How to Clean Light Switches and Electrical Outlet Covers
We rarely remember the light switches and electrical outlet covers during cleaning. And it’s never on the top of anyone’s list when it comes to maintenance. But just like the common surfaces such as countertops, toilets, sinks, and tables, they’re susceptible to germs as well.
Therefore, if you have not been cleaning them, it’s about time you begin. Doing this will improve the hygiene of these surfaces. Also, it will protect your household from the transmission of germs through touch. . That said, here are tips on how to clean light switches and electrical outlet covers:
Benefits of Cleaning the Light Switches and Electrical Outlet Covers
Before you begin with the cleaning, it’s important to understand why cleaning light switches and electrical outlet covers are important. And it’s not a matter of wiping with moist clothing and moving on. You need to take your time and follow the right steps.
For starters, ever thought about how many times a day you touch the switch? And that’s not all, how many members of your household touch the same switch? More likely, you use a majority of them daily. Additionally, take into account visitors who touch them besides your household members.
Now you can see how the light switches and electrical outlet covers can expose your family to bacteria and germs. They create an ideal surface for bacteria to breed on and spread throughout your home. Thus, besides the TV remote and your cell phone, switches are among the dirtiest surfaces at home.
Outlet covers also can harbor bacteria, germs, and viruses, but not as much as switches. And this is because of the few physical contacts. But even so, they’ve got the tendency to harbor dirt, especially dust. With time, they often become grimy. And you’ll find them even dirtier if they’re situated in high-traffic areas such as the home.
If you have electrical outlets close to the cooking areas, for instance, grease, and oil can get splashed on them. Therefore, when you spare time to clean these surfaces, you’ll be improving the hygiene in your home. You’ll be reducing the exposure of your family to germs that may lead to getting sick.
How frequently do you clean Electrical Outlet Covers and Light Switches?
Since tend to touch light switches more often, and sometimes daily, cleaning them regularly is important. Therefore, you must include them in your regular cleaning routine. Since cleaning them daily may not be possible, wipe and disinfect them at least weekly. But you can increase the cleaning frequency in high traffic areas.
Cleaning the outlet on the other hand doesn’t have to be a routine. That’s because they are less likely to harbor germs. However, deep cleaning them once in a house helps improve the look. But since you’ll be working on your switches, it will be convenient to target the outlets as well.
Step by Step cleaning procedure to Follow
Now you know why cleaning the light switches and outlet covers is important. Also, you know when to clean them. With the following steps, you can clean these items thoroughly. And it won’t take you the entire day to complete. If anything, you’ll need a few minutes to spare. Let’s start:
Requirements
Get the following supplies:
- Screwdriver
- Warm water
- Soap
- Disinfecting solution
- Paper Towel
- Microfiber cloths
Switch off Power
Safety is essential, especially now that you’ll be cleaning surfaces close to live wires. Just locate the circuit breaker for the entire house and turn it off. When power is on, cleaning the light switches and outlets is dangerous. But when you switch it off, you can work on it comfortably. Just to be sure, use a tester to double-check if the power is completely off.
Remove the covers and plates
Using the screwdriver, unscrew and remove the covers and plates of these gadgets. You will have more access to unreachable surfaces harboring dirt. Of course, this step will be time-consuming, but it’s worth it. All the crevices will be left clean allowing you to complete deep cleaning successfully.
Also, remember to place the screws and cover in a safe location. The last thing you would want to do is spend your day looking for lost screws and parts.
Dusting, Swabbing, Soaking
You can start by dusting the covers, light switches, and electrical outlets. Doing this will reduce the mess when you begin cleaning. Thereafter, soak the covers in warm water with soap to remove stains and other dirt. Meanwhile, clean the light switches and the electrical outlets using a moist microfiber cloth or paper towel. Note: Spraying liquids on electrical directly can damage them.
Replace them
After wiping all the switches and electrical outlets thoroughly, confirm if the covers have soaked well. If the dirt is loose and the stain is off, rinse them with clean water. Thereafter, use a dry paper towel to wipe them. If some stains persist on the covers, you can get new ones as a replacement. They’re relatively inexpensive and available in hardware stores. Before replacing the covers, you should double-check if they are completely dry.
Restore Power
Now that the switches and outlets are clean, confirm if the covers are well secured. Thereafter, you can go switch on the power.
Should you Hire Professionals?
Electric outlet covers and light switches cleaning is a simple job that anyone can manage. However, the difficulty is in deep cleaning, because you have to remove their covers to reach hidden dirt and germs. Therefore, the cleaning process may end up being time-consuming. Luckily you can lighten the burden by doing deep cleaning of these gadgets monthly. On regular basis, you can work on surface cleaning and disinfection.
And if you need help cleaning the rest of your home, contact Equinox Cleaning. We will help you with daily cleaning tasks including deep cleaning the entire house. Our technicians are experts’ cleaners who c
