How to clean and disinfect your home during cold and flu season
- Category: Health & Wellness, Primary Care, Wellness
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Viruses can linger on everyday surfaces, but proper cleaning and disinfecting can help reduce the spread of germs at home during cold and flu season.
Key takeaways
- Germs spread easily through the air, by touch, and on contaminated surfaces.
- Cold and flu viruses can live for hours or days, especially on hard surfaces.
- Cleaning first, then sanitizing or disinfecting, is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs when someone is sick.
If you feel a cold coming on, you’re not alone. According to the American Lung Association, adults get two to three colds on average per year, and children get even more. Colds typically happen between September and May—also known as cold and flu season.
Colds are contagious and happen when viruses travel from one infected person to another. Though you can’t stop the spread of viruses and germs altogether, there are ways to clean your home that may help reduce infection rates.
What are the most common ways we spread germs?
Germs are everywhere. Some germs are harmless, while others, like cold and flu viruses, can make you sick. Effectively washing your hands with soap and water removes most germs. However, there are many ways we encounter germs, including:
- Breathing air after someone coughs or sneezes
- Hugging or kissing
- Sharing utensils or drinks
- Touching poop in the bathroom or during a diaper change and then touching your face
- Touching surfaces and then touching your face
How long do flu germs live on surfaces?
How long a germ lives on a surface can range from minutes to months, depending on the virus, the climate, and the surface itself. Because of this variability, it can be hard to confirm exactly how long cold and flu viruses remain active. In general:
- Cold viruses can live on a surface for up to a week but are less effective after 24 hours.
- Cold viruses can live on hands for up to an hour but become less likely to spread as time passes.
- Flu viruses can live for 24–48 hours on hard surfaces.
- The coronavirus (COVID-19) can live for a few hours to a few days on hard surfaces.
- Most viruses live longer on hard, nonporous surfaces, compared to porous surfaces like clothing.
What are the germiest things in my house?
Cleaning your living space regularly is important to remove any lingering germs. But it can be extra helpful during cold and flu season. Remember to clean surfaces you and others in your household touch often, such as:
- Computer keyboards and the mouse or touchpad
- Couch pillows and throw blankets
- Countertops
- Doorknobs
- Handles on doors, windows, and cabinets
- Kitchen sponges or dishcloths
- Light switches
- Phones, tablets, and other touch screens
- Remote controls
- Tables
- Toilet flush handles
- Toothbrush holders
How do I clean the house when someone is sick?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in most cases, you can clean surfaces you touch often or when they’re dirty with just soap and water. However, if someone is sick, you may also want to sanitize and disinfect surfaces.
Helpful ingredients for cleaning include soaps and detergents. Some common disinfectants include:
- Alcohol-based gels with at least 60% (but ideally 70%) isopropyl alcohol
- Bleach
- Chlorine
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Other disinfectants registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
To clean your house during or after an illness, remember:
- Clean first. Sanitize and disinfect second. Do it daily when someone is sick.
- Make sure you have extra soap, hand sanitizer, masks, and trash bags.
- Separate items that a sick person touches regularly.
- Wash bedding.
- Wash your hands often, especially when cleaning.
- Wipe down bathroom surfaces daily.
What’s the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting?
While cleaning removes germs from surfaces, sanitizing reduces germs, and disinfecting kills germs. You should clean a surface before you sanitize or disinfect it with a strong bleach solution or other chemicals.
Learn more about cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting from the CDC.
Find convenient care in New Orleans
Not feeling well? Primary Care at LCMC Health is here to help. We offer convenient, same-day and next-day appointments at many of our locations across New Orleans, along with flu shots. Stay healthy with us throughout the year.
Related questions about cleaning during cold and flu season
How often should I clean surfaces during cold and flu season?
High-touch surfaces should be cleaned often and disinfected daily when someone in the household is actively sick.
What types of disinfectants are most effective?
EPA-registered disinfectants, including those containing alcohol, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide, are effective when used according to directions.
Should I clean items like blankets and pillows if someone is sick?
Yes. Washing bedding, throw blankets, and other soft items used by a sick person can help reduce the spread of germs.
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