I came across the article Antimicrobial Products: Who Needs Them? by Philip Dickey, and although long and somewhat dense, it has a ton of great information. The following is from a sidebar at the bottom of the page:
- Avoid household products containing triclosan. There is little evidence they are effective in homes and considerable concern about resistance. Triclosan does not kill viruses.
- Wash your hands frequently during the day with hot water and soap, especially before eating, after using the bathroom, and after contacting surfaces that might harbor a lot of germs.
- Keep your house clean using cleaning products without antimicrobials. Don’t try to maintain a germ-free environment unless there is a particular medical reason to do so in your family. If so, consult your physician.
- Handle meat, fish, or poultry with care. Avoid cross-contaminating utensils, cutting boards, sponges, towels, or hands. Use one cutting board just for meat, fish, or poultry. Use only clean implements on food that will not be cooked before eating.
- Replace kitchen sponges frequently. Disinfect them weekly by boiling in water for at least three minutes or microwave for a minute or two (or both!). Launder dishrags in hot water every week. Keep sponges and rags as dry as possible.
- Use disinfectants only if they are really needed. Choose an EPA-registered product labeled for the type of use you need. Avoid products with the word DANGER on the label. Vinegar and borax are not disinfectants.
- If using a disinfectant, read and follow label directions to ensure that the product will be effective.
- Don’t use aerosol disinfectants as air fresheners. You can’t disinfect the air. Find the source of an unpleasant odor and deal with it appropriately.
- Keep an antiseptic in the home for cuts and scrapes.
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