Someone is ill at home: which objects need cleaning?

Viruses can spread through objects touched after contact with secretions. A useful household precaution is to identify what the ill person handles frequently rather than trying to disinfect every object indiscriminately.

French Health Insurance mentions door handles, phones, kitchen utensils and washbasins. It recommends more frequent cleaning of surfaces often touched by an ill person, with particular attention to toilets when diarrhoea is present.

Keep toothbrushes separate. Avoid sharing glasses, cutlery and towels. Bottles, dummies and toys around a baby also need suitable attention; do not pass a used object to another child without cleaning it.

Read the product instructions and check that it is suitable for the surface. ADEME stresses following the stated amounts and never mixing bleach with an acid or ammonia, because a dangerous gas can form.

A surface product does not become a body-care product. The aim is not to fill a room with sprays and fragrances, which can worsen indoor air. Air the room while cleaning and keep the approach simple and consistent with instructions.

Cleaning complements other precautions; it does not establish that a home is germ-free. If a particular need worries you, describe the object or circumstances to the pharmacist before choosing a product; you need not post health information publicly.