Cleaning after illness checklist
Most of this is about breaking the cycle rather than deep cleaning for its own sake — a bug that's already gone round the house once will go round again if the same surfaces and bedding aren't dealt with.
17 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Bedding stripped and washed at 60°C, where the fabric allows itCooler washes let a stomach bug survive far better than people expect.
- Towels washed the same way, and not shared during the illness itself
- Surfaces disinfected in the sickroom
- Door handles and light switches
- Bedside table and any surface touched often
- Toilet cleaned thoroughly, including the flush handle and seat undersideThe most-touched surface in the whole illness, and the easiest one to under-clean.
- Bathroom taps and handles wiped down with disinfectant
- Used tissues and any waste double-bagged before binning
- Toothbrush replaced once the illness has passedA cheap swap that removes one obvious way of catching the same thing again.
- Any vomit or spillage cleaned with a bleach-based product, not just wipedOrdinary cleaning spray doesn't reliably kill norovirus. Bleach diluted as directed does.
- Carpet or upholstery spot-cleaned if it was affectedSee the separate carpet and upholstery list for anything that needs more than a spot clean.
- Soft toys or fabric items washed if a child was unwell
- Kitchen surfaces and taps disinfected, even if the illness stayed in one room
- Bins emptied and the bin itself wiped, not just the bag changed
- Windows opened to air the room out once the worst has passed
- Hand towels swapped for ones washed since, not the ones used during the illness
- Anyone else in the house reminded to wash hands properly, especially before eatingThe simplest step and the one most likely to actually stop it spreading further.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- What temperature should bedding and towels be washed at after a stomach bug?
- 60°C where the fabric allows it. Norovirus and similar bugs survive a cooler wash far better than most people expect.
- How long is a room actually contagious after someone's recovered?
- Longer than it feels — some viruses survive on hard surfaces for days. Treat door handles, taps and light switches as still worth wiping even once everyone feels fine.
- Is it safe to use bleach and a limescale remover together for a stronger clean?
- No — never mix bleach with anything containing ammonia or acid, including most limescale removers. It produces a dangerous gas, and one product used properly is enough.