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Clean and Disinfect at Home

Clean and Disinfect at Home
Updated Oct. 25, 2021
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Slow the Spread of COVID-19

You can make your home safer.

Ask people to wash their hands when they enter your home.

Ask people staying in your home to wash their hands often.

Ask visitors to wear a mask in your home.

 

Cleaning Will Slow the Spread of COVID-19

Clean to help slow down COVID-19.

Clean to remove dirt and germs.

Clean things that are dirty.

Clean things that are touched often.

Use soap and water or other cleaners.

 

Be Careful When Cleaning Electronics

Remove dust and dirt from electronics.

Cell phones are electronics.

Tablets are electronics.

Remotes are electronics.

Electronics may need special cleaners.

Get help to clean electronics if needed.

 

When You Are Done Cleaning

Wash your hands when you are done cleaning.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Sing the happy birthday song twice while washing your hands.

 

Clean When People Have COVID-19

Clean after a person with COVID-19 was in your home.

Clean the rooms the person with COVID-19 was in.

Clean things that are dirty.

Clean things that are touched often.

Use soap and water or other cleaners to clean.

Follow the directions on the label of cleaning products.

 

Disinfect After Cleaning When People Have COVID-19

Disinfectants kill germs.

Be careful using disinfectants.

Use one disinfectant at a time.

Bleach is a kind of disinfectant.

Be careful using bleach.

Follow the directions on the label of the disinfectant.

Wear gloves when using disinfectants.

Wear long sleeves when using disinfectants.

Protect your eyes when using disinfectants.

Open windows and doors when using disinfectants.

Get help using disinfectants if needed.

 

Disinfectants Can Be Harmful

Keep disinfectants away from children.

Keep disinfectants away from people with asthma.

Keep disinfectants out of your mouth.

Keep disinfectants off of your skin.

Keep disinfectants off of your pets.

Take off the gloves when finished.

 

Wash your Hands After Cleaning and Disinfecting

Wash your hands when you are done cleaning and disinfecting.

Wash your hands after you throw away the gloves.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Sing the happy birthday song twice while washing your hands.

 

Protect Yourself from COVID-19

Stay away from people with COVID-19 when you can.

Only clean for a person with COVID-19 when their room looks dirty.

Only disinfect for a person with COVID-19 when needed.

Wear a mask when you clean for a person with COVID-19.

Wear a mask when you disinfect for a person with COVID-19.

The label on the disinfectant might say to wear gloves.

Follow the directions on the label of the disinfectant.

Wear gloves when you clean for a person with COVID-19.

Wear gloves when you disinfect for a person with COVID-19.

Open windows and doors when you clean for a person with COVID-19.

Open windows and doors when you disinfect for a person with COVID-19.

 

What People with COVID-19 Should Do

People with COVID-19 should stay in their own room.

People with COVID-19 should clean their own room.

People with COVID-19 should disinfect their own room.

People with COVID-19 should use their own bathroom.

People with COVID-19 should clean their own bathroom.

People with COVID-19 should clean shared bathrooms after each use.

People with COVID-19 should disinfect shared bathrooms after each use.

 

Protect Yourself When Sharing a Bathroom

Protect yourself if you must share a bathroom with someone with COVID-19.

Wait as long as you can to use a bathroom after a person with COVID-19.

Wear a mask when using a bathroom after a person with COVID-19.

Clean before using a bathroom after a person with COVID-19.

Disinfect before using a bathroom after a person with COVID-19.

 

Protect Yourself When Doing the Dishes

Wear gloves to get dishes from a person with COVID-19.

Wear a mask to get dishes from a person with COVID-19.

Use a dishwasher when possible.

Wear gloves to wash the dishes.

Use soapy hot water to clean the dishes when needed.

Take off the gloves when finished.

Wash your hands after you take off the gloves.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Dry cleaned dishes completely.

 

Protect Yourself When Taking Out the Trash

Give a person with COVID-19 their own trash bag.

Wear a mask to get trash from a person with COVID-19.

Wear gloves to get trash from a person with COVID-19.

Use gloves to take out trash.

Take off the gloves when finished.

Wash your hands after you take off the gloves.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

 

Protect Yourself Doing the Laundry

Wear gloves to do the laundry for a person with COVID-19.

Wear a mask to do the laundry for a person with COVID-19.

Use a washing machine when you can.

Use warm or hot water when you can.

Dry the laundry completely.

Clean the basket you use to hold dirty laundry.

Take off the gloves when finished.

Throw the gloves away.

Wash your hands after you throw away the gloves.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

 

Wash Your Hands Often

Wash your hands before touching your face.

Wash your hands when you get home.

Wash your hands before you make food.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Wash your hands after you use the bathroom.

Wash your hands after you blow your nose.

Wash your hands after you sneeze.

Wash your hands after you cough.

Wash your hands after you care for a person with COVID-19.

Wash your hands after you touch an animal.

Wash your hands after you touch your mask.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

 

Original Guidance: Cleaning And Disinfecting Your Home

Download and Print: Clean and Disinfect at Home pdf icon[79 KB, 10 pages]

Development of these materials was supported by a grant from the CDC Foundation, using funding provided by its donors. The materials were created by the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation at Georgia Tech. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided subject matter expertise and approved the content. The use of the names of private entities, products, or enterprises is for identification purposes only and does not imply CDC endorsement.

Project funding ended 9/30/2021. All edits after that date are completed solely by CDC.