Diwali deep-cleaning - a quick checklist

With Diwali comes the yearly ritual of disinfecting and deep-cleaning our homes. However, your basic cleaning ritual might not be sufficient to the changing needs of the environment we live in. If the deadly viruses around us have taught anything, disinfection should be as much a goal in our regular cleaning, rather than just the basic visible cleanliness. Therefore, it becomes necessary to know the right way of cleaning and disinfecting homes that lends itself to a responsible celebration.

While we plan to welcome Goddess Lakshmi by cleaning and decorating our living spaces inside out, we should be aware of those corners that are prone to infections, diseases and require our special attention.

The R&D team at ITC Savlon, shares some tips to maximize hygiene and ensure germ-free cleaning this Diwali:

Clean your Kitchen

As the excitement builds for us to be able to open our houses to guests and have the kitchen work overtime to put out scrumptious meals, do spend a moment on considering thorough kitchen disinfection. Bear in mind that the multiple ways in which we use our home kitchen carry with it the burden of microbes that can cause infections.

A disinfection ritual will ensure that any chances of microbial contamination to your person or to the food being cooked gets eliminated. Be it organizing shelves and arranging jars, wiping the crockery cabinet, or cleaning the refrigerator, all you need is a multipurpose disinfectant and cleaner by your side. A Spray & Wipe Multipurpose disinfectant cleaner that is readily available makes the task of cleaning convenient with its dual action of cleaning and disinfection together. The added feature of a citrus fragrance also helps keep the space smelling fresh.

Refresh your Bathroom

When we spruce up our homes around Diwali, we often forget to place our bathroom hygiene on the priority list. Bathrooms are breeding corners for germs and harmful microorganisms. As we accommodate our guests for a get-together or a game of cards, let's also keep in mind that bathrooms are the second most used space by guests. It becomes crucial, therefore, to effectively clean our restrooms and keep them dry. Make sure you buy a multipurpose disinfectant to clean the floor, wipe the washbasin, and faucets, or other frequently touched areas. Add a scented candle of a fragrance diffuser with some essential oil poured in to uplift the space and leave it smelling fragrant.

Style your Living room

We often indulge in renovating your living areas just before Diwali, but there are other comparatively smaller purchases that might help you bypass an overhaul. One can brighten up living spaces with new drapes and bright-coloured cushions giving a cozy look to your favourite couch. At times, buying new furniture, sofas, etc. gets beyond budget, so indulge in fabric covers instead. They give your existing furniture a great face-lift. You could also look at rearranging the furniture placement and adding new wall art. Simple additions like this often give the entire space a new look. While you move around the furniture or add new drapes, make sure you spray them down with a surface disinfectant spray regularly since they are not washed as frequently. Spray Surface Disinfectant Spray post dusting to kill 99.9 per cent of germs. This helps you, welcome guests, to a safe environment and a quick spray after the party winds down, ensures you and your family also stay protected.

Other tips

According to WHO -- if hand hygiene is done properly this can be over 90 per cent effective in preventing the spread of harmful germs and HCAIs. So, let's ensure to keep our hand hygiene at par by washing hands regularly and wiping down doorknobs, spraying playing cards, or serviette holders with a disinfectant from time to time.

As we get excited to meet our friends, families this festive season we must be cautious while doing handshakes, exchanging high-fives etc. to control the germ transmission. This can be done by replacing towels with tissue papers in the guest bathroom so that no two people use the same towel. Another way is by placing hand sanitizer bottles that could be accessible for guests enabling them to use it as and when required.