Whether or not you're selling your home, keeping your home sanitized is ultra-important these days. A bleach solution or rubbing alcohol is your best bet said Greg Hanner, President of the Eastern CT Association of Realtors. There's every day clean, showing clean, and then there's COVID-19 clean. To get down the nitty gritty on how to disinfect your home, you'll want bleach, rubbing alcohol, and hot water.

For high-touch surfaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a bleach solution diluted with water, or a 70% alcohol solution. Follow this bleach recipe: 5 tablespoons (1/3　cup) bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. Make sure to properly ventilate when disinfecting with bleach. Tip:　Don't　mix bleach with anything other than water; otherwise, it could set off a dangerous chemical reaction. For instance, bleach + alcohol is a deadly combo.

With your preferred disinfectant, wipe down high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, tables, remotes, banisters, toilets, sinks, and faucets daily or more often, if someone in your home is sick.

Contact time is another key aspect of surface sanitizing. You'll want to leave it on the surface for 10 minutes before wiping it off. The CDC has updated its guidance to say that COVID-19 is now thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Although the virus can survive for a short time on some surfaces, it is unlikely to spread from domestic or international mail, products, or packaging. However, people may be infected by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes, even though this is not believed to be the main way the virus spreads.

For nonporous floors, like those in the bathroom, the CDC recommends mopping with the bleach solution. Avoid bleach on hardwood and other porous floors because of staining. Instead,　use a disinfecting wet mop cloth without bleach. If you also need to clean your countertops of dirt and grime, do that first with soap and water. Then use the bleach solution or rubbing alcohol to combat the virus.

When selling a home, Hanner says virtual showings and tours are the ideal, and your agent can set those up. However, if there's a need to have someone come in, talk to your agent who will work with you to establish a hygienic protocol, including requiring visitors to wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer when they arrive, and to remove shoes or wear booties before entering. Removing shoes not only reduces dirt coming in, but potentially germs.

CT real estate agents are encouraged by the CT Realtors not to hold open houses. After any showings, sellers should practice a surface wipe-down routine. For more information about COVID guidelines when selling a home, go to CTRealtors.com.  To find a Realtor®, go to easternctrealtors.com.