While winter forces us to live indoors most of the time, an everyday object concentrates microbes and viruses in the heart of the house. Cleaned as a priority, it can really prevent many infections. But what is this precise place?
How viruses stay in the house
When a virus enters a home, it does not disappear immediately. It circulates. Mechanically, we cough, we sneeze, we blow our nose, then… we touch a surface without thinking about it: a handle, a switch, a table. The viruses then settle and wait for the next hand.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician, explains it clearly:
“Viruses like those of the flu survive for several days on hard surfaces like handles at room temperature. On average two to three days, and up to nine days for certain coronaviruses. RSV can persist for 3 to 30 hours, especially when it is cold and humid.”
In winter, windows remain closed more often, air circulates less, humidity increases. Result: viruses last longer on surfaces and the house becomes a real closed circuit of contamination. And especially on surfaces where all hands pass.
Why door handles are the most sensitive
The handles are thus touched dozens of times a day, by all the inhabitants, sometimes by visitors, often just after sneezing or blowing their nose.
“Door handles are one of the most virus-transmitting surfaces indoors due to their frequent contact by potentially contaminated hands,” recalls Dr. Kierzek. “They promote the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza or RSV via hand-surface-hand transfer.
In other words: a sick person touches the handle, the virus stays on it, then it is transmitted to the next person who opens the door. From room to room, contamination spreads silently. This is what makes handles the true viral hub of the home.
Why are they neglected (even though they are essential)?
The paradox is there: we touch the handles all the time, but we rarely think about cleaning them.
“Cleaning often focuses on visible areas like countertops or floors, while handles are touched mechanically without thinking,” underlines Dr Gérald Kierzek.
Plus, they appear clean because they are neither greasy nor dusty. However, they are the ones that accumulate the most microbes. These are surfaces that are “visually clean, but biologically dirty” that we don’t think about. But in this domestic universe, some handles are even more threatening than others… beneath their inert appearance.
- Front door;
- Kitchen and refrigerator;
- Toilets and bathroom;
- Bedrooms (especially those for children):
- Cupboards, pantry;
- Windows and patio doors.
What cleaning to plan to really eliminate viruses
So that your handles are not the open door to all viruses, Dr Gérald Kierzek recommends simple but rigorous disinfection:
“Clean daily with rubbing alcohol or wipes soaked in pure white vinegar to eliminate up to 99% of viruses without residue.”
In case of strong viral circulation it is also possible to use diluted bleach (1/10), very effective
“but it requires gloves, rinsing and ventilation, and is not suitable for fragile surfaces.”
In addition, also think “antimicrobial handle covers, which provide passive hygiene and reduce the microbial load between cleanings”. Finally, it is not only necessary to clean the visible side, but also the back of the handle, the surrounding plate, the fixings, the window mechanisms. All those areas that fingers touch when opening or closing.
For the well-being of all occupants, a little “handy” routine is the assurance of reducing the risks of sharing everything.