4 household products that can kill coronavirus

Having a strong immunity and maintaining good hygiene are the only two things that can save us from the novel coronavirus right now. From what we know about the virus, it can remain viable for almost 24 hours on cardboard and stay on a plastic surface for three days. Other studies have found that the virus can live on glass, metal, plastic for up to nine days. The best bet to stay away from catching the infection is by regularly disinfecting the frequently touched surfaces.

The good news is that the things required to disinfect the household surfaces are already present in your home. Here is a list of four household items that can effectively kill the novel coronavirus.

01/ ​Bleach

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) recommends using a diluted bleach solution for virus disinfection. To make the perfect solution to kill the virus, mix half a cup of bleach with one gallon of water. Make sure to wear gloves while using the solution to disinfect. Do not mix the bleach with ammonia or any other chemical. Once mixed, do not keep the solution for more than a day as the bleach then loses its potency and even degrades the container in which it's stored.

02/ ​Isopropyl alcohol

For cleaning the hard surfaces, alcohol solutions with at least 70 per cent alcohol should be used. Clean the surface with detergent and water and then apply the alcohol solution on the surface without diluting the solution. Let the solution sit on the surface for 30 minutes and then wipe off. Alcohol is safe to be used on almost all surfaces, though it can discolour some plastic surfaces.

03/ ​Hydrogen peroxide

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide is effective in killing the rhinovirus. For those who do not know, rhinovirus is more difficult to kill than coronavirus, so hydrogen peroxide can break down coronavirus even more easily. You can pour the hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and spray it on the surfaces to be cleaned. Let the solution stay on the surface for one minute and then wipe it off with a cloth. Hydrogen peroxide works like bleach, so it can also be used on clothes and doesn't need to be wiped off or washed as it decomposes into oxygen and water.

04/ ​Soap and water

We have read and heard it a million times now that washing hands with soap and water should be our first choice. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds with warm water to destroy the virus. You can use any soap.

05/ ​Do not use homemade sanitizer

Many of us have tried making the hand sanitizer at home. But contrary to the popular belief, homemade hand sanitizers do not work as well as they are believed to. This happens because people often make mistakes in using the right quantity of ingredients.

Using hand sanitizer gives you a false sense of security and can also harm you. Companies spend a lot of time getting the right product ready for you. Trust them and buy one from the market, instead of making one at home.

06/ ​Dot not use vodka

Multiple WhatsApp forwards must have informed you that using vodka can kill coronavirus on surfaces. But multiple vodka making companies have given their statements saying that their products do not contain enough ethyl alcohol required to kill the coronavirus.

07/ ​Do not use tea tree oil

While tea tree oil can kill some viruses, as per some studies but there is still no evidence that it can kill the novel coronavirus.

from LifeStyle