When you’re living with cystic fibrosis, it is important to disinfect your home to prevent the spread of germs that can have disastrous consequences for your health. Antibacterial wipes are a readily available, convenient, and popular way to get the job done these days. But are they effective? They can be, if you use them correctly. Use them the wrong way and you might actually be spreading germs around your home. So what is the right way to use disinfectant wipes? Follow these few simple steps.
Wet the Surface Thoroughly
Don’t try to skimp or get one more inch of counter top out of your wipe. In order to kill germs, there needs to be enough disinfectant on the surface to make it wet. If your surface isn’t getting wet when you wipe, discard the towelette and get a new one.
Let the Surface Dry
You’ve probably been taught that moisture breeds germs, so all wet surfaces should be dried right away. That’s true as a general rule, but not when the moisture contains antibacterial chemicals. Resist the temptation to wipe the surface dry. The disinfectant needs time to work. Just wipe, walk away, and let it air dry.
Discard After Each Surface
Don’t try to clean your entire house with one or two wipes. This isn’t the place to stretch your budget. Use one wipe to make one pass on one surface, and then throw it away. This is very important because the wipes do not always kill the germs that they pick up. If you use the same wipe to clean something else, you will be spreading those germs all over the new surface.
Wash Your Hands
You might be tempted to skip this step because you think that, after handling all those antimicrobial wipes, your hands must be squeaky clean. Don’t skip it. Remember, the wipes don’t kill all of the germs. Just think how many of those germs that you picked up with the wipes escaped onto your hands. Wash them away with plain soap and water.
J.Y. Maillard and G. Williams. “Can we ‘wipe out’ hospital MRSA?” 2008. Cardiff University School of Pharmacy. 11 July 2009
