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Editor's note: Many items on this list are currently out of stock, but we've kept the links in just in case they become available again. We'll continue to update this article with accurate pricing information as often as possible.
To protect yourself effectively against the novel coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing your hands often for at least 20 seconds each time, avoiding close contact with people who are sick or if you yourself are sick, practicing social distancing, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily.
Below, you'll find a list of the EPA-registered cleaning products that are recommended by the CDC for cleaning surfaces and "expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder-to-kill viruses."
Many of the products are sold out online, but manufacturers are working to restock, and we'll be updating this article with purchase options as we find the products available online. In case we aren't able to update immediately, we're leaving all the options listed for reference. If you can't find a product on this list in stock, the EPA recommends looking at other product labels to confirm it has an EPA registration number and that human coronavirus is listed as a target pathogen.
For other resources, find the best hand sanitizers here, the best hand soaps here, where to buy toilet paper during coronavirus-related shortages here, and the best grocery delivery services here.
To use the following products, follow the manufacturer's instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products closely. Some come ready to use immediately, and others will need to be diluted. For most if not all, you'll want to make sure your cleaning space is well-ventilated.
You can find more information on how to properly clean and sanitize your home per the CDC during concerns over COVID-19 here. According to the CDC, for disinfection of surfaces, "diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective." If you're looking for products to clean soft (porous) surfaces such as carpets, rugs, and drapes, you can find CDC guidelines here and recommended products here.
We strongly recommend that you only buy what you need. Stockpiling supplies, like toilet paper, beyond reason makes it difficult for everyone to get fair access to the essentials they need. Which, when it comes to sanitizing supplies, can make a pandemic more dangerous for everyone, including for yourself, your neighbors, and vital healthcare workers who have been forced to ration the same supplies. You can read more about why two experts say stockpiling products is more harmful than helpful here. And while hoarding and product shortages have resulted in price markups, manufacturers have said they'll work to address production shortages, so we expect to see more availability and normal prices. If you can wait before grabbing surplus supplies, you should strongly consider doing so.
If you're looking for ways to share resources during COVID-19, you may want to consider donating to local food banks, buying gift cards to local restaurants to help them pay fixed costs, applying to volunteer with a local Telephone Reassurance program to alleviate isolation for the elderly, and donating directly to people you know who are out of work. For more ways you can help, here's a list of 6 places you can donate or volunteer right now.
Read the original article on Business Insider