We have been getting a lot of questions about sanitizing your home from the latest and greatest health threat… We do not sanitize houses, we clean carpets, but Dave did spend his youth in the U.S. Navy and in the Navy they clean constantly (they’re not called “swabbies” for nothing)…
Before you start, be sure to wear the proper gear for the job being done – you don’t want to breathe in a lot of the stuff you’re going to be swiping/wiping into the air (mask helps with this) and always protect your eyes from flying/falling objects (safety goggles), hands (gloves) and try not to carry the filth on the bottom of your feet from dirty surfaces to clean surfaces (booties over shoes) – and that would be the minimum requirement…
Here’s our two cents:
First, start at the top and work your way down. Clean the hard surfaces starting with the ceiling and work your way down the walls to the floor boards. Which cleaner you use is at your discretion (some of the better ones may not do that well with the paint on the walls, so when you go to buy it ask about the different types – or save yourself some time and do your homework online before going in – https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2)…
Second, clean all other hard surfaces all the way down to the floor… This would be hard window blinds, tables, chairs, night stands, sinks, tubs, etc…
Third, anything soft such as soft window blinds, pillows, blankets, clothes, etc should be washed at high temperature…
Fourth would be the hard floors. Mop the hard floors with the disinfectant of your choosing (again, do some research before buying)… As an old Navy guy, Dave prefers a lot of heat and a buffer for hard surfaces – but this would be at your own discretion…
Fifth, now that “everything” but the carpet is clean, take it all off the carpet and put it on the hard surfaces (in the kitchen, bathrooms and on the lanai) – clean the surface that was touching the carpet before you put it on the clean hard surface. As a side note, this is the perfect opportunity to clean all of those books and nick-nacks that don’t get cleaned nearly as often as they should as you are clearing the shelves, dressers and night stands to be moved…
Sixth, call us to clean your carpets, rugs and/or upholstery (chairs, couches, etc). Generally, anything above 212°F will kill micro-organisms, but it could take a while to eliminate germs completely. The high heat of steam kills bacteria, viruses, and germs virtually on contact (we typically clean at 220°F)… Steam Cleaning under pressure (we typically push 500-600 psi down our hose) reaches into the pores of fabric and it will drive out contaminants and chemical residue from those surfaces. As those contaminents and chemicals rise, we have a special wand (the zipper wand) which has suction in both directions (we typically run that at 11 inHg of suction) – so as we’re pushing the wand or pulling the wand our engine is intaking much more than the typical steam machine would (less residue is being left on your carpet and in the air).
Side-note: if you have used chemicals in the areas being steam cleaned, the steam can break down those chemicals and the pressure of the wand can kick them into the air – yes, we have great suction with our zipperwand but it will not get everything before it makes it into the air – this can affect the quality of the air. Recommendation: open the windows and turn on some fans to get that residual air out of the home (this will also help the carpet to dry faster). If chemicals are needed as a supplement to steam cleaning, then make sure they are applied after the steam cleaning has been carried out…
Seventh, wait for the carpet to dry and the air to clear (we live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean so open windows and fans on a clear day is perfect) and then put everything back.
I hope that answers your questions. Have a safe day and I’ll talk to you soon!