Protect your home with these three cleaning and disinfecting tools.
Tool #1
Soap + water
Grime, grease, dirt and germs are no match against this simple product.
Whether you use a bar of soap, a liquid soap like dish detergent, or an all-purpose cleaner, scrubbing and lathering with soap and water weakens and breaks down the coronavirus.
Make your own soap and water solution by adding the following to an 8 oz spray bottle:
— 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap
— 1 cup of water
When shopping for soap or an all-purpose cleaner, look for products with the Safer Choice logo on the package. These products are effective and safer for you and your family.
Tool #2
Microfiber cloths
Microfiber cloths are a magnet for dirt and germs.
These cleaning super heroes outlast other cleaning cloths and contain tiny fibers that remove, trap, and lock away germs from your home’s surfaces.
Microfiber cloths can be washed hundreds of times, making them an economical choice. When laundering, wash them separately with hot water and detergent, and don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets, which can destroy their effectiveness. You can also wash them in a basin or bucket with hot water and detergent.
Get the most out of your microfiber cloths. Fold them in half and then half again to create 8 equal sides for cleaning.
Tool #3
A safer disinfectant
Look for a disinfecting product with an EPA-approved active ingredient.
Disinfectants come in many forms. Some are sprays or liquids. Others are wipes. And still others create a foam. When shopping for a disinfectant, look for one that contains one of the following EPA–approved active ingredients. These ingredients are safer for you and your family.
Citric Acid
Ethanol
Hydrogen Peroxide
Isopropanol
L-lactic Acid
Peroxyacetic Acid
Sodium Bisulfate
Cleaners and disinfectants are two different types of products. Cleaners are products that remove dirt and germs. Disinfectants are products that KILL germs.
The EPA List N can help you find a safer disinfectant.
already Have a Disinfectant?
To see if the disinfectants in your home contain safer active ingredients and are effective against COVID-19, use the online tool called the EPA LIST N. Here’s how:
FIND the EPA registration number of your disinfectant product. It is usually on the back of the label in small print.
GO to the EPA List N website search tool.
ENTER the EPA number into the search field on the website.
SCROLL down to find your product. It will provide its active ingredient(s), product name, manufacturer’s name and contact time.
DON’T USE your disinfectant if it doesn’t have an EPA registration number on the label.
Watch the video above for an example of using the EPA LIST N online tool to research your disinfectants.
Looking For a Safer Disinfectant?
You can also use the EPA LIST N search tool to find safer disinfectants for your home. Here’s how:
GO to the EPA List N website search tool.
CHOOSE one of the safer active ingredients from the dropdown menu. These safer ingredients include Citric Acid, Ethanol, Hydrogen Peroxide, Isopropanol, L-lactic Acid, Peroxyacetic Acid, and Sodium Bisulfate.
SCROLL down to view a list of the disinfecting products containing the active ingredient you chose. The list will also contain the manufacturer’s name and contact time for each product.
Watch the video above for an example of using the EPA LIST N online tool to find a safer disinfectant.
Don’t have a safer disinfectant at home?
Make your own bleach solution.
IN A BUCKET, MIX TOGETHER:
1/3 cup of bleach (containing 5.25% to 8.25% sodium hypochlorite)
1 gallon of room temperature water
Do not use the bleach product if the percentage of sodium hypochlorite is not in the range of 5.25% to 8.25%, or if it is not identified on the label.
NEVER mix household bleach with ammonia or any other disinfecting products. This can cause fumes that are very dangerous to breathe in.
Spread the word. Not the virus.
Share these cleaning tools resources.
Microfiber cleaning cloths are better than paper towels or cotton towels for scrubbing away the COVID-19 virus. They act like a germ magnet, are reusable and can be purchased at big box stores, supermarkets and online. See how to best use them in this video.
