How to Clean House and Prevent Spread After Staph Infection

Worried someone in your household could have had a staph infection? Learn how to clean your house to help prevent the spread of Staphylococcus aureus.

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How to Help Prevent the Spread of Staph Bacteria

In the world of viruses and bacteria, variations of staph are very common. Staphylococcus aureus, or staph for short, is a healthcare-associated infection (HAI), but can occur anywhere. It’s a type of bacteria that’s found on the skin and hair and, interestingly enough, about 30 percent of people carry it in their noses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the time, staph does not cause harm; however, sometimes staph causes infections.

Anyone can develop a staph infection. Some are more at risk than others, such as those with a chronic condition. Staph can also cause food poisoning as a result of food contamination or improper refrigeration. At home, it’s important to clean and disinfect food prep areas and frequently touched hard surfaces.1

Consider the following tips to help prevent the spread of Staphylococcus aureus with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach:

Tips at Home

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water.
  • Keep wounds, such as cuts and abrasions, clean and covered with a sterile dry bandage until healed.
  • Keep personal items to yourself and don’t share with others.
  • Wash all clothing and bedding in hot water as staph can survive on items that aren’t properly washed. Tips for using bleach in laundry (bleachable items):2
    • Sort laundry for whites
    • Add detergent
    • If using the bleach dispenser in a high-efficiency washing machine, fill it to the max line with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach.
    • For standard washers, add ⅔ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach to wash water
    • Add clothes and start wash
    • Ensure contact with bleach solution for 10 minutes
  • Disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces2
    • Wash and rinse surface with water
    • Mix ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach with 1 gallon of water
    • Wipe surface area with bleach solution and let stand for 6 minutes
    • Rinse well and air dry
  • Sanitize food contact surfaces2
    • Wash and rinse surface with water
    • Mix 2 teaspoons of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach with 1 gallon of water
    • Wipe surface area with bleach solution and let stand for 2 minutes
    • Let air dry–no rinsing is required
  1. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/staph.html
  2. Clorox Master Label