The Flu: Keep Your Home From Becoming a Biohazard

THE FLU Keep Your Home From Becoming a Biohazard When your home is hit by the flu, it can start to feel like a biohazard zone! So to keep you safe and your home healthy this flu season your friends at Aftermath, the only national U.S. company specializing in biohazard cleanup, have provided Meet the Expert When is Flu Season? OCT Andrew Whitmarsh, Aftermath Biohazard and Crime Scene October - May Cleanup Specialist Stats on Illness 7 DAYS 3 FT The flu virus can move about 3 feet and tiny viral particles are spread every time you sneeze. Healthy adults can infect others 1 day before systems develop and up to 7 days after becoming sick. The Flu Blues 20,920 100 Million 7 Billion Days of school missed Days of work missed Dollars in wages lost 200,000 36,000 People Hospitalized People Dead More than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized every year for illnesses associated with seasonal influenza virus infections. The flu kills about 36,000 people in the United States each year. Fighting the Flu at Home Disinfecting Hard Surfaces: Toys, Countertops, Floors, Furniture, etc. Cleaning Porous Surfaces: Carpets C>D ABSORBING AGENT Clean before disinfecting You must clean your kids' toys and other hard surfaces to remove drool and dirt before disinfecting. To clean up vomit or other bodily fluids from carpets- use an absorbent agent like saw dust, cat litter or flour before cleaning. RINSE & DRY STEAM Rinse the surface with water and dry for at least 5 minutes. Or until dry Use a steam cleaning system with high heat. Steam cleaning is the best option for killing viruses and bacteria without completely removing the carpeting. RIP Linens & Towels 2+ =/ GERMS WASH Mix 2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach with 1/2 gallon of water. Wash affected items separately. Use bleach and hot water in the wash to help kill the virus. AIR DRY Apply the solution to the (clean & dry) surface and let air dry. That's it! No rinsing required. HIGH HEAT Dry with high heat. Did You Know 1:9 EXP / For VERY TOUGH cleaning jobs Bleach is best mixed with water at a 1:9 ratio Bleach can expire. After a shelf life of six months, bleach starts to degrade. This mixture is potent for about 1 day. Cleaning tools such as sponges and cloths move germs from one toy or surface to another so you must follow up by disinfecting. Do not throw the towels used to clean up messes such as vomit in a waste basket. Anyone who opens the garbage is continuously exposed to those harmful germs. © 2013 Aftermath Services LLC www.aftermath.com | 877-872-4339 Aftermath Trauma Cleaning & Biohazard Removal Sources: Aftermath.com, CDC.gov, Disinfect-for-health.org, Scripps.edu "Aftermath doesn't clean homes for the flu virus, but who better to get cleaning and sterilization tips from than a biohazard specialist?