Coronavirus has been spreading around the globe like wildfire. But the main point is that while dangerous, you can be cautious and take steps to mitigate the risks by properly cleaning all of the surfaces you come in contact with, including kitchen countertops, other manmade and natural stone surfaces, and sinks.
The coronavirus is highly contagious and can survive on different surfaces from one day to two days. So if you touch a surface where coronavirus is present, and then touch your face with the same hand without first washing it, you’ll become a carrier yourself.
So the best course of action is to disinfect your house, and here’s the complete guide on cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen, disinfecting bathroom vanities and stone flooring, as well as other surfaces, so you don’t miss a spot.
Let’s start with cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen. You’ll be cooking your meals there, and if the surface isn’t coronavirus free, you could get COVID-19. We have explained it before; you can get coronavirus if you touch the infected surface and then touch your nose, eyes or mouth with the infected hand.
To disinfect countertops, you need to pay special attention as different types of surfaces require a different type of cleaning and disinfecting materials. If you’re not careful, you could damage the surface, which would be not only very costly but also very frustrating.
To avoid that, we’ll discuss how to disinfect several countertop types one by one.
To disinfect quartz countertops, you need to start by cleaning the surface with a towel or smooth piece of cloth. This will make sure that the virus doesn’t have any hiding places on the countertop.
Once the quartz surface is free from any debris, you can start scrubbing the surface with a sponge. This will make sure that all the stains get removed, so even the invisible spots are gone!
After making sure that the surface is completely clean, you need to use simple soap. Yes, simple soap and water can make the quartz countertops coronavirus free.
You can’t use other fancy disinfectants as they can damage the surface, and the smooth surface doesn’t let coronavirus hide. So you don’t need to buy fancy disinfectants for quartz countertops.
To learn more about disinfecting quartz countertops during coronavirus, read our in-depth guide.
Granite has a very shiny surface which needs to be cleaned first. You can follow the same steps as that of the quartz countertops because these both countertops fall pretty close when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting them.
Once the surface is completely clean, you can spray a mixture of water and dishwashing soap. This simple formula will be enough to kill the coronavirus on your granite countertops.
You can’t use regular disinfectants here as they can damage the surface and make the surface less shiny.
To learn more about disinfecting granite countertops during COVID-19, read our full guide.
Marble countertops are slightly more robust than quartz countertops, so once you’ve cleaned the surface, you can use a number of disinfectants to clean the surface.
Our best suggestion is going with hot water and dishwashing soap mixture as it’s easy to make and can be used without any worry. However, if you want to use a more aggressive solution, you can go with mold removers.
You need to check the level of bleach as it can cause the surface color to fade. In addition to these, there are a number of marble cleaning sprays that can kill the coronavirus without any hassle.
This is another type of countertop that can be damaged by harsh chemicals, so you need to use milder solutions. First of all, clean the surface thoroughly, so the coronavirus doesn’t find any place to hide.
After that, spray the whole surface with a mixture of water and soap. This bubbly mixture will be enough to kill the coronavirus.
For bacteria and other -causing germs, you can use a number of disinfectants that don’t damage the surface. These include pH neutral surface cleaners which can kill the germs while preserving the shine and smoothness of the quartzite surface.
For starters, do what you would do for any other countertop, Clean. Use a soft towel or piece of cloth to clean the travertine countertop as rough sponges can damage the surface.
Once cleaned, you can use the trusted mixture of water and dishwashing soap to disinfect the surface from coronavirus. Or you can use a number of non-acidic disinfectants.
Alcohol disinfectants have been very useful as they can kill the coronavirus while making sure that the surface remains safe.
Once you’ve disinfected the countertops, you can start disinfecting sinks. Sinks can be full of germs; despite being used to kill the germs on your hands. This irony aside, you need to pay attention to each surface in your house because you could get coronavirus from any of them if you’re not careful.
So on how to clean sinks, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Sinks are always in use, and you need to touch the surface regularly. And as we said for countertops, there are various materials used in making sinks.
Each sink surface requires a different type of cleaning material, and if the proper disinfectant isn’t used, the surface would be damaged and could become a problem for you.
Porcelain sinks are the most widely used sinks in the world and have a very smooth surface. In order to clean and disinfect porcelain sinks, you need to start by gently cleaning with soap and water. This will make sure that no debris remains, and loose stains will also be gone.
After that, you can start scrubbing the surface or use bleach. It will remove hard stains and discoloration, while also killing the coronavirus. However, you need to be careful as bleach can damage the surface too.
You need to use a moderate amount of bleach and gently scrub it. Always wear rubber gloves while using bleach in order to save your hands.
Unlike porcelain, stainless steel is very robust. You can use a number of disinfecting methods on this.
But first, you need to clean stainless steel sinks. To do that, you can sprinkle baking soda all over its surface and then scrub it with a sponge.
This will make sure that all the stains are removed. Once that’s done, you can use bleach directly on the surface as a disinfectant. This will kill the coronavirus after a few seconds.
To retain the shine of the surface, you can use vinegar and olive oil. First, use vinegar to remove water spots or bleach spots and then let olive oil do the shining for you.
Granite sinks are more expensive and require a certain level of care. If cleaned with harsh chemicals, granite sinks can become rough and lose their aesthetic appeal.
To start, cover the sink with baking powder. This is the first step towards a clean granite sink. Then scrub the surface with a microfiber cloth or towel. Don’t use rough sponges as they can damage the surface.
Rise the surface and then apply vinegar for water spots. Once all the cleaning is over, use a mixture of water and soap and spray it all over the surface. Or use EPA-approved disinfectants to kill the coronavirus.
Lastly, use vinegar to round it all up, and you’re done. Now your granite sink will be coronavirus free.
Quartz sinks are relatively fragile and can be damaged by harsh chemicals, so we suggest going with mild solutions.
Following the same steps as other sinks, use baking powder, scrub it, wash it, use vinegar, and then clean everything with a microfiber cloth.
Once cleaned, use a mixture of soap and water to clean the surface. The surface will be corona-free within a few seconds, but we suggest letting the soapy mixture stay on the surface for a few minutes.
We’ve discussed how to clean and disinfect countertops and sinks, and now we’ll discuss the ways to clean bathroom vanities, especially stone vanities.
You’re getting in contact with these on a regular basis, and if you’re not, you should!
In order to clean the bathroom vanities, you can use the same method as for sinks.
If you don’t remember, let us summarize it quickly. Start with spreading the baking powder all over the surface. Once that’s done, start scrubbing.
If you have marble, quartz, or other stone vanities, you should opt for a soft towel instead of a rough sponge. This will keep the surface safe from any damage.
After scrubbing is over, you can clean the surface and then spray it with a mixture of soap and water. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it.
You might’ve noticed that we’ve been suggesting water and soap instead of regular disinfectants. The main reason is their availability and the mild nature of the mixture. Other disinfectants can damage the surface, if not used carefully.
Let’s make one thing clear; the floor is always dirty. However, you can make it corona-free. The trick is to use the old-famous mixture of soap and water. You can also use bleach if the stone floor can handle it.
Start by cleaning the surface completely and making it debris-free. Once that’s done, you can rinse it with water. This will clean it completely and make it corona-free.
We could go into a lot of details, but we will focus on answering a number of burning questions instead.
The simple answer is, it depends. A number of tests have been conducted to know this, and several surfaces have been tested. Coronavirus can stay alive on smooth surfaces for more than 24 hours, and on some surfaces for two days.
However, these tests have been conducted in controlled environments, so actual time can vary from place to place.
This has been extensively answered in the above discussion.
If the surface has coronavirus on it, the chances are that you will contract coronavirus. Although, coronavirus won’t enter through your skin, it can reach your mouth, nose or eyes via unclean hands. That’s why it’s always suggested to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, so the coronavirus dies and doesn’t reach your face.
Hopefully, this guide helped you figure out how to clean and disinfect a number of surfaces and places in your house. Don’t leave anything to chance as this novel coronavirus is highly contagious and be spread via these surfaces.
One thing is to be kept in mind; this is an unusual situation for all of us, so don’t panic. Stay at home and keep washing your hands as often as you can. Follow the government guidelines and keep social distancing.
Most of all, if you have any questions about manmade and natural stone countertops, please reach out to us. We are available to help and operational during normal business hours!
Do you have questions about granite or quartz countertops in Chicago?
Request a free consultation or visit our office.
