Bathrooms are a crucial point in the house that all humans — and therefore microbes — pass through. So during the present pandemic, keeping your toilets, sinks, counters and showers as germ-free as possible is key to keeping you and your family healthy.
The novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, is known to live on hard surfaces for up to three days, according to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Your bathroom has plenty of those.
Start by washing your hands. For your surfaces, you can use any household disinfectant, but the US Environmental Protection Agency released a five-page list of high-quality options — including Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and certain Lysol sprays — which can defeat “harder to kill” viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
Focus on cleaning “high-touch” areas of your bathroom including light switches, door knobs and the sink areas in particular. Don’t forget less obvious areas such as shower heads, shower curtains, the toilet seat, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, shavers and other appliances.
After you wipe down hard surfaces like sinks and counter tops, make sure to leave them wet for 3 to 5 minutes. The American Cleaning Institute recommends letting the surfaces air-dry before rinsing them with water.
