Disinfection of the apartment: on your own or with the participation of professionals?

When doing a wet cleaning and keeping the house clean, a person rarely thinks about the need for a comprehensive disinfection until circumstances prompt it: an allergy to dust or cat hair, a decrease in immunity or the presence of a bedridden patient, a source of pathogenic microbes. How and when should it be carried out?

When disinfection is needed

Remediation of the environment surrounding humans involves both the destruction of dangerous microorganisms and their carriers: insects (disinsection) and rodents (deratization). Disinfection of the apartment is necessary in the following circumstances:

• an epidemic of a serious infectious disease (flu, diphtheria) in the region in the presence of a weakened family member;
• the presence of children or the elderly in the contact group with patients with pediculosis, scabies or other infections;
• the occurrence of allergic reactions of unknown etiology;
• the presence of pets leaving the house;
• the appearance of insects (flies, cockroaches, bugs, ants);
• serious illness of a relative in bed rest;
• mold or mildew detection.
  

In all cases except the last, the disinfection of the apartment is preventive. In the presence of the diseased - focal, in which both current measures and final ones are necessary (after recovery, hospitalization or death of a family member).

Types of disinfection

Hand washing is already a fight against germs, the simplest type of disinfection. In total, there are four of them (see table).

With the focal nature of the infection, disinfection of an apartment requires a combination of all types of disinfection, the use of professional equipment, protective suits and special equipment: pump sprayers, hot fog generators.

Apartment after the deceased

If a sick person lived in a family, after his death you can independently disinfect: treatment of bed, walls, floor. It is advisable to burn or handle soft equipment and clothes in a dry oven. But there are times when the deceased lived separately and relatives learned about the sad event late. The apartment was saturated with cadaveric odor due to the release of toxic poisons when the body decomposes at room temperature.

It is difficult to cope with the problem yourself, because you need a comprehensive disinfection of the apartment after the deceased, including:

• purification from pathogenic microbes;
• elimination of cadaveric odor;
• inactivation (neutralization).

To this end, deodorization is carried out, which is difficult to carry out independently.

Disinfection of an apartment from bedbugs

The presence of bedbugs is a problem of rental housing and cheap hotels, but it can come to any family, so you need to know how to deal with it. At the initial stage of infection, high and low temperatures are effective, which the bugs are afraid of. In winter, it is better to make the bed out in the cold, and in summer to pour over boiling water, having processed bed linen. Bed bugs do not tolerate the smell of tansy and wormwood, for processing you can use vinegar, naphthalene or turpentine. With severe infection, it is better to use professional Dutch-made products.

Domestic drugs in the form of liquid or dust have good consumer reviews and lower cost. It is necessary to remember the protection of the respiratory tract during work, as well as the use of gloves and special clothing. Disinfection of the apartment should be carried out in the absence of animals and valuables that can absorb the smell. As a preventative measure, it is necessary to wash the bedding at the highest temperatures, using boiling.

Cockroaches in the house: what to do?

Among the common causes of cockroaches, you should be wary of:

• unsanitary conditions at neighbors,
• packages and items delivered by mail,
• clothes falling into the house from strangers;
• the presence of unfinished gaps.
  

Water, food debris and heat are factors that contribute to the spread of insects at an extremely rapid pace. Cockroaches are not only carriers of infection, but also a threat to household appliances whose wires can damage. Boron acid is an effective insecticide. It is harmless to humans, so it can be decomposed in special places. It is better to use it with egg yolk or sugar and flour, making small balls. Floors should be washed with ammonia to help cope with insects.

Disinfection from cockroaches in an apartment that is thoroughly infected requires the use of chemicals: gels, traps or aerosols. With a common problem in a multi-storey building, simultaneous disinfection of all residents using professionals is necessary.

Opinions of consumers of services

Most people faced with the need for disinfection, at the first stage, try to cope with the problem on their own. Using this or that means, they with pleasure share experience of their application. If enough time has passed since the moment when the apartment was disinfected, the reviews are credible. Often, positive changes do not pass the test of time, as reported by those who turned to professional firms. Among the reasons for their treatment can be identified the most common:

• consequences of non-compliance with safety precautions when using chemicals: allergies, upset stomach, burns to the respiratory tract;
• the return of the problem after two to three months (a new appearance of bugs, cockroaches);
• severe infection of the home.

If people decide to trust the professionals, the disinfection of the apartment is more effective, subject to a number of rules that consumers talk about:

• it is necessary to choose a company with experience and positive reviews;
• it is important to find out the composition of chemicals with which the company works, certificates for them and the degree of safety;
• read the instructions for the disinfection procedure and safety precautions.