Spotlight Magazines Spotlight on Mansfield North August 2015 | Page 18

Spotlight Magazine

Clean Up!

What To Use Where

Cleaning products will generally remove
visible dirt and grease and create a
cleaner-smelling atmosphere. They do not
however kill germs, but disinfectants do.
Whilst scientists say that many of the
bacteria in our homes are friendly bacteria
and do not cause diseases, they do
recommend that danger areas such as
kitchens, bathrooms, rubbish bins and
drains are treated with a good quality
disinfectant regularly.
Of course
new products
are being
developed all
the time, but
for most it will
currently be
appropriate to
use some of
the stand alone
disinfectants
around the
home as well as
multi-purpose
cleaners.
If you are using disinfectant however you
need to remember that to be effective, it
has to sit for at least 5-10 minutes in order
to have time to kill the bacteria. Read the
product label for exact instructions.
Household disinfectants generally work
by destroying the cell wall of microbes
or by interfering with the metabolism of
organisms that are living on the objects.
In the kitchen, work surfaces and handles
particularly cupboard and refrigerator
handles can be home to germs. An E-coli
bacterium comes from raw meats, listeria
from soft cheeses, and salmonella from
chicken and raw eggs.

transferred to the flush and the door
handle.
Viruses such as the flu, rotavirus, and
rhinovirus which cause muscle aches,
vomiting, and cold symptoms respectively
can also breed well in bathrooms due
to the warm, steamy atmosphere which
germs love.
As work surfaces and handles can’t be
washed in a basin of hot soapy water,
disinfectant sprays and wipes are ideal for
these areas.
In addition to sprays
and wipes, disinfectant
frequently comes in
liquid form either in a
regular formula or a
concentrated variety.

There are special
varieties for outdoor
use for instance for
paths and drains and
also some versions
usually prefaced by
‘antiseptic;’ which can
be used on the skin. Read the instructions
carefully though as most general
disinfectants can irritate the skin so the use
of rubber gloves is