Covid-19: Is Someone In Your Home Sick With Novel Coronavirus? Here's How To Clean Around Them

The advisory cautions that one should not clean the area around someone infected unless it is soiled. The rest of the home should be cleaned with soap and water, and surfaces touched frequently should be disinfected.

According to the CDC, items such as phones, tables, countertops, light switches, and doorknobs should be cleaned with disinfectant spray or wipes, diluted household bleach solution, or a homemade solution that includes approximately one-third of a cup of bleach per gallon of water or four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. Homeowners can also use alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol concentration.

Soft surfaces such as carpets, rugs, and drapes can be cleaned with soap and water or in a washing machine. They can also be sanitized with an EPA-registered household disinfectant.

The CDC made note that someone who is sick should keep a separate bedroom and bathroom when possible. If one has to share a bathroom, the person who is sick should clean and disinfect it after each use. If that’s not possible, a caregiver should wait as long as possible before cleaning and disinfecting to help limit the spread of the virus.

If possible, one should also dedicate a lined trash can for the person who is sick, using gloves when removing garbage bags, and handling and disposing of trash. They should then wash their hands afterward.

“It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious,” the CDC said. “Facilities will need to consider factors such as the size of the room and the ventilation system design (including flowrate (air changes per hour) and location of supply and exhaust vents) when deciding how long to close off rooms or areas used by ill persons before beginning disinfection.  

“Taking measures to improve ventilation in an area or room where someone was ill or suspected to be ill with COVID-19 will help shorten the time it takes respiratory droplets to be removed from the air.”

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