Posta Newspaper – April 6, 2020
The coronavirus epidemic continues to be an important health problem in Turkey as well as in the rest of the world. Everyone is very worried and is trying to prevent the epidemic from causing bad consequences by staying at home. When you don’t go out of the house, everyone ventilates their house and gives more importance to cleanliness. Cleaning and disinfection materials should not adversely affect the air quality in the house. In this period when we have to be at home for a long time, it is necessary to choose the disinfection materials to be used well. So what should you pay attention to when cleaning? Pediatric Allergy and Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akçay listed what needs to be considered so that asthmatic and allergic children are not affected by this cleaning.
What is disinfection?
When disinfection is mentioned, cleaning with chemical substances that remove or kill disease-causing microorganisms on living or inanimate surfaces comes to mind. Bleach is often used for the disinfection of floors.
What kind of cleaning is recommended at home to protect from coronavirus?
The Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Health has published a guide against coronavirus and this guide is updated frequently. This guide also includes recommended products and their properties for surface cleaning and disinfection. Before cleaning, it is necessary to ventilate the room to be cleaned for a while and then start cleaning. According to the Covid-19 guide, it is explained that cleaning the floors and walls with hydrogen peroxide is sufficient. It is reported that it is advantageous because it does not have a strong odor, is not toxic, has a detergent feature and continues to be active in the presence of organic matter on the surface. Before using bleach, it is recommended to check whether the expiration date has passed and not to use it if it has passed.
How to clean carpets and curtains?
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akçay mentions that according to the researches, dirty laundry should not be whipped by hand, that viruses can spread around if whisking, he says that the laundry should be washed at as high a temperature as possible and that the baskets in which the laundry is carried can be cleaned by wiping with bleach containing hydrogen peroxide.
Prof. Dr. Akçay said, “As far as possible, for soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floors, carpets and curtains, visible contamination, if any, should be removed and cleaned with suitable cleaners specified for use on these surfaces. If the items can be washed, wash the items according to the manufacturer’s instructions using the hottest water setting for the items, and then dry the items completely.
If you have a child with asthma or allergies…
Prof. Dr. Akçay said, “Since the children are also at home these days when we stay at home, it is necessary to be very careful while cleaning. Because the noses of children with allergic rhinitis and the lungs of children with asthma are very sensitive. Especially, chlorine bleaches can cause triggers in children with allergic rhinitis and asthma because of their smell. As a result, nasal congestion, sneezing, shortness of breath can cause coughing. This may lead to a call to the emergency room. This will be risky during this period. For these reasons, it will be beneficial to use bleach containing hydrogen peroxide while cleaning, especially during this period when children are at home. said.
In addition, it will be beneficial to wear gloves when throwing garbage bags, to remove the gloves after the garbage is thrown, and to wash the hands with soapy water for at least 20-30 seconds. You can use bleach containing hydrogen peroxide by adding 1 tea glass to 4 liters of water.
