With the current healthcare crisis and the ongoing global pandemic, the coronavirus disease has ushered everyone into the safety of their homes. But with this, there has been an increase in the amount of time people spend at home. Alongside this, there is an increase in the number of people at home all at once. All of this amounts to the increased use of shared spaces, such as bathrooms.

This can be a cause for concern if the cleanliness and hygiene of bathrooms are left neglected. Which is why it’s important to work on sanitizing bathrooms at least once every week. To do this regularly, it can be helpful to have all your bathroom cleaning equipment stored in one place for easier access.

Remove all items

The first step to sanitizing bathrooms around the house is removing bottles and products from shelves and other external surfaces. This will enable the proper cleaning of all surfaces without any hindrances. And after you have finished cleaning and the bathrooms are dry, it is a good idea to wipe down all these bottles as well before putting them back on their respective shelves.

Wiping down surfaces

Many surfaces are points with a high frequency of touching, such as door handles, taps and faucets, flushes, and even the switches to the lights of your bathroom. Disinfecting bathrooms must begin with wiping these surfaces down with wipes or cleaning products, and this should ideally be done on a daily basis during these uncertain times. Once this is done, move on to other surfaces such as towel racks, countertops, washbasins, and shower areas. To prevent the potential recontamination of surfaces, wipe in zig-zags or S-shaped formations. Many recommend using soapy water and cloth to do the first wipe down, and then using the best disinfectant for bathrooms - isopropyl alcohol. Letting this solution sit for a while will kill any germs and bacteria still present. You can also use vinegar to keep your bathroom spotlessly clean.

Disinfect the toilet

A toilet bowl can become a harbinger for contamination or infection if it is not cleaned regularly and with proper care. With millions of bacteria lurking in the toilet, you’ll want to be thorough with your cleaning. Use a spray of hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting bathroom toilets - spritz it on the tank and seat while wearing gloves, and then use a clean cloth to wipe it down. Hydrogen peroxide is considered by many to be the best disinfectant for bathrooms since it can kill some strains of viruses that are stronger than the coronavirus. For the toilet bowl, pour in some bleach and work a toilet brush to clean out the grit.

Mopping floors

After all this is done, it is likely that you will find you have several spills of water all over the floor. The floor itself picks up a lot of dirt and bacteria, so the final step to disinfecting bathrooms is to take a mop and bucket to the floor. Fill your bucket with water and add a cap full of cleaning agent or disinfecting solution. This will ensure that the mop and water wipe away dirt while simultaneously killing any germs or bacteria present on the floor.

Taking these measures on a weekly basis can go a long way in preventing general infections from creeping up, as well as other more dangerous diseases. In the case of the coronavirus, if someone in your household begins to show symptoms, or has tested positive for the disease and is self-isolating, other preventive measures should be taken. It is recommended and preferable that a separate bathroom is allocated to them for their use. This will prevent the further spread of germs and the infection to other household members, keeping people safe. You should also refrain from sharing towels and other such linens in such a situation. Any items that are disposed of in the bathroom’s trash should be thrown away daily and with preventive care.

Apart from this, the pandemic has started a general conversation on hygiene, and it may be useful to consider incorporating different types of smart bathroom technology to enable cleanliness. For example, a sink with a sensor tap does not need to be touched with different sets of hands on a daily basis, thus removing the need to frequently wipe the surface. For products that work to effectively raise hygiene standards through functionality, check out Jaquar’s range of premium sanitaryware and bathroom accessories.