Use disinfecting wipes, which kill 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria that live on surfaces. — Plan a semi-annual thorough cleaning to wipe down cupboards, closets, bookshelves and walls. DOES AIRING OUT WORK? — Airing out your home for just a few minutes daily will help to let stagnant air out and fresh air in.

His studies have found that on the average toilet seat there are 50 bacteria per square inch. “It’s one of the cleanest things you’ll run across in terms of micro-organisms,” he says. “Usually there are about 200 times more faecal bacteria on the average cutting board than on a toilet seat,” he says.

Wash in hot water, if possible. Mop the floors and vacuum carpets. Clean the bathroom sink, bath, and toilet. Disinfect computer keyboards, light switches, telephones, and remote controls with a disinfecting wipe that doesn’t contain bleach.

Banish Bedroom Germs

1. Wash all bed linens at least once a week in hot water — more often if someone is sick.
2. Wash soiled items — like clothes with grass stains — separately from other laundry, especially sheets.
3. Keep food and snacks out of bedrooms. Crumbs attract mold and bacteria.

Here are some other tips for reducing germs in the home:

1. Wash higher surfaces before washing lower ones. For example, clean counters and sinks before floors and toilets.
2. Wear gloves when cleaning pet items, such as litter boxes.
3. Change the water in flower vases often.
4. Keep the home well ventilated with fresh air.

Air out your home regularly. If you don’t have a fireplace, air out every other day. Airing out the house involves a five- to 10-minute purge of the air in your home by opening the front and back doors (and storm doors) and letting in the fresh air from outdoors.

Disinfect the air: Norovirus and other common germs can live in the air long after you or your family has been sick. Open the windows in your home to let sunlight and fresh air in. Additionally, spray the rooms in your home with a disinfecting spray to kill any viruses and germs lingering in the air.

Clean all hard surfaces with disinfectant: countertops, sink, fridge handles, drawer and cabinet knobs and handles, garbage cans, food prep areas, kitchen table and chairs (if hard material). Note—clean with food-safe products in all food prep areas. Launder dish and kitchen towels with sanitizing laundry soap.

Clean and disinfect the area — soiled rugs and upholstery should be steam-cleaned at 170 F for 5 minutes or 212 F for 1 minute to kill the stomach bug norovirus.

Best Flu-Fighting Household Cleaners

• Bleach. One of the best household cleaners to use during cold and flu season is this extremely common item.
• Spray disinfectant. Spray disinfectants, like Lysol Disinfecting Spray, kill up to 99.9 percent of fungi, viruses, and bacteria.
• Disinfectant wipes.
• Natural options.

How to Disinfect Your Pillow

1. Step 1: Change Pillowcases Often. The flu virus is believed to spread via droplets expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes.
2. Step 2: Stay at Arm’s Length.
3. Step 3: Use Bleach.
4. Step 4: Dry on High.
5. Step 5: Wash Your Machines.

The best thing to do if someone is sick is to put them in a separate room to sleep, preventing the spread of germs as well as preserving your precious sleep. If this isn’t possible and you must share the same bed, wash your sheets frequently in hot water.

Start the wash cycle using warm water and opt for the gentle cycle, unless otherwise specified. Tumble dry the pillows on low heat, fluffing and turning them often. Add a softener sheet for freshness, and add a couple of sneakers or tennis balls to help fluff them.

Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don’t sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so. Some people should wash their sheets even more often than once a week.

Some dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week. Many people hit the shower at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before bed. Depending on the day and your activity level, you might even take two or three showers.

The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week. Regular laundry is sufficient to clean towels and remove any germs that are starting to accumulate.

Your pillowcase has more bacteria than your toilet seat if you don’t wash your sheets often. Each night, your body sheds around 15 million skin cells, which build up if you don’t wash your sheets often. You’re essentially providing food for thousands of dust mites.

How Much Should You Wash? For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there’s flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it’s time to shampoo, Goh says.

Be sure to wash your sheets before your first use because they may feel a bit rough right out of the package. Some experts even recommended that you pre-wash your new sheets with one cup of baking soda to start the wash, then add one cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.

Once a week at least. coli can be found within six feet of the toilet and in the sink. To keep it at bay, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once weekly, and the bathtub every two weeks — more if you shower often.