“7 Things You Should Sanitize to Avoid Getting Sick”

Besides all of the usual telltale signs of cold and flu season—the hacking coughs and sniffly noses are everywhere—the novel coronavirus has made us even more cautious about getting sick. To keep you and your family healthy during this time, there are certain key areas in your home that it pays to disinfect. While this is important every cold and flu season, it's even more essential this year. The CDC has rolled out its own guidelines for how to clean to help prevent the spread of this specific virus, and we have highlighted just a few key places below.



It's also worth noting that not all disinfecting cleaners are capable of killing this specific virus, so you'll want to check the CDC’s list of approved cleaning products, which are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. When cleaning, focus first on the items and spots you tend to touch most often (think cell phones, doorknobs, computer keyboards), so you can make even quick cleaning sessions as effective as possible.



Deep-Clean Your Germy Cell Phone: You touch your cell phone many times throughout the day—and you may even be holding it as you read this. So even if you're diligently washing your hands properly, if you aren't also disinfecting your phone, the second you check a text, you're spreading germs back onto your hands. Considering how often we reach for our phones, it’s no surprise that a 2012 study by the University of Arizona found that cell phones have more germs than toilet seats. Yuck! To deep-clean your phone without risking water damage, follow our instructions from a pro. Keep your hands clean, wipe down the surface with an antibacterial microfiber cloth, and spray cleansers onto a cloth rather than directly onto the screen to prevent damage. Remove the case and wipe it with a clean cloth dipped in 70-percent isopropyl alcohol, then let dry.









Disinfect Your Keyboard: It’s full of nooks and crannies, and you likely click away at it for hours a day. Your computer keyboard is a germ collector, and all of those crevices make it difficult to keep clean. To clean it quickly, first put down the work for a minute and fully unplug it. Turn it upside down and use compressed air to remove any crumbs and dust. To disinfect, wipe the surface with a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, being careful that liquid doesn't drip down into the keyboard.



Don’t Forget Doorknobs and Light Switch Plates: You may think that getting sick from germy doorknobs is an old wives' tale, but according to Chuck Gerba, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, it’s very possible. Germs last longer on surfaces than you might think. To disinfect the doorknobs and light switch plates around your house (focus on high-traffic spots, like the bathroom door), cleanse them with a germ-destroying product, such as CDC-recommended Clorox Disinfecting Wipes ($6, target.com). When cleaning light switch plates, be careful that liquid doesn't drip into the outlet. To make sure any cleaning product is as effective as possible, now's the time to read the fine print and check the manufacturer's directions. You may be surprised to learn how long you have to keep a product on a surface in order for it to really kill germs and bacteria.



Clean the Kitchen Counter (and Faucets): You likely try to keep your kitchen counter clean year-round, but it becomes particularly important during cold and flu season. Since this is the spot where family gathers, the counter and faucet get touched often by germy hands. To keep this area bacteria-free, spritz porous stone (like granite), as well as faucets and handles, with a disinfecting spray, following the manufacturer's guidelines for contact time.



Disinfect Stuffed Animals and Blankets: If your little one has been sick, make sure their favorite furry companion isn’t holding onto their germs. Check the tag on stuffed animals to see if it can go in the washing machine, and if so, follow these washing instructions by using the hottest water setting possible, along with a laundry sanitizer, and then dry completely.

De-germ Your Desk: With more and more of us working from home during this time, it's important to clean our at-home work zones. No matter if that's a complete home office or your kitchen counter-turned-makeshift-cubicle, be sure to use a disinfecting spray or wipe on the surface and chair. Again, make note of the surfaces you touch often (drawer handles, file organizers, etc.) and disinfect those specific spots first.

 

Sanitize the Indispensable TV Remote: One thing's for certain: spending more time at home means more time on Netflix (and YouTube and HBO and Hulu). To de-germ your TV remote control, first remove the batteries. Then use a clean cloth dipped in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the remote and use a Q-Tip to carefully clean the buttons. Make sure the remote is completely dry before replacing the batteries and turning on your favorite feel-good movie or tv show.

 

By Katie Holdefehr

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Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

“What are the Germiest Places in Your Office?”

Elevator Buttons: How many people do you think press the "going up" and "going down" buttons to call the elevator every day? What about the "Lobby" button inside? A lot, that's how many. So they have more germs than other places. You could use your elbow to choose your floor, though you might get some funny looks. Or after you push the button, give your hands a quick wash with alcohol-based sanitizer during your ride.

Door Handles: Everyone uses them to get around your workplace. The more people that do, the larger the variety of germs that can pass from person to person among you all. Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds to help stop the spread. You can ask the cleaning staff to wipe down and sanitize the door handles, too.

Desktop: It's got far more germs -- about 400 times more -- than a toilet seat. That's about 21,000 bacteria, viruses, and fungi per square inch. As you've probably noticed, these little guys travel most often on your hands, moving to and from things as you touch them. That's why washing your hands often is key to stopping the spread of infections.

Keyboard: You probably sneeze on it, eat over it, and spill drinks on it. And you never clean it. Ever. Even after that time you had to check an important email in the middle of a cinnamon twist. You know who likes the sticky fingerprints and crumbs you left on the keys? Germs. And if you share a keyboard with your co-workers, it could be even worse. Each person adds their own oil, grime, and meal tidbits.

Telephone: Your office phone may be even worse than your desktop, with an average of 25,000 germs per square inch. Wipe the phone down a few times a day with sanitizer, especially if other people also use it.

Office Equipment: Germs can hide and thrive on the buttons of the printer, copier, fax, postage meter, and other devices. People rarely think to clean them. Put some sanitizing wipes nearby to remind yourself each time you use a machine.

Watercooler: To fill your glass, typical office water dispensers aren't "safer" than regular tap water. Germs can get on bottles during transport and delivery. And people touch the cooler to get their water, sometimes several times a day. To avoid illness during cold and flu season, you could bring your own water from home or buy it in bottles.

Coffee Maker: It's not always clear who's in charge of cleaning shared spaces. Start here if you decide to volunteer. Bacteria loves to grow in the damp, dark insides of these machines. Fill it with 4 cups of plain white vinegar, and let that stand for a half-hour. Then let it run through, followed by three cycles of water, or until you don't smell the vinegar.

Coffeepot: It's not only the coffee maker that collects germs. Even when the pot gets washed out -- as it should on a daily basis -- the handle is often overlooked. And that's the part you're most likely to touch.

Coffee Mugs: They may seem safe to share, especially when they're washed and dried, but one study found that 90% had significant germs, some with "fecal matter" (that's "poop" to you and me). The problem probably isn't the cups themselves, or the people who use them. Odd as it sounds, it likely comes from when you try to clean them with less-than-pristine supplies in a common kitchen area.

Sink: Just as in your home, the large variety of hands and food makes it a magnet for bacteria and other germs. The part you touch most -- the faucet handle -- often has the most. Because everyone touches it.

Kitchen Sponge: It's wet and absorbent, perfect if you want to collect and nurture germs. Most new sponges will have bacteria like E. coli and salmonella within 3 weeks. And when people use the sponge during the day, they transfer its germs to other parts of the office (including coffee cups). Just 2 minutes in the microwave kills most things. Try to do that once a day, and replace the sponge every 2 weeks.

Microwave Door: So many people heat up their lunch in these magical machines. And each person has to touch the door several times to open and close it, putting food in and taking it out. That handle is often one of the dirtiest spots in an office. About half tested in a large study had high levels of a chemical linked to living organisms. Add it to your list of places to hit with a sanitizing wipe now and then.

Vending Machines: Eating prepackaged food doesn't solve the problem either. That same study found the buttons on around 1 in 5 food machines were likely to pass along illness-causing germs. (And refrigerator door handles about one-fourth of the time.) Still more don't rise to that level but could be cleaner. You probably don't think about these surfaces as food prep areas, but you should treat them that way.

Restrooms: Germs like E. coli bacteria can cover the office bathroom. Even getting your hands clean can be hard because the faucet handles may be especially dirty. You could hold a paper towel in your hand when you turn the water on and off, as well as when you push the handle to flush the toilet.

Reviewed by: Laura J. Martin, MD on December 23, 2018

Sources:

Michigan State University Extension: "Keep germs from spreading in the office."
Forensic Science Technician: "50 Germiest Places in the World."
West Windsor Health Department: "Is This Your Desk?"
American Journal of Infection Control: "Microbial contamination of computer keyboards in a university setting."
Iranian Journal of Public Health: "Assessment of Drinking Water Quality from Bottled Water Coolers."
NSF International: "GERMS! They're hiding …"
Hartford HealthCare: "Holiday Alert: The Germiest Places In Home, Office, Public Places."
UA News: "Where the Germs Are: Office Kitchens, Break Rooms."
PLOS ONE: "Microbial Biogeography of Public Restroom Surfaces."

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2Live

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.