What Do You Need to Know about Disinfecting Your Senior’s Home?

By Jessica Ott | April 23, 2020 |

Both cleaning and disinfecting are crucial steps to be taking right now during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s important that you understand the differences between cleaning and disinfecting and that you’re disinfecting properly.

Home Care Services East Berlin PA – What Do You Need to Know about Disinfecting Your Senior’s Home?

Disinfecting Is Different from Cleaning

It’s easy, especially when there isn’t a pandemic spreading like wildfire, to think that regular cleaning is good enough. Cleaning can do a lot, but it’s different from disinfecting and the CDC is recommending that everyone disinfects their home, including high-touch surfaces, as often as possible throughout the day. High-touch surfaces are those surfaces that everyone in the house is likely to touch multiple times per day, like doorknobs, toilets, counters, and remotes.

Clean First, then Disinfect

The general rule of thumb is to clean first, because that removed dust, debris, and dirt from surfaces. Once the surface is as clean as possible, it’s time to disinfect. During the cleaning process, you’re likely going to remove a big percentage of germs. But it won’t be all of them and during a pandemic you want to be as thorough as possible, so that means taking the extra step of frequent disinfection.

Use an EPA-approved Disinfectant

The EPA has collected a list of approved disinfectants to make it easier for people to find the right products. It’s important to know that because this coronavirus strain is brand new, the products you’re looking at as disinfectants have not been proven to be effective against this specific virus. When the EPA collected this list, it did so by finding disinfectants that are effective against viruses and germs that are harder to kill than the novel coronavirus. Tools like disinfecting wipes and sprays that say they kill the flu virus or other viruses is likely going to be effective now, too.

Making Your Own Disinfectant Solution

You can make your own disinfectant solutions, especially when they’re still difficult to find in the stores. Using ingredients you may have on hand already like isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or bleach is possible. You must be very careful, however, because mixing chemicals is never a good idea. If you’re making the CDC’s bleach solution, follow the recipe exactly and do not add anything else. Dilution is critical.

Disinfecting as frequently as you need to during the coronavirus pandemic may be wearing you out or you may not be able to be with your senior in her home right now. In either case, home care services providers can be the solution you need right now. Home care services providers are well-versed in protecting older adults from germs and can help your senior to keep her home both clean and disinfected.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in East Berlin PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions. In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

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Jessica Ott

Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC

Jessica Ott is the Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC.

A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC is dedicated to providing our clients with a better quality of life through our support services while maintaining their independence in the comfort of their own home.

As a Home Care Agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we can provide families with peace of mind, knowing their loved one is in good hands.

We will work with you to prepare a care plan that incorporates your needs, your wishes, and your preferred schedule. Each client is matched with a caregiver who can best meet their individual needs, whether they reside in a house, apartment, condominium, assisted living, or nursing community.