moving into a new house.

[xmdslatx]

So before I move my stuff in, I want to CLEAN the whole place.Floors,walls..hey even ceilings.Would it be alright to use a bleach/water solution?


And how long are you suppose to leave the solution on something until it kills all germs/bacteria/viruses?

When I do cleaning around the house, I spray a bleach mixture on a rag and wipe things down..is that good enough or do I have to let the mix sit in the spott?

[jkl81]

PersonallY I wouldn't worry about it much except for the bathroom unless you know somebody sick has been in there in the last few days or so. I think what you do will probably disinfect things pretty well, but just be careful with the bleach since it can burn you if the solution is too strong or you leave it on your hands too long. Since you like to clean with bleach invest in some HPDE chemical resistant gloves(cheap) and a box of disposable gloves(even cheaper) to protect your hands. It will protect you from the bleach and provide an additional 2 barriers to any germs. If you think there's any chance of having to encounter or clean up v* or d* a mask would be a good addition. Goodluck!

[sage]

Clean everything with bleach and water solution (1 tbsp of bleach to 1 litre of water) and don't wipe it off with a dry cloth. That will kill everything totally.

[xmdslatx]

Clean everything with bleach and water solution (1 tbsp of bleach to 1 litre of water) and don't wipe it off with a dry cloth. That will kill everything totally.

So should I spray it and let it sit (on sinks/knobs etc) until it dries?

And how long does it take for it to kill germs? Edited by: xmdslatx

[tessa17]

be careful though, it can harm some surfaces. all metal, plastic, etc. surfaces should be fine, but depending on the strength of the solution you use I'd be careful using on a surface you're not sure about.

[worriedone]

I don't think viruses survive long outside the body - they need host cells to reproduce. Anyway, I'm not sure disinfectant kills viruses.

Bacteria are easily killed by bleach, but be careful not to overdue the bleach and inhale the fumes or get it on your skin as you could make yourself ill. I can't see how the ceilings can contain bacteria as they are not touched. Kitchens are the worst sources of bacteria (particularly fridges), followed by toilets and sinks, so tackle them first.

Don't use bleach on furniture, carpets or wallpaper as you could damage them. Use the appropriate cleaning equipment and you'll be fine. The main problem with carpets is if animals have been living in the house - if an animal has not been there, it is highly unlikely there is anything other than dust mites in the carpet. If an animal has been there, get the carpet shampooed - you can even hire a professional cleaner for half a day, so that everything is as clean as it can be.

[paintedwings]

Depends what you are worried for, and the conditions for example a dark damp place, bacteria can live for years, no one really knows. But Look, strep, staph, even anthrax which can live in soil for a century are all over the place. It's when the human body's immune system gets weak or overwhelmed that these opportunistic infections cause disease.

But in a home if someone was sick maybe a couple weeks.

m NOT a big fan of Lysol, though. My husband works with pharmacology and the substance of choice (required by OSHA law) to disinfect items, is 70% ISOPROPYLY ALCOHOL.
Bleach works great too but be careful with it many things cannot handle the bleach.

I wouldnt worry to much, just give the home a good cleaning and wash your hands often and it will be fine

[xmdslatx]

So lysol will not kill noro? I seen that it kills it on the commercial but I'm not sure if i'm that trusting of it.

[tessa17]

it kills some other sv* germs, but not norovirus.