add a few drops of tea tree oil to your wash if you opt to use cold water.

The carpet/rugs – After vacuuming the rugs and carpeting, spray them with disinfectant.

5. Living and dining rooms

The areas to disinfect in the living room include:

The furniture – Start by vacuuming the upholstery with a hand vacuum first to make disinfection even more effective. Spray the couches, chairs, and ottomans with disinfecting spray until they are slightly damp and then let them air dry.

Wipe the dining table, coffee tables, end tables, bookshelves, and any other hard surfaces with disinfecting wipes. Remember to dust these surfaces first before disinfecting them.

Remote controls and telephone – Phones and remote controls for the TV, stereo, and video-game equipment are breeding ground for germs yet they are frequently overlooked when it comes to disinfecting the living room. Wipe them down with disinfecting wipes.

Carpet and rugs – After vacuuming the carpets and rugs, use a disinfectant spray to sanitize them.

6. Indoor air

There are various types of bacteria that are dispersed into the air from human skin, oral and nasal surfaces, and hair. Use lemongrass and tea tree essential oils in an essential oil diffuser to keep the air in your home clean and devoid of germs.

7. The whole apartment

Ensure you disinfect the following areas in the apartment:

Use disinfectant wipes to sanitize frequently touch surfaces such as doorknobs and light switch plates

Wipe down any shared appliances in the kitchen as well as washing machines with disinfecting wipes.

Wash all the curtains with hot water

Disinfect the trash can and laundry baskets with a water and bleach solution.

Don’t forget to disinfect your computer keyboard, tablets and any other devices that you frequently touch.

Spray your toothbrush holder with hydrogen peroxide, and soak your toothbrush in it as well to kill any lurking germs.

Use hand sanitizer so as not to spread germs from your hands to various surfaces of the house.