As Americans become more diligent to clean off surfaces amid the coronavirus, Woman’s Day editor Meaghan Murphy shared her tips to using household cleaners safely.
Americans are cleaning and disinfecting more than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the empty household cleaner aisles at supermarkets around the world is proof. But Woman’s Day editor Meaghan Murphy explained that there are safety tips when it comes to household cleaners. “When used incorrectly, they can pose a danger,” she told Inside Edition.
Bleach, for example, needs to be diluted, and one-third cup of bleach should be mixed with one gallon of water.
“Bleach is incredibly powerful and it can be an irritant,” she explained. “It can hurt your eyes, it can make your skin hurt, so that's why you want to be in a ventilated area. You want to have that window open or door open [when you use it].”
And make sure you keep other cleaners away when using bleach.
“Bleach should never be mixed with another household cleaner. Never mix it with peroxide, never mix it with ammonia,” she said. “The result could be a very dangerous gas.”
Because consumers are now more cautious of germs on surfaces, Murphy recommended using disinfectant sprays on hard surfaces. “Use it to clean your garbage, to spray around the toilet, when it's in contact with a a surface for about 10 seconds, it does kill 99.9% of germs,” she said.
But never use disinfectant sprays on skin, pets and food. “Don’t spray your body,” she warned.
And even though some have recommended using laundry detergents in lieu of other cleaners, Murphy said never to use laundry detergent pods outside of a washing machine. “The danger is opening them up just because you are out of an all-purpose stain remover. This liquid is concentrated. If it gets in your eye, it will sting,” she said.
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