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The CDC now says that this is the only time you need to disinfect your home
During the early months of the COVID pandemic, when we were unsure of how the virus spread, experts recommended that we all disinfect all high-contact surfaces in our homes frequently. But now, after a year of pandemic, we have all learned a lot about COVID, including that the virus does not tend to spread across surfaces. With this information in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their cleaning and disinfection guidelines on April 5, and now the agency says there is only one instance where disinfection is necessary. To see the only situation where you need to disinfect your home, read on and for more advice from CDC, see The CDC says that if you see this in a restaurant, don’t go in. You only need to disinfect the surfaces if someone with COVID has been in your home for the past 24 hours. On April 5, during a meeting of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, CDC director Rochelle Walensky, MD said that the CDC updated its cleaning and disinfection guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID, which was the same since January 5. for Walensky, the changes to the guidelines reflect the science of transmission that experts now understand. “People can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. However, the evidence shows that the risk for this route of transmission is really low,” said Walensky. As a result, the CDC now says that it is unnecessary to disinfect surfaces regularly. The only time disinfection is advisable, according to the new CDC guidance, is “indoors, schools and homes where there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours,” said Walensky. And for more guidance on how to take your injections against COVID, don’t do this for 2 days after your COVID vaccine, doctors say. But you should still clean your home regularly. Just because you don’t have to disinfect surfaces every day, it doesn’t mean you should let them get germs. Walensky explained that “cleaning with household cleaning products containing soap or detergent physically removes germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but reduces the risk of infection by removing them.” Walensky noted that disinfection is different because it uses chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. “In most situations, regular cleaning of surfaces with soap and detergent, not necessarily disinfecting the surfaces, is sufficient to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading,” she said. And to learn more about the best way to clean your home, see 23 CDC cleaning tips you should follow. The CDC recommends that homeowners focus on cleaning specific surfaces to reduce the chance of transmission. The CDC’s guidance suggests that homeowners clean high-contact surfaces, such as door handles, tables, door handles, light switches and countertops, daily, and especially after receiving visitors. Other surfaces can be cleaned when they are visibly soiled or as needed, the CDC advises. However, if people in your home are more likely to become very sick with COVID, the agency suggests cleaning more often. The CDC also says that it is important for homeowners to use products suitable for each surface and to follow the instructions on the product label closely. And for more COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter. There are other ways to reduce COVID transmission at home as well. Cleaning the surfaces of your home on a daily basis is not the only way to reduce COVID transmission, of course. Walensky pointed out that you can reduce the spread of COVID in your home by asking unvaccinated visitors to wear masks and having everyone wash their hands frequently when returning from activities outside the home. To see what the CDC says to avoid after the injection, check out The CDC says do not do this until 4 weeks after vaccination.