Person-to-person spread, especially by soiled hands, is the major way infectious diseases spread. Although household surfaces play a minor role, regular cleaning is still important to maintain a healthy environment.
Cleaning with detergent and warm water is all that
is usually necessary to maintain a clean and healthy environment. Unnecessary
use of disinfectants encourages the development of bacteria that are harder to
kill.
Hygiene in the garden
Sandpits
Sandpits can become contaminated with animal feces and urine. Sandpits need to be properly constructed with adequate drainage. The
sand should be raked often, and when not in use the area should be covered (for
example, with a tarpaulin or shade cloth).
Gardening
Many gardening activities bring the gardener into
contact with organisms that can cause illness.
Gardeners should wear gloves during gardening and
always wash their hands (with soap and running water) before eating, drinking
or smoking.
Hygiene in kitchen
Kitchen hygiene is important to prevent food
poisoning.
All surfaces in the kitchen such as bench tops,
stoves, sinks, walls, inside cupboards and items such as crockery and cutlery
need to be kept clean. Leaving leftovers and spills to become dry will make
them much harder to remove.
To effectively clean a surface in the kitchen you
need to remove all visible soiling using detergent and warm water. This is
usually all that is necessary.
Disinfectants
Surface disinfectants are usually not necessary and
only work well on a surface that has already been cleaned.
If disinfectants are used it is important to:
- follow the manufacturer’s instructions on its use;
this includes how much water to add to it, what water temperature to use, and
how long the object needs to be in contact with the disinfectant.
- diluted disinfectants deteriorate on standing. All
diluted disinfectant should be used immediately after preparation
- wear gloves when using chemical disinfectants as
disinfectants are a common cause of dermatitis.
- empty buckets after use, wash with detergent and
warm water and store dry
mops should be cleaned in detergent and warm water
and stored dry.
Household sponges
Cleaning sponges should be changed frequently or
disinfected regularly
separate sponges should be used for cleaning dishes
and cleaning floors
floor spills should not be cleaned up with the dish
sponge
mop floor spills with a single-use paper towel that
can be thrown away.
Dishes
Dishes should be washed in warm-to-hot soapy water
and rinsed in warm-to-hot water. Always ensure water temperatures can be
comfortably tolerated to avoid scalding. This is especially important for
children and the elderly.
It is best to leave dishes to air dry. If you do
this, do not place a tea towel over them as this will only spread bacteria from
the tea towel onto the clean dishes. Change your tea towel when it becomes
dirty or wet.
Chopping boards and utensils
Separate chopping boards should be used for raw
meats and ready-to-eat foods. If this cannot be done, the chopping board used
for meat should be washed in warm-to-hot soapy water and rinsed before being
re-used. The same applies to utensils, knives, benches and plates. Chopping
boards can be disinfected by washing in warm-to-hot soapy water and then
rinsing with diluted bleach, or washed in a dishwasher using the highest heat
setting.
Clean inside fridges and cupboards regularly. Crumbs
in cupboards can attract pests. Dirty fridges can carry bacteria and moulds.
