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During a COVID-19 quarantine or suspected exposure to the coronavirus, special rules related to epidemic risk should be followed. Following the recommendations is primarily to protect the household and reduce the spread of viruses in the home space. One of the important issues is washing bed linen and towels at the right temperature.
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The need to undergo home quarantine in the face of the coronavirus is associated primarily with the ban on leaving the home. In practice, however, many other recommendations should be followed, especially if we live in an apartment with other household members. In such a situation you should set aside a separate room for the sick or suspected of being infected.
It is important to decontaminate all common areas with which he comes into contact. He should also receive a whole set of accessories only for his own use, such as a thermometer, beauty supplies, disinfection gel, bed linen and towels. All this should be left in the sick room. Taking precautionary measures is of particular importance in the case of use of the shared bathroom. The drug informs about the recommendations in this regard. med. Alicja Haduch, epidemiologist:
If it is necessary to use the bathroom, it should be announced in a specific manner (e.g. by a loud knocking on the door) so that the other household members are not in the corridor or in the bathroom. In the bathroom, set the toiletries separately. Wash your hands thoroughly before going out. After using the bathroom, you should apply a disinfectant (the personal one, taken from the room) on the objects you touch: the toilet seat, faucet knobs, countertops). Take a towel, sponge, toothbrush to your room to prevent accidental contact with other household members (the virus lasts longer in a humid environment).
You should also remember about adequate ventilation – for this purpose, you can leave the door in the bathroom ajar or start mechanical ventilation for about 15 minutes.
While surfaces, handles and countertops are easy to clean with a disinfectant, this is not possible with clothes, towels, bedding or other textiles. All fabrics that have been handled by a person quarantined due to the coronavirus should be washed at the appropriate temperature – minimum 60 degrees Celsius.
High temperature is also crucial when washing dishes and cutlery used by a quarantined person. When washing in a dishwasher, a temperature of approx. 60 degrees is sufficient. If you only wash by hand, you will need to scald the dishes before washing, preparing a dish filled with boiling water or hot water (at least 60 degrees C).
Read more: What does home quarantine look like when coronavirus is suspected? List of rules that must be followed
High temperature wash
The quarantined person should sleep alone and use their own bed linen and towel. The problem with various types of fabrics is wider, because not everything can be washed easily at 60 degrees. For this reason, the room for quarantine should be properly prepared. Doctor Alicja Haduch advises:
Remove unnecessary equipment, carpets, tablecloths, curtains from the room to allow for later cleaning and disinfection of the room
The expert points out that caution should also be exercised in the moment clean the room after quarantine. All cloths and mops used for this purpose should be decontaminated or washed – as already emphasized above – at a temperature of at least 60 degrees.
Do you have a problem with choosing textiles for the bedroom? Check opinions about bedding sets on Opineo.pl.
The editorial board recommends:
- How to decontaminate an apartment after an illness?
- 10 activities for which you need to wear disposable gloves
- 10 advice from WHO experts regarding the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus