KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The Environmental Protection Agency says protecting against the coronavirus is relatively easy by using appropriate disinfectant products.
WATE 6 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Don Dare shows you some disinfectants that you likely already have at home that can kill the virus.
Bleach
- Bleach is among the products that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for disinfecting surfaces in households with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.
- Bleach is effective against the coronavirus if its expiration date has not passed and it’s diluted with water using one of these two ratios:
- 1/3 cup of bleach, that’s five tablespoons per gallon of water
- Or, four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water
Alcohol
- The CDC also recommends rubbing alcohol that contains at least 70% alcohol can be used to disinfect.
- Note that we’re talking about rubbing alcohol itself, not alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- For cleansing your hands, soap and water is best, a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is your next-best bet after soap and water.
Clorox products
- The EPA recently released a list of disinfectant products that have qualified for use against the current coronavirus.
- Also known as List N, this resource is dominated by professional products intended for use in the health care industry, but it does include some products intended for consumers.
- They include the following from Clorox:
- Disinfecting wipes
- Clorox clean-up cleaner plus bleach
- Now, these products might be out of stock at your local stores, so keep on checking as shelves are refilled.
RELATED: Store shelves wiped clean? Here’s how you can make homemade hand sanitizer
Lysol products
- The EPA’s list of qualified coronavirus disinfectants also includes numerous consumer products from Lysol, such as:
- Disinfectant spray
- Disinfectant spray max cover mist
- Power bathroom cleaner
- Power toilet bowl cleaner
- Toilet bowl cleaner with bleach
- Again, monitor or call ahead to local stores to ask about their stock.
Soap and water
Plain soap and water is not only the best way to wash your hands but an effective way to disinfect surfaces.
The friction that is created when you scrub with soap and water is enough to break the coronavirus’ protective envelope, according to health experts.
That means you must use some elbow grease along with the soap and water.
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