OT Month: Tips to help you clean, disinfect your home

It’s National Occupational Therapy Month!

With coronavirus (COVID-19) being a hot topic, CCH's Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants encourage you to take some extra time to clean and disinfect your home.

As you know, coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes small droplets—packed with the virus—into the air, onto a surface or even onto another person. These droplets can then be breathed in, or can cause an infection if you touch a surface they have landed on, and then touch your face with unwashed hands.

The CDC recommends these tips for disinfecting surfaces in your home:

• If a surface is visibly dirty, clean it with soap and water first, then use a disinfectant.
• Wear disposable gloves.
• Make sure you have good ventilation in the area where you are cleaning.
• Use a diluted household bleach solution, or an alcohol-based solution with at least 70% alcohol.
• Follow instructions on the cleaning product’s label, and check to make sure it isn’t expired.
• Wash your hands when you’re done.

The CDC recommends that you clean high-touch surfaces such as:

• cupboard and drawer knobs, pulls, and fronts
• handles and fronts of appliances, such as refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and toaster oven
• remote controls
• game controllers
• keyboards and computer mice
• cell phones and landlines
• light switches and switch plates
• door knobs and doors
• staircase railings

Good products to use include a disinfecting wipe, like those sold by Clorox. But if you can only find disinfecting sprays, like Lysol, or multi-purpose cleaners, like Lysol and Microban 24-Hour, those could work to eliminate germs as well. The CDC recommends that you check out the Environmental Protection Agency's full list of approved cleaners.

For those who don't know, occupational therapy helps people of all ages do the things they want and need to do, which can include brushing your teeth, walking your dog, driving, or making your favorite meal. Occupational therapy works to help you get your life back no matter what your health condition.

Join us as we say thank you to our OT team this month!

We’re all in this together. Visit www.coronavirus.gov for the latest tips and information from the CDC. For local updates, please visit www.cchwyo.org/covid19, www.ccgov.net or health.wyo.gov.