Wood is everywhere, from your kitchen to your backyard. Your chair, table, bed, door, cutting board, cabinets, floor, even your patio furniture, and the deck is made of wood. It is part of our daily life. We use these wooden objects in our day-to-day life, so it is only natural for dirt and germs to make their house on these wood surfaces.
It is very easy for the food to catch germs, especially during the time of the pandemic. You must pay extra attention to disinfecting the wood surfaces around you. You need to know how to disinfect wood-related tips and tools. It might seem like a complex process but with the right tools and tips, it gets quite easy.
When to Clean and Disinfect
It is important to know when and how to disinfect wood surfaces around you. You can’t just up and go cleaning it out of nowhere. You need to prepare in advance, all the cleaning and disinfecting tools and material.
Usually cleaning with soap-based products help clean and reduce germs forming on the wood surfaces. It also helps prevent any possible contamination risk.
You can either disinfect more frequently or just clean the spaces that are more frequently used. For example;
- The area with the most number of people. These areas are more prone to get infected with germs.
- Spaces that are poorly ventilated.
- Places where hand sanitization access is poor.
- Spaces that are occupied by any sick or infected person.
Tools Needed To Disinfect The Wood Surfaces
- Gloves to keeps your hand safe
- A mask
- Coveralls
- Protective eyeglasses
- Bucket
- A spray bottle
- Broom and a brush
- A mob and cleaning cloth
- Soap and water
- Disinfecting cleaning products
Step By Step Tips And Guidance On How To Disinfect Wood
Prepare In Advance
First, choose the area that needs the most attention. Clear it of any objects that don’t need cleaning. Prepare all the cleaning and disinfecting tools in advance and make sure to put them in your easy reach.
Cover Yourself
Before you start the cleaning and disinfecting process, make sure to cover yourself properly. Wear coveralls so you don’t get any dirt or cleaning products all over your clothes. Use a mask to cover your nose and mouth to prevent from inhaling any dirt or disinfectant cleaner. Last but not the least, use protective eyeglasses so the dust or disinfectant cleaner won’t cause any harm to your eyes.
Clean The Wood Surface
Clean the surface of any possible dust and dirt with the help of the broom or the brush. You can also use a vacuum cleaner if it is available. Make sure to clean it thoroughly and do not leave any dirt or dust particles on the surface.
Wash The Wood Surface
Now that you are done cleaning the dirt and dust off the surface, it’s time to wash the surface. Take the buckets and fill them with enough water and then add a moderate amount of soap in the water. With the help of the mop of the cleaning cloth, considering the size of the wood surface, clean the area thoroughly. With the circular or back and forth motion method deep clean the surface.
Make sure to clean the corners as well. Do not leave any space unclean. Keep repeating the process until you are satisfied with the result.
Let It Dry
After the thorough deep clean leave it to air dry. Do not start any other process unless it is properly dried up. If you start any process while the wood surface is still damp, you will not get a good result. It will only ruin the whole wood cleaning process as well as the wood itself.
Disinfect The Wood Surface
Now that you are done cleaning and drying the surface, it is time to disinfect it. Choose an alcohol-based disinfectant cleaner. Make sure the ratio is 60%-90% alcohol-based to make the wood surface germ-free.
Take a bucket or a spraying bottle, depending on the wood surface you are cleaning. Add a generous amount of disinfectant cleaner in bucket water or the spraying bottle. You can use Clorox Disinfecting Bleach or any other cleaner as per your choice.
With the circular or back and forth motion method carefully clean the surface. Keep repeating the process until you are done with the whole area and satisfied with the result.
If you want to use a more natural disinfectant cleaner. You can make one at home by yourself. All you need is;
- White vinegar
- Warm water
To make disinfectant cleaner, mix one-fourth cup of white vinegar in one gallon of warm water.
However, it might not be as effective on germs as the alcohol-based you buy from the market. But it is said that vinegar works best when it comes to S. Typhi and E. coli 5.
Hope this will answer and help with all your how-to disinfect wood questions.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding How To Disinfect Wood
1. Is it important to disinfect the wood?
Yes, it is very important to disinfect the wood before putting it to use. Disinfectant helps prevent any possible contamination risk and also keeps the wood healthy for a long time.
2. How to disinfect wood?
You can follow the above-given steps to clean and disinfect the wood surfaces you want to use. First, clean the wood surface effectively and efficiently. And then use any disinfectant available to get rid of any potential germs on the wood surfaces.
3. What kind of disinfectant cleaner should one use to properly disinfect the wood?
You can use any disinfectant cleaner which is based on alcohol. Make sure the alcohol ratio is between 60% to 90%. Anything under this ratio will not work properly.
4. Is vinegar and baking soda-based homemade disinfectant cleaner good?
Well, to be exact, no. It is not as effective as alcohol or chemical-based cleaners. However, it can be used in the daily cleaning process, but do not use it for the deep disinfectant cleaning process.
