How to Disinfect Your Home after Sickness

If you have kids at daycare, or kids under 12 months old – you know that any transmittable germs will spread through the family faster than a one-hit wonder’s music career.

Since Covid, people as a whole are more focused on cleanliness than ever before.  We know we have to sanitise our hands when we go out – we know that being clean stops the virus from spreading.

But we also know that kids at home are just plain gross.  They will put their mouths on toilet seats, won’t wash their hands and if sickness hits your home, you know it will spread like wildfire.  

But with these tips on how to disinfect your home after sickness, the risk of spreading germs will be greatly reduced – hopefully! This is why it is so important that you properly disinfect your home, including all seats, bedding, towels, toys, etc. after a serious bout of illness. Below are some tips on how to get rid of those annoying bugs and hopefully stop the sickness from spreading.

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Start with the Kids Toys

The first thing you need to do is gather all the toys that your children have been in contact with during the illness (which is most likely all 500 cars, all 600 Lego pieces and all 1000 other teeny tiny objects around the house). Take anything that can get wet and fill up the tub with hot water. Add disinfectant cleaner to the water and let the toys soak.  You can let the toys dry outside in the sun or use a towel to dry them off. Then, spray them with a disinfectant spray, such as Glen 20.

Another great way to clean toys is to place them into a pillowcase, tie it off with a rubber band and put it in the washing machine on a hot wash with soap and a cap full of Dettol.  Once finished, pour the toys out on a towel to allow them to dry in the sun.

Sanitise the Linen, Bedding, Towels and More

You can expect your children’s bedding to be covered in dried up snot and mucus after a serious case of illness. And thus you will need to wash these items. Gather up all the linen, the towels, the blankets and any other material that your child has touched and that can be washed. You may want to use a hot wash cycle for the linen to ensure you kill the germs. 

If your home had a bad bug like Gastro, perhaps invest in some Antibacterial Hygiene Laundry Rinse to add to the washing. 

Make sure you wipe down the bed frame with disinfectant wipes. It’s also a good idea to invest in mattress protectors for kids beds to protect them from body fluids.

Sterilize What They Put in Their Mouths

If your child is over 6-12 months, then you have probably given up on sterilizing bottles, etc. However, now is a good time to do so, just in case. Make sure you wash all of their eating items well and sterilize Sippy cups, bottles, spoons, forks, etc. in a pot of boiling water for at least three minutes. This will be sure to kill the germs that may be lingering.

Alternatively you can have some antibacterial tablets on hand – these are handy for mass-sterilizing items.

Surface Spray

Finally, take a disinfectant spray and walk around the house, spraying any surface that has most likely been touched. The most common places to consider include all door handles, light switches, television remotes, telephones, iPads, keyboards and surfaces where your little one can reach and touch. Even if your child hasn’t been turning the lights on and off, you most likely have and you could easily be coming down with the flu as well.

Don’t Forget the Car

You have probably also done a few outings with your sick little one, especially if you have visited the doctor and the chemist. So make sure you wipe down any area in the car that they have touched. If you can, give the car seat a good wash or at least wipe it down with a disinfectant spray.

Most modern car seats now will allow you to remove the seat cover to wash it. Although this is a bit of a pain, if it is highly stained or vomited on – this is a good option and worth the time.