How to Disinfect Your House During & After COVID - Guides & Tips

Surface cleaning and decontamination for respiratory viruses looks different now than it did a few years ago. The questions people still ask are practical ones: how long COVID-19 or coronavirus can last on surfaces, which surfaces are worth cleaning or disinfecting, and how to get rid of viruses where they matter most. This hub brings together clear tips for cleaning after COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, so you can focus your effort where it counts.

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COVID Cleaning Tips

  • blue icon of a door handle with sparkles

    Focus on high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, phones, remotes and shared handles.

  • blue icon of mop in motion with sparkles

    Clean the surface first, then disinfect, since dirt gets in the way of the disinfectant.

  • Icon of a blue container of wipes and a sponge

    Check the product label for the specific virus claim and the contact time it requires.

  • icon of a blue clock ticking with sparkles

    Keep the surface visibly wet for that full contact time, then let it air dry.

  • icon of a blue freshening wave lines

    Open a window or run a fan while you clean and follow the label for ventilation and protective gear.

Featured Topic

How Long Do COVID and Flu Germs Live on Surfaces?

Discover how long respiratory viruses can last on the surfaces around your home, how that differs between hard and soft materials, and what it means for where to focus when you disinfect.

Learn More
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COVID Cleaning How-To Guides

How Long Viruses Last on Surfaces

How Kill Claims Are Proven

Disinfecting Room by Room

Out of the House

Cleaning Products & Disinfectants for COVID

Frequently Asked Questions

Monitor for symptoms and follow current public health guidance. Wash your hands regularly and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces to help reduce the spread of germs on surfaces.

Clean visibly dirty surfaces first, then disinfect high-touch surfaces using an appropriate disinfectant as directed. Learn more about disinfecting your home after an illness.

Regularly clean high-touch surfaces and disinfect as needed using an appropriate disinfectant according to label directions. Learn more about how to disinfect an office space.

When used as directed, certain bleach products can kill the virus that causes COVID-19 on hard, nonporous surfaces. Learn more about using bleach to kill viruses and germs on surfaces.