Water down that bleach and you'll be A-OK! I was told here (by someone who had a food certification) that you only need a 10% solution of bleach to make it work. I also use Lysol wipes to sanitize counters after cutting raw or cooked meat. Good luck, I hope you'll both feel better soon!

I wouldn't be okay with bleach water. 10% bleach water, just sitting in a bucket, would burn my respiratory tissues. I have a great respirator mask that filters both fumes and particulates, but I don't do bleach even with that. Bleach is also an environmental nightmare.

Try alcohol.

I buy Clorox ANYWHERE Hard Surface and believe me, the smell is almost nothing, you wouldn't need a respirator for this one. Alcohol has a stronger smell.

I really don't understand why you want to sterilize your kitchen. Presumably you've been in several rooms in your house.......not just the kitchen. I agree with Lindac.

First, if you're on antibiotics it's for a bacterial infection, not a virus. So, second, which one.? Identify the bacteria, and you may be able to narrow down the source. Your kitchen may have nothing at all to do with it. It's always good to keep the kitchen clean, and to use appropriate food handling techniques, but the actual source could be outside the home entirely.

It’s nice to get rid of that “sick house” feeling even if it’s partly psychological. Kitchen makes sense to focus on; yeah you’re in other parts of the house but probably don’t prep your salad on the sofa. Most kitchen cleaners these days are antibacterial; choose your favorite. Might pick up a bottle of Lysol laundry sanitizer, too.

Thank you all! I have sprayed the rest of the house down with the Lysol spray that says it kills flu germs but didn't want to spray that on food prep/eating surfaces. All table linens, dish cloths/towels & potholders are going in a hot load this morning with laundry sanitizer. I am just afraid I will pass this back to my grandkids (who gave us the germs to start with; they're well now.) We're babysitting Monday, God willing, and I always take them a special treat.

I’m looking into hydrogen peroxide. I’ve been told it’s effective. I’m getting more and more sensitive to harsh smelling fumes. I don’t think it’s good for my lungs.

I don’t think you can pass your germs back to the original ((very adorable I’m sure) source! LOL However, since you are both just feeling better, make sure you don’t tire yourself out. Kids are always exposed to new germs. They bounce back quickly. I find for myself, it takes more time and zaps more energy out of me than it used to

All chemical sanitizers only work if there is physical contact with the germs. You can't be sure of 100% coverage by wiping and spraying.

Look up UV germicidal lamps (Amazon). They are not expensive. As a matter of fact much cheaper than chemicals because you can use the lamp in different rooms and many years. Laboratories and hospitals use them.

If you have duct forced air heating/cooling system, you may even be able to find in-duct UV sanitizer to clean all circulating air.

dcarch

Rubbing alcohol and water (mixed 1:1) in a spray bottle is an effective cleaner/disinfectant for granite, glass, sinks, drawer pulls etc.

My understanding, disinfecting properties of alcohol drop off significantly as concentration falls to 50% and below. So going 1:1 is self-defeating even if you start with pure alcohol. 60-90% preferred. 70% recommended.

And even diluted alcohol is hard on many finishes.

I use 70% isopropyl alcohol for cleaning and disinfecting, but I heard an expert say that unfortunately, while it kills a lot of germs, it's not great for flu. A bleach sol'n works better, she said, and it's what labs use.

But since I am very sensitive to bleach fumes too, I mostly use the rubbing alcohol.

I found my bottle of Method (organic) Anti-Bac cleaner. It is not for use on food prep etc surfaces, but I am going to do the whole floor with it. I also sprayed some on a paper towel and wiped the backs of our chairs, drawer knobs on DH's desk and behind the sink faucet. My main work prep area is a small glass-top table. I normally use regular Method cleaner on it but not sure how well it fights these kinds of germs so I am really leaning toward hydrogen peroxide for it & all my countertops etc. Thank you all again.

It’s nice to get rid of that “sick house” feeling even if it’s partly psychological.

Bingo. I see nothing wrong moving forward after someone in the home is recovery from an illness. Just a good basic castile soap is fine. I do have a mild vinegar/essential oil spray I make but even that should not be used on some surfaces. The last thing you should use is any aerosols or products that could cause respiratory distress while recovering. Being sick is horrid. On the mend felling a bit better is time for 'good riddance' to the cause. Fresh bedding.

I do not purchase products from big companies that claim this-n-that '99.9%' effective, etc. Mostly water and surfactants, cheap thickener, dyes, perfumes...and will not reveal what is actually in them. Toxic fumes may not have a smell at all.

I'm with pllog concerning commercial irritants. Many of them are in a rotation of being discontinued, claiming safe, then found to be harmful.

Peroxide has been myth busted as not effective.

UV is fantastic and sustainable. Non-toxic, used in water treatment. Used to irradiated some products like spices. I thought most of those units for households need 10 minutes or more to be effective...prove me wrong.

Me ?, I like a quick run around the home hitting the 'strike zone'. Knee to eye level. Handles, door knobs, light switches, or anywhere hands have been. 5-10 minutes is all. Nothing wrong starting in the kitchen. Do it anyway not sick.

We use alcohol on everything possible. I was going to add, do all the handles and knobs, but I see sleevendog has already said that.

And don’t forget to get a new toothbrush!

If it's the flu , then skip any product claiming to be antibacterial. They dont work on viruses, and they can contribute to the devopment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We are creating a whole host of problems with our overuse of the products.

Wipe down your common surfaces (that includes taps, door handles and light switches throughout the house) with soap and water, bleach solutions, lysol, etc. , but don't obsess about it: flu viruses don't survive long outside the body - under 24 hours, sometimes only a few minutes.. Your house is therefore likely to be virus free by now. Just wash your hands a lot, stay away from sick people, and follow regular cleaning practices.

Bleach. Cheap, effective and readily available. It kills most of the nasties. I routinely just use soap and water on my counters, but once a week or after contact with raw meat I use a bleach water mix. I just eyeball it , but 1/2 cup bleach to 1 gal of water will do the trick. I just wipe it on the surface and let it dry. If using a spray bottle leave the solution sit for 2-5 minutes before wiping off. Alcohol or alchohol based cleaners hydrogen peroxide, vinegar don't kill the norovirus (stomach flu), rotovirus,rotavirus, C Diff or some other viruses.

True antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, but viruses can turn into bacterial infections. Ex: influenza or the common cold virus into pneumonia, otitis media or URI.

Once you get a virus you are not going to get the same virus again. The problem is there is many many strains of viruses that cause the same symptoms. Viruses are masters of changing their DNA for survival.

I speak of experience and I'm not talking about smell. Bad odors in a good cause don't bother me--or if they do it's just a peeyuw thing. Hold your nose. or try not to breathe while you clean up the baby. Bad odors just being unpleasant, and maybe triggering a gag reflex, aren't damaging.

Even a 3% solution of bleach can burn and cause a major reaction for me. Consider me the canary in the coal mine. There is no safe way to dispose of bleach. It's terrible for the environment. There may be times and purposes for which it really is the best alternative, but for general cleaning, hot water and mild soap are all that's necessary, even where there have been diseases. Fresh air and sunlight are also good,

Alcohol kills germs, too. Cheap vodka sprayed on is an old standby for killing odors on costumes and other smelly items that can't be laundered frequently. Rubbing alcohol is even cheaper and stronger.

While it's supposed to be true that you can't get the same virus twice, if your immune system works correctly, viruses are constantly mutating and you can get the new version.

What we have is, I believe, bacterial. Bronchitis for me, pneumonia for DH. Ugh nasty. Just got back from 2nd trip to doctor for DH. So as soon as I catch my breath I want to get the rest of the kitchen done. Have to do it in bits and pieces while my cough syrup is at its most effective :-/ and yes I cough down the inside of my shirts and all laundry gets the sanitizer if it's not bleachable. So anyway now I'm waffling back and forth ... White Vinegar? The house would smell like a pickle factory but how actually harmful would those fumes be?

For non-bleachable laundry, Lysol makes a Laundry Sanitizer.

Pillog, for alcohol to have any effect at disinfecting against some viruses/bacteria it has to be 70%. You must buy some good bathtub vodka for it to be 70% alchohol. Most household chemicals recommend you wear gloves.

Sorry. I don't think I was totally awake earlier. My point was that even vodka will kill enough bacteria to destink garments, and that rubbing alcohol is even cheaper (and it is 70% alcohol). I didn't mean to clean the kitchen with vodka, though I suppose it's better than nothing. Boiling water can be used on many surfaces, and is effective against most bacteria. You can kasher the counters at the same time. :)

I've never heard a doctor recommend kitchen cleaning, but they all say repeatedly WASH YOUR HANDS. Get some fresh air in your lungs, go for a walk! I'm sure your kitchen is fine.

If it makes you feel better, clean the kitchen with a disinfectant. Don't forget other hard surfaces, such as the bathroom.

Restaurants use chlorine and/or “Quat” (quaternary ammonium chloride) sanitizer. Since most of us have bleach, it’s easy enough to dilute to recommended ratio. You can find Quat online or at a restaurant supply house. Both are cheap and effective. You can even buy test strips to make sure what you are using is strong enough.

I've never heard a doctor recommend kitchen cleaning, but they all say repeatedly WASH YOUR HANDS. Get some fresh air in your lungs, go for a walk! I'm sure your kitchen is fine.

We are up early, 4.15-ish and need news for weather, local stuff for traffic...

Later, in NYC, we have social media 'news' around 8-9 am. Fluff stuff. Guessing retired folks and home-bound entertainment. Always a doctor consultant explaining viruses, what to do about one child home sick...etc. How to help contain it to one room...what to look for, when a visit to the DR is needed.

Skin cancer screening advice, colon screening,,,

Good information always explaining what is going on with the flu and the new recent coronavirus....it repeats 5-6 and 9-10 pm.

Kitchen cleaning is just another part of that recommended.

all you saying that even the smell of dilute bleach is harmful must never go anywhere near a swimming pool...or a hot tub.
Bleach is a safe and effective germ killer, even in diluted solutions.
it's not "terrible for the environment"...it degrades back to water and salt....the chemical in Clorox is sodium hypochlorite.
See the link for the true skinny
https://waterandhealth.org/disinfect/myths-chlorine-bleach/

The amount of bleach needed depends on the bleach strength and what you are trying to kill. Household bleach the CDC recommends for flu viruses to use 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water. For norovirus the CDC recommends 5- 25 tablespoons per gallon . For sanitizing dishes and utensils 2 tablespoons per gallon.

Edie, I think you will be fine with a terrycloth washcloth ($.75 each, cotton, thin) and a solution of hot-warm water, bit of dish soap, bit of bleach. Just routinely wipe common surfaces like counters, knobs, fridge door handles. Let dry.

Freshen your kitchen and home with fresh air, windows open, curtains pulled back. Common viruses and germs are not going to live long on a dry surface.

Unless you have reason to think you home has been splashed, fogged or exposed to difficult organisms like C. diff, noro virus, raccoon scat, or hepatitis, I think you’ll be fine. As others have said, it’s always good to keep the kitchen and bath extra clean, and I’m confident you already do this.

Your bacterial infections might have been secondary to an upper respiratory virus (like a cold).

The most effective measures against most common viruses, germs and cooties is to practice good and frequent hand washing and avoid touching your face, mouth, nose and eyes. <——- most people do this without realizing it, tens of times per hour.

I hope you and your husband are feeling better. Try not to worry. Young children come into contact with lots of microbes daily. They can be adorable little cootie spreading creatures.