BY JODI RAVE
Of Buffalo’s Fire
The Coronavirus pandemic has pushed many people staying at home into a cleaning and disinfecting frenzy. Staying healthy calls for key measures, such as social distancing and washing your hands frequently. It’s equally important to safely clean surfaces in the home.
But is it possible to go a little overboard in using bleach and other disinfectants? How effective is soap and hot water? How can the stay-at-home population safely clean their environment?
“With COVID-19, my concern is that not only are a lot of products being used inappropriately but there is a lot of misinformation going on, on the web,” said Aileen Gagney, trainer and technical advisor for Tribal Healthy Homes Network, a tribally-led coalition for healthy, sustainable and safe housing.
Tribal Healthy Homes Network and Partnership for Air Matters recently produced a webinar to address safe cleaning in the home. Speakers included home, air and health experts from organizations such as the EPA, CDC, and Portland Area Indian Health Board. All participants slide presentations are available for review.
It’s important to raise awareness about how to safely use cleaners, soaps, detergents, sanitizers and disinfectants in order to reduce transmission of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, said webinar presenter Nancy Bernard, a public health advisor with the Washington State Department of Health.
Keeping surface areas clean at home is a key concern for thousands of families during the coronavirus pandemic. As of April 1, more than 26,500 people went to regional Indian Health Service areas across the country to be tested for coronavirus. With that many people testing, thousands of American Indian families have sick people at home while others simply do their best to keep their homes virus free.
Target areas in the home for routine cleaning and disinfecting, including “high-touch” surfaces, such as counters, tables, doorknobs, light switches, faucet handles, toilets, phones, and remote controls.
When the pandemic first started to spread. A mad rush ensued to purchase disinfectant wipes, Lysol spray and Clorox. I listened to a number of friends and family talk about how they were using cleaning products. Before long, I was hearing them lament about not feeling well.
They weren’t showing typical COVID-19 symptoms, but some did have burning eyes, headaches, even a loss of smell. If improperly used, cleaning products won’t help but can lead to health hazards. They can cause or worsen asthma. They can irritate eyes, nose, throat. They can cause headaches and cause cancer. Bleach is a lung irritant.
“A lot of times people think, if a little is good, a lot is better,” said Amy Kirby, environmental microbiologist at the CDC and a webinar presenter. “In the case of disinfectants, that is really not true.” Follow the labels for use.
It’s important to read household cleaning labels and instructions for use, said Gagney of the Tribal Healthy Homes Network. Common household disinfectants like Clorox need proper dilution. Four teaspoons of bleach is all that is needed per quart of water.
Presenters all agreed that the first step to cleaning begins with wiping away dirt. They also agreed that soap and hot water was effective in eliminating coronavirus. Microfiber is also a good cleaning cloth option.
“This virus is fairly easy to deactivate,” said Denise Frakes, a healthy homes specialist and webinar presenter. Using soap and hot water is a three-step process. Clean, rinse and dry. “So simple, so easy” said Frakes.
Bernard said the SARS-Cov-2 virus cells have a fatty layer and soap breaks apart the virus. “If you’re thinking how to kill this virus think in terms of soap,” she said.
Sanitizers or disinfectants become less effective on an unclean surface because dirt protects the virus. Once a disinfectant is properly used – again, follow label instructions — it needs to be wiped away. “Once a product has dried, you have to remove it with water,” said Gagney. “It takes many steps to use these products correctly.”
Coronavirus isn’t going away soon. Health experts like Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has warned a second wave of coronavirus in the United States may be inevitable. We must all remain vigilant with safe-cleaning practices.
Jodi Rave is the founder of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance. She is an award-winning journalist and column writer.