Hertfordshire coronavirus: Seven things you can do to protect your home from Covid-19

Since the coronavirus outbreak in Britain, the majority of people have been taking many safety measures to protect themselves and their families from the virus.

Whether that be following government social distancing guidelines or wearing protective gloves or face masks when shopping.

But now doctors have shared some tips and tricks in how to make sure you can do everything in your household to further reduce the risks, reports The Mirror.

Government advice has seen the majority follow social distancing guidelines, not meeting up with any family or friends that don’t live in your home or leaving your home for a number of essential things.

But there are still risks.

Channel 4’s ‘Coronavirus: How Clean Is Your House?’ has seen A&E doctors, Dr Javid Abdelmoneim, and virologist, Dr Lisa Cross, sent to examine normal homes and advise families on how to increase their protection against the virus in their own homes.

Here are all the things you should be doing to protect your home:

1. Making sure you shop safe

Shopping is one of the only reasons people are allowed to leave their home during lockdown.

Whilst you are allowed, the government is advising that you only shop for essential items and as least as possible each week.

Due to the amount of people attending supermarkets everyday, shopping still has its own risk.

Dr Javid makes it clear that, although it is unlikely, products you are bringing into your own home may be contaminated.

He says: “Food packaging could be an area of concern. Remember the virus can survive for 24 hours on cardboard, and three to five days on plastic.”

To prevent this, the doctors advised people to remove as much outer packaging as possible.

Examples can be emptying packets of pasta into containers and removing the cereal bag from the cardboard box.

Washing down cans and tins with soapy water is also advised.

Like most people are already doing, after you shop, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soapy warm water.

2. Living with other people

Coronavirus can infect anyone and especially those of high risk.

Latest government advice urges anyone showing any coronavirus symptoms to self isolate for seven days.

And those living in the same household as someone showing symptoms should self isolate for 14 days.

But how should the people they’re living with cope?

Dr Javid advises breaking the home down into groups - the isolaters, who have symptoms, the distancers, who are also living in the same home but have no symptoms and the shielders, who are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, such as the elderly.

The shielders should be given their own room if possible and he advises that coming up with a rota for communal spaces should also be considered.

Shielders should be using the kitchen for example first to prevent further contamination.

3. Cleaning effectively

Bleach and soap are two ways to make sure your house is as safe as possible.

Dr Cross has ensured that you don’t have to spend big to make sure you’re cleaning your home right during this pandemic.

Dr Cross said: “A correctly diluted bleach solution (cheapest bleach you can get in the supermarket will work 100% effectively against the virus), or soap and water.

"Bleach is good for high-traffic spots with hard surfaces, like light switches, most floors and worktops.”

If you can’t however get old of bleach, soap and water is really effective.

Wearing gloves whilst cleaning and using bleach is advised.

4. Things people forget to clean

Main areas in homes like the kitchen and living rooms are the focus area for people cleaning.

But Dr Cross and Dr Javid have listed some areas which usually get forgotten about but are just as important during the outbreak.

Things that are touched and used frequently have to be cleaned to prevent further contamination.

Cleaning product bottles, soap and hand cream bottles are just some of the examples.

They said: “The outside of cleaning product bottles, soap and hand cream bottles as they are items that we frequently touch and could transfer coronavirus on to.

“The simplest way to clean them is by washing them in warm soapy water.”

5. What to do if you leave your home

Like shopping, there are just a number of reasons people are allowed to leave their home.

Although you can be doing everything inside your home, there are things you can do to protect your home when you leave and come back.

The first thing people need to do is taking their shoes off once they enter the house.

Coronavirus can live on soles for up to five days and on clothes for 24 hours.

Keeping shoes together and in the same place everyday also helps to prevent further contamination.

Washing your clothes is essential if you’ve travelled on public transport or been close to people outside of your home.

6. Reduce things coming in your home like outer packaging in takeaways

Despite restaurants, bars and pubs closing because of the lockdown, takeaway has been allowed and has given people the lift they need during this testing time.

But the doctors have advised on how to make sure you’re being safe when ordering takeaways.

There is a potential that things coming into your home can be contaminated so removing outer packaging from takeaways and cleaning worktops it has touched is essential.

Dr Javid said: ““When getting your takeaway simply remove outer packaging and get rid of it. For those takeaways without easily discarded packaging, either wipe down with a bit of soap and water or decant its contents into a clean container/plate.

"Discard any plastic bags the takeaway has come in, disinfect anywhere they outside packaging may have touched (your kitchen surfaces). Then wash your hands and enjoy.”

7. Drying your hands

Washing your hands frequently and for 20 seconds with warm and soapy water is one of the main bits of advice the government has shared.

But drying your hands after can cause its own problems.

It is important that people are drying their hands with a towel which isn’t used for other things.

Dr Javid said: “The main thing is the hand drying towel is never then the dish-drying towel because that can cause cross contamination.

“When washing your dish clothes and tea towels in the washing machine, it’s recommended you do it at 60 or above, because that elevated temperature will inactivate the virus.”