Homeowners know that installing a new wall plate is an inexpensive and simple way to update the look of a room. When you outfit a room (or your whole house) with new outlet covers and light switch wall plates, it has the effect of modernizing your home while adding a little extra zing. It’s worth considering, however, the fact that switch plates are household surfaces that need to be cleaned like the rest of your house. One crucial difference, though, is because they’re touched so frequently with human hands, extra attention should be paid to disinfecting them due to the coronavirus. Here are a few things to think about when it comes to disinfecting your home’s wall plates.
The Threat of Coronavirus
You’re likely aware of the dangers of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Much more lethal than the common flu, it’s also capable of moving rapidly through populations, especially in confined spaces. Due to the risks of the virus, we’ve had to spend several weeks confined to our homes, so it’s crucial that we do all we can to ensure that our homes are as safe as possible. While the virus is dangerous, it’s worth noting that a lot is still not known about it. While tests show that it’s capable of living on plastic and stainless steel for as long as 3 days, these kinds of tests are conducted in controlled laboratories and don’t necessarily represent the realities of everyday life. So, while you shouldn’t panic about the virus, it’s still a good idea that you clean and disinfect your home so that it’s safe.
Where to Clean
Just as it’s of the utmost importance that you thoroughly wash your hands to rid any traces of COVID-19, you should treat your home to the same attention. Every part of your house that is handled frequently by humans should be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. In the bathroom and kitchen, this includes knobs on the cupboards and drawers, as well as the refrigerator and dishwasher handles. As for the rest of the house, the same rules apply, so pay particular attention to remote controls, game controllers, computer keyboards and mice, doorknobs, and yes, all light switches and outlet covers in every room.
Disinfecting Light Switches and Outlet Covers
For wall plates as well as the rest of your house, you can make your own bleach solution by combining 1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Spray liberally on each wall plate and outlet cover and then wipe down with a soft cleaning cloth. So that you don’t miss anything, divide up your cleaning responsibilities by concentrating solely on wall plates and covers, and then move on to other parts of the house. This will guarantee that you don’t inadvertently skip a bathroom, or the kids’ rooms, or any other switch plates that you might forget about.
Since you’re probably stuck at home anyway, properly cleaning your house and its wall plates is a great way to make the most of your free time. Another way to use that extra time is by doing online shopping at Wallplate Warehouse. Peruse our selection of new switch plates, including an outlet wall plate with LED night lights, or give us a call today at (888) 643-3744.
