Our homes can attract a lot of dirt, germs and bacteria, making them hotbeds for viruses, such as the flu.
To keep ourselves in the best health possible, it’s important to eradicate viruses from our homes through a process of prevention and control.
Writing for The Conversation, scientist Jason Tetro, a visiting professor of immunology at the University of Guelph, revealed the best ways to eliminate the flu virus from your home. He points out that you’ve got to treat your home like a hospital to make it a healthy, safe space.
Here are the four ways you can reduce the spread of infection throughout the home.
1. Stop touching your face
Influenza, or the flu virus, is spread from person to person, via droplets or sometimes through the air. Touching contaminated surfaces, sometimes called “fomites”, can also transmit the virus to your body. This is why you should stop touching your face as it increases the risk of catching the virus.
2. Kill the flu virus with steam
The best way to prevent and control an infection is to limit people from entering the infected space. However, this is not really possible in a home.
So to help, you need to kill the virus on surfaces, by disinfecting them. You can kill influenza by wiping surfaces and worktops with detergents, diluted bleach, or hydrogen peroxide.
Another, more natural, way to kill the flu virus is to use steam, either with a steam cleaner or humidifier.
3. Disinfect your TV remotes
It’s easy to remember to disinfect surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom, but what about the forgotten places where germs can fester? Make sure to focus on “high-touch surfaces” — areas that are frequently touched by everyone at home.
In the home, these surfaces consist of kitchen handles, taps, light switches, door knobs, and TV remote controls. They are all prime sources for flu contamination and need to be disinfected as often as possible. Be aware that influenza can remain infectious on surfaces for up to 24 hours.
4. Wash your hands often
It’s not only the surfaces in your home that need to be kept germ-free but also your hands. You should wash your hands after you come into contact with any suspect surface. Wash with soap and water, or hand sanitiser (£2.33, Amazon). This will help stop the spread of flu and other pathogens, such as colds, skin infections and norovirus.
