How to Disinfect Your Home After Illness
When someone in your home has been ill with a contagious illness (flu, norovirus, cold, COVID-19), disinfecting high-touch surfaces prevents spread to other household members and reduces reinfection risk. This requires both cleaning (removing organic material) and disinfecting (killing pathogens) — cleaning alone moves pathogens around, while disinfectant on a dirty surface is less effective.
Key Principle: Clean, Then Disinfect
Disinfectants require contact with the pathogen to work. Organic matter (mucus, food residue, dirt) shields pathogens from disinfectant contact. Always clean with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner before applying disinfectant — especially on visibly soiled surfaces.
Products That Actually Disinfect
- Lysol Disinfecting Spray or Wipes: EPA-registered disinfectant effective against flu, norovirus, COVID-19 — allow to air dry (do not wipe off — the dwell time is required for disinfection)
- Clorox Disinfecting Wipes: Same approach — wipe and allow to air dry
- Diluted bleach solution: 1 tablespoon bleach per 1 liter of water — very effective but cannot be used on all surfaces. Apply with a cloth, allow 1 minute, wipe clean with water.
- 70% isopropyl alcohol: Effective against most viruses and bacteria when allowed to air dry
High-Touch Surfaces to Prioritize
- Doorknobs and door handles (all rooms, not just the sick room)
- Light switches
- Bathroom faucets, flush handles, and toilet surfaces
- Bathroom countertops and sink edges
- TV remotes, gaming controllers, tablets, phones
- Kitchen cabinet handles and appliance touch surfaces
- Stair railings and banisters
Sick Room Specifics
- Wash all bedding, towels, and pillowcases in hot water (60°C minimum) — heat kills most pathogens. Avoid shaking dirty laundry, which disperses pathogens into the air.
- Wipe all surfaces in the room including the nightstand, lamp switches, and any surfaces the sick person touched
- Dispose of used tissues in a closed bin and empty it promptly
- Open windows to ventilate the room after the person recovers — fresh air dilutes any airborne pathogens
Important Limitations
- Disinfecting surfaces is most effective for illnesses spread by touch (norovirus, cold viruses). For illnesses spread primarily by airborne droplets (flu, COVID-19), ventilation and masking are more protective than surface disinfection.
- Do not use disinfectants on food-contact surfaces without rinsing thoroughly afterward
Book a Maidless deep clean at maidless.ca — 4.9★, 100+ reviews, vetted cleaners across Toronto.