5 Tips for Cleaning Your Home When Someone Is Sick

Cleaning the house when someone is sick: use hot water, separate cloths, wash linens often and focus on high touch surfaces. Our five practical tips.

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Cleaning Your Home When Someone Is Sick tips

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Originally published February 16, 2021. Updated September 2026 with a summary, next steps and answers to common questions.

If someone in your home gets sick, it’s important to clean your home to help prevent other people from getting sick too. And while our teams at Sandia Green Clean will get to every surface of your home, we know you don’t want to always wait until we arrive.

If you’re wanting to clean your home right now to help keep everyone healthy, here are a few tips to help…

1. As much as you want to pour bleach and disinfectants on every surface, it’s important to refrain from using chemicals as much as possible. There are great natural solutions that are just as effective and they won’t put you or any of your family members at risk. Try cleaning products that contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or essential oils instead of harsh chemicals.

2. Use hot water when cleaning. Just like you need hot water to clean your dishes, you want hot water when cleaning surfaces in your home, too.

3. Be sure not to use the same towels on different surfaces around your home. Designate certain towels for certain areas and then discard and clean after you’re done. You can also use paper towels for one time use to make sure that no cross-contamination takes place.

4. Wash the bed linens in your home as much as possible, and throw in any washable sofa covers or pillow cases, too. Instead of putting dirty linens in a laundry basket, take them straight to the washing machine so that they don’t contaminate other clothes or surfaces.

5. Think about all of the surfaces that are touched the most in your home and be sure to clean them regularly. These include things like doorknobs, remote controls, faucets, toilets, phones, electronics, and trash can lids.

We hope everyone is staying healthy and happy in their homes right now! (And, remember, getting outside when you can is essential!)

About Sandia Green Clean

Sandia Green Clean is here to help you claim your weekend. Our top-of-the-line cleaning services allow you to get back time – something that very few of us feel like we have much of. Learn more about Sandia Green Clean at https://sandiagreenclean.com

Questions about cleaning during illness

What surfaces should I clean when someone in my house is sick?
Focus on the things people touch most: doorknobs, remote controls, faucets, toilets, phones, electronics and trash can lids. Clean them regularly while someone is sick. Wash bed linens, pillow cases and washable sofa covers often, and take dirty linens straight to the washer so they do not touch other clothes.
Can I clean without harsh chemicals when someone is sick?
Yes. Rather than pouring bleach on every surface, try cleaning products that contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or essential oils. Use hot water, and keep separate towels for separate areas so you do not spread germs from one room to another.
Does Sandia Green Clean offer disinfection?
Yes. Breezy Blue is a bleach-free, hospital-grade disinfection made in Albuquerque. You can add it to any clean. It fits with the rest of how we work: green products with no harsh chemicals and no off-gassing, safe for kids and pets. Estimates are always free.