Tips offered for how to clean against virus, what not to do

Trying to fend off germs amid the coronavirus scare?

Do not drink bleach, says the Blue Ridge Poison Center.

The center, located at UVA Health in Charlottesville, issued an advisory Friday on what not to do.

Drinking bleach will not prevent COVID-19 infections and could cause serious injury, the center warns.

When used correctly, cleaning products can be a safe and effective weapon against the spread of disease-causing germs including the COVID-19 virus (“coronavirus”). In particular, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using diluted bleach solutions on frequently-touched surfaces.

Hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60 percent is recommended for killing COVID-19 on the hands, especially when soap and water are not available. However, these products and others used to clean and disinfect may have the potential to be toxic if used incorrectly.

The Blue Ridge Poison Center reports that exposure to cleaning products is the second leading cause of calls to poison centers nationwide.

Children under age 6 are particularly at risk. Their curiosity leads them to handle products left within reach, and they may mistake cleaning products for something safe to eat or drink.

Adults are at risk for accidental exposure to cleaning products, too. The BRPC receives many calls every year from adults who mistakenly swallowed a cleaning product that had been transferred into a food or beverage container, such as an empty soda bottle.

Some cleaning products (including bleach) are caustic, meaning they can cause burns when swallowed or when sprayed or splashed onto the skin or into the eyes.

Mixing certain cleaning products together is dangerous. This could create a poisonous gas that causes coughing and serious breathing problems.

The Blue Ridge Poison Center recommends that people follow the CDC guidelines for careful cleaning and disinfecting practices to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They offer this advice for using and storing cleaning products safely:

• Keep products “up and away,” out of the sight and reach of children and pets.

• Leave products in their original, labeled containers. If you transfer a cleaning product into a food or beverage container (such as an empty soda bottle) someone may swallow it by mistake.

• Always supervise young children when using hand sanitizer. Children commonly lick their hand after an adult applies hand sanitizer. This is not an amount expected to cause serious injury. However, if a child drinks from a bottle of hand sanitizer, intoxication could result.

• Don’t mix cleaning products together to create a stronger effect. Certain combinations could create harmful gases.

• Some ingredients in “natural” or homemade products, such as essential oils, may also be quite poisonous if swallowed or mixed with other products. “Natural” does not always mean safe!

Need help? Call the Blue Ridge Poison Center at 800/222-1222, day or night.

CDC ADVICE

Meanwhile, the federal CDC urges people to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily, including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

If you can’t buy prepared household disinfectants, one option is to dilute your household bleach by mixing five tablespoons (one-third cup) bleach per gallon of water, or four tablespoons of bleach per quart of water.

Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser, the CDC says. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

If you are using an alcohol solution, make sure it has at least 70 percent alcohol.

For more tips, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.