To maintain a healthy environment and prevent the spread of illness, high-touch surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected daily.
Clean surfaces often by using hot, soapy water. Practice “routine cleaning” of frequently-touched surfaces, like tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc. Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty.
It's best to a daily habit of cleaning and/or disinfecting the following 10 items each day:
Disinfectants are to be prepared fresh daily or more often if solution becomes diluted or soiled.
To prevent the spread of infection, you should regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. For example, in your house, this would include countertops, doorknobs, faucet and toilet handles, light switches, remotes, and toys.
Clean high-touch surfaces (for example, light switches, doorknobs, and countertops) regularly and after you have visitors in your home. Clean other surfaces in your home when they are visibly dirty or as needed.
Chemical disinfectants from the Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008).
An effective disinfection protocol requires a strict, two-step process: cleaning to remove dirt and organic material, followed by disinfecting to kill germs. You should never disinfect a dirty surface, as grime inactivates most disinfectants.
All bleach and water dilutions must be freshly mixed every 24 hours. Bleach solutions should be prepared daily to ensure their ability to safely sanitize or disinfect. When preparing sanitizing or disinfecting dilutions always add bleach to water.
To ace your kitchen inspection, follow these five essential steps in order to ensure surfaces are safely cleaned and properly disinfected:
The correct answer for which work surfaces should be disinfected daily depends on the specific industry (such as general office, clinical, or salon environments), but common high-touch surfaces are the primary focus.
Daily cleaning focuses on high-touch surfaces and areas that accumulate moisture or debris quickly. Sticking to 15-20 minutes of daily maintenance—such as wiping kitchen counters, washing dishes, tackling daily clutter, and wiping down bathroom sinks—prevents messes from building up into overwhelming chores.
The best surface disinfectant depends on your cleaning needs. For everyday household touchpoints, the CDC recommends using EPA-registered products or diluted household bleach. Always remember that disinfectants only work properly if the surface is cleaned with soap and water first.
Any surface that touches food, such as knives, stockpots, cutting boards, and prep tables, must be cleaned and sanitized. To clean and sanitize a surface, follow these steps. Scrape or remove food bits from the surface.
Her 6 daily tasks include:
To start, scrape and rinse surfaces with water to remove stuck on, or loose food, grease, dirt, or other substances. Then wash the surface with water and a soap/cleaner/detergent solution. Next, thoroughly rinse the surface with clean water (removing any remaining substances including dust, food debris and detergent).
The first step when cleaning and sanitizing correctly is to physically remove food particles, loose debris, and heavy soil from the surface. You can do this by scraping, wiping, or sweeping before applying any water or soap.
The 7 Stages Of Effective Cleaning Explained
Bleach solutions will not be as effective after being mixed with water for over 24 hours.
Homes can get by with daily disinfection of high-touch areas and more thorough weekly cleaning. In contrast, offices and schools require daily or more frequent attention, particularly in shared spaces.
Bleach can irritate the skin and eyes. Breathing in bleach over a long period of time can increase your risk of cancer. A dangerous gas can be formed when bleach is combined with certain chemicals (like ammonia). Bleach causes the buildup of chloroform in the air.
Wash bedding and towels in hot water. Sanitize and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like light switches, doorknobs, phones, remotes, faucets and toilet handles. Clean any drinking glasses, water bottles or utensils used while sick.
Disinfection is typically categorized by its effectiveness levels (low, intermediate, or high), by the chemical base of the product, or by the method of application. The three most widely recognized types of chemical disinfectants used in professional and medical environments are chlorine-based, alcohol-based, and quaternary ammonium compounds.
The statement that is true of disinfection is that disinfection kills some pathogens but does not destroy all of them. Disinfection is the elimination of microorganisms, but not necessarily endospores, from inanimate objects or surfaces.