Covid 19 Crisis: Important Tips for Cleaning Your Kitchen

You could be spreading harmful bacteria to your food and family.

How Clean Is Your Kitchen?

For More Information – Please Watch Full Video from CDC

• Wash Hands for 20 seconds with warm soapy water, be sure to wash the backs of your hands too.
• Using hot soapy water, clean all surfaces: Cabinet faces, countertops, handles, appliances, cutting boards, and utensils.
• Wash dish towels in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
• Clean dish sponges with bleach and replace any warn sponges as frequently as possible.

How to clean and disinfect

Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded. If reusable gloves are used, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other purposes. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

• For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
  • Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
    • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
      • 5 tablespoons (1/3^rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
      • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
  • Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claimspdf iconexternal icon are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).

For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:

• Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely, or
  Use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims (examples at this linkpdf iconexternal icon) that are suitable for porous surfaces.