COVID-19 Webinar: Safe and Proper use of Disinfectants & Household Cleaners

COVID-19 WEBINAR - EXPERT PANEL ON SAFE CLEANING & DISINFECTING OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS, FOR TRIBAL AND IMPACTED COMMUNITIES

Webinar posted on Tribal Healthy Homes Network

Webinar Replay: Go to Webinar

        you can fast forward to about minute 6. This is an excellent gathering of experts.  

9 speakers: Tribal Healthy Homes Network, WA State Dept of Health, EPA Antimicrobial division, Center for Disease control, EPA center for Cross program Outreach, Tribal Environmental Professionals, National Tribal Air Association and Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and yours truly.

I gave demo on residue free cleaning- the visual didn't show up in the replay so I did another video for you. Any questions, I'm here for you!

What I loved most about this webinar was the gathering of so many experts in one location and how the same messages kept echoing throughout.  

          Cleaning is the process of removal

          Soap is highly effective in deactivating COVID-19 and in removal

          Choose safer disinfectants...

               Use disinfectants safely and effectively

          Healthy and safety need to be kept in high awareness 

          

There were tons of helpful resources and links given by each speaker 

I'd like to thank the Tribal Healthy Home Network for creating this program.  Especially Gillian Mittlestaedt for her long hours and determination to create a supporting program during this troubling time.  Thank you!!!

            Stay safe and healthy out there,

                     Denise

                       Info@dfbluesky.com

Housework- burnout. It's real

"I know some very old people who have hearts full of roguery, devilment, and fun;  there is a sparkle in their presence.  When you meet them, you have a sense of light, lightness and gaiety.  Sometimes in very old bodies there are incredibly young wild souls looking out at you."  

                                                       Anam Cara by John O'Donohue  Pg 187-188

Clean toilets aren't sexy but matter.  Have you ever got sick and headed for the toilet?  Cleaning matters. It's also a life chore.  A life chore is a daily or weekly chore that repeats, repeats and repeats.  They never finish. Household chores travel under the radar- no parade or wow moments...they are essential and consistent.  They plod along year after year.

 Left uncared for, life chores will wear on our spirits and vitality.  Think about it cleaning & cooking every day, every week for the next 60 years... The doer of these quiet chores is going to need a little love. If not cared for homes feel neglected, clutter builds.  The caretaker heavy sighs and hangs their shoulders.

  My grandma Lois was uncommonly wise in her household chores.  She hired what she could, simplified the rest. She had grandpa do the outside work and grocery shopping. Her work was rhythmic- Saturday was laundry, dinner dishes were done and kitchen put to bed each night. As far as I know, she mostly woke up to a clean and tidy kitchen.   On Friday and Saturday nights, she took a breather and had my grandpa take her out to dinner.  Sunday night was called chef's night off.  Dinner was always popcorn and apples.  
I remember visiting her when she was in her 90s.  There were chores I wanted to help her with. She said, "let them wait, they will still be here tomorrow, I would rather spend time with you now."

Does clutter builds because we are just tired of fiddling with our stuff?

House Cleaning/Chore Burnout is real and more common than you think

Life burnout isn't just from your job... It comes from life.  Residue free living is cultivating habits and actions that keep your spirit joyful throughout your entire life.  So at the end of our life, when there are still bills to be paid, toilets to clean and meals to be created... our spirits will still shine, our laughter light and bubbling, ours hearts is still open and full of joy.  This is what residue free living is. It is the process of renewal of our mind, body, and spirit through life- no matter what the weather and what year of cleaning you are on.  Residue free is learning skills and habits that will make your work easier, more productive and more delightful.

This month I challenge you to lighten up your chores, your clutter.  Delegate what you can, hire help, reduce work, share work and let go of what is weighing you down.  Schedule days off.  Schedule play.  Add in splashes of color, delight, fresh flowers, curiosities and surprises for the spirit.  

residue free living 

"I know some very old people who have hearts full of roguery, devilment, and fun;  

there is a sparkle in their presence.  

When you meet them, you have a sense of light, lightness and gaiety. 

 Sometimes in very old bodies there are incredibly young wild souls looking out at you."  

                                                           Anam Cara by John O'Donohue  Pg 187-188
           
                                            Happy Travels,
                                                 Denise- Residue free coach of home and life
                                                     There is not time life the present to change our future

Residue Free Cleaning - push the easy button

Residue free is essential to a healthy home and easy cleaning.  Just incase you are new to the idea of residue free cleaning...I've posted the reader's digest version- scroll down to see the basics. 
But first enjoy my first video on residue free cleaning!!  

Residue free cleaning in a nutshell 

1.  Prevent future work!

            Take off your shoes, wipe down your showers, open windows, pick up, 

               wipe up and put away as you travel through your day

2.  Always start with the mildest means  

          Use the simplest, most effective way to remove soil/germs/dirt - start here!!!

          You can always work up to the big guns in needed... 

                        hint... disinfectants, bleaches, solvents are big guns

                        hint... microfibers, water, and mild neutral cleaners are  effectively mild means 

3.  Leave nothing behind... not chemicals, no soil, no polishes, no creams … nothing

            Products left behind can lead to more work, they cross contaminate and

                   add work, toxins and muck to your day.

            If you are going to leave anything behind as you clean... let it be love

6 simple steps to creating a safe place to heal

This Wednesday I had the honor of speaking at the Pierce County Cancer Survivorship Conference.  Here is a quick summary of my talk.  For everyone attending my presentation, thank you for creating such an engaging and fun class. And to all the volunteers and sponsors, wow- great event- thank you!

   6 simple habits to creating a safe home to heal

1.  Clean residue free   Cleaning is the action of removal,   Sometimes we forget the simple.  Cleaning is simply removing from a surface what isn't part of that surface.  When your cleaning is complete, the only thing that should be left behind is the surface.
       Start with the mildest means and use the process of: wash, rinse and dry.   Adding the technology of effective microfibers makes cleaning more effective without leaving a residue behind.  Think removal and think twice about reaching for disinfecting wipes for your daily cleaning.

2.  Wash up-  One of the best and easiest ways to minimize exposure to germs and viruses is simply washing your hands.  Rub hands together for 20 seconds wash, rinse and dry
       Wash hands as soon as you return home from being out and about in the public
       Wash hands before you eat
       And of course wash up after using the bathroom;-)

3.  Fresh air is essential to life!  Make a point to open up your windows and doors.  Our homes need to breathe just like we do.  There needs to be fresh air in every day.  Homes are absolutely healthier with fresh air flowing in and tired air flowing out.  Think fresh air- not air fresheners or synthetic fragrances.
     Open windows and doors at least once per day- breathe in
     Run exhaust fans, open windows - breathe out

4.  Unclutter your home.  When your home is all tangled up and out of order, it is hard to truly relax.  When you unclutter your home your nervous system has a chance to relax. When you are relaxed you rest and heal better.  By cleaning  and decluttering your home you are rebooting it.  It has the same effect as unplugging your computer for 60 seconds.  ahhhhh exhale.....)))))))

5.  Create sacred spaces.  Surround yourself with people, pets and things you love.  When you look around and everything you see is nourishing you are happier.  You feel nourished and supported.  This is how you should feel.  Let go of things that drain you.  Less is more

6.  Bring nature inside and go outside.  There have been some excellent studies showing how patients heal faster when they can see nature.  We tend to spend 80-99% of our time indoors.  At the very least bring a bit of nature inside with fresh flowers and plants.  Open up windows and let nature be part of your home.  Go outside. Spend time outside, sitting, walking and being.

When we are happy and relaxed we give our body, mind and spirit a chance to heal.  If you would like further training in cleaning, uncluttering, creating sacred space call on me anytime.  Wishing you all deep breaths, joyful days and nourishing spaces,
              Thank you,
                      Denise Frakes

Evolve your cleaning and happiness

Today, I'm sharing with you a new addition to my own personal cleaning system. And yes, after 26 years as a professional cleaner and residue free specialist I'm still learning, improving my skills and upgrading my tools.

This new upgrade came from not the giant cleaning industry by a unexpected source... my mom.  A while back, my mom started raving about her window cleaning microfiber and how easy it was to clean windows: two microfibers, no product, less time and far superior results.  I was interested but I was already selling a commercial line of microfibers and figured they were the best, so I didn't think much of it. And to be honest, although I get the science of microfibers but I wasn't fond of the tacky texture or the lack of absorbing quality.
Thankfully, my mom persisted not to convince me but out of sure happiness.  Those microfibers were making her whole home easier to take care of.  I ordered two.

This past October, I was visiting her when her house cleaner showed up with two microfibers and one floor microfiber- ready to clean my mom's full house! Three microfibers- the whole house!! This got my attention!  My mom, a very good cleaner, has never been happier and spent less time of cleaning in her life.

Those two microfibers I bought?  Well, the other day I realized I had stashed them in my office for safe keeping.  Keep in mind, I had a professional cleaning company for 26 years and had access to the best products.  After much internal debate... I said to myself, Oh for heavens sake Denise, if you love them this much you should share this with your clients and community.  Residue free cleaning is my expertise.   Cleaning without residue, making your work easy and efficiently while doing no harm is what I teach and have done for 26 plus years.  And so I signed up to offer these products to you.

Now in addition to being your personal source to residue free homes, huge time saving tips and ways to create healthier homes but I can also tell you what to use and when.  I can help you save time, energy all while creating a cleaner home and healthier home.

Being able to save time and energy on your to-do cleaning list brilliant!  Creating a healthier home in the process is priceless!  Having a way to make cleaning fun- spectacular!

Lesson for the day: always listen to your mom and when you have the opportunity to make your life and the lives of others easier, healthier and less stressed... do it!!!

If you have any questions, please contact me at dfbluesky@yahoo.com.  If you would like to try these microfibers for yourself, I recommend starting with the safe haven package.  This is your best deal for getting you the microfibers I love along with the laundry package... FYI- how you care for microfibers is essential.  If you want to add a floor kit in then grab the Just add water package

If you are skeptical- I get it. But do you want to create a healthier home, save money and spend less time cleaning?  I thought so- me too;-)  Keep in mind cleaning is a system and science- learning to make a lifelong chore effortless is worth the time spent learning.  I'll be teaching residue free cleaning around Puget Sound, contact me if you want training or a class taught in your area.

Next Class- Marlene's Market Green Cleaning March 8th, 2018 6:30-8:00pm Federal Way WA
   This class is sponsored by the city of Federal Way and is open to the public

Ounce of Prevention Tip:

The best defense is good prevention.  Keep viruses out of your home is easier than getting over a cold or the flu.  A few years ago when the H1N1 virus was a major health concern, the CDC ( Center for Disease Control) put out a bulletin with their top prevention tips.  I remember being surprised to see washing your hands as one of their top tips.  I expected some brilliant insight of unexpected wisdom but no it was simply:  wash your hands.

Hand washing reminders:
   Wash hands as soon as you return home from being in public.
          Make it a habit of washing your hands as soon as you walk in the door
   Wash your hands before eating
         This includes- eating in the car, fast food restaurants and snacking
    When you wash your hands- wash for 20 seconds
         Wash- rinse and dry

I know so simple and yet when you don't get the flu it's priceless!!!!!

Wishing you all health and vitality this winter!!
          Denise
  

Disinfecting wipes are the fast food in cleaning

    Disinfecting wipes:  uuugh...heavy sigh....deep breath....   Disinfecting wipes are like fast food:  easy, available and effortless.  But instead of high fructose corn syrup these wipes use pesticides.  Yup, our daily disinfecting wipes are monitored by the EPA and classified as a pesticide.  Crazy right???

    Today, I got an email update from the Women's Voices website on the concerns of disinfecting wipes.  I'm sharing it with you because it is indeed a message that should be heard!  Women's voices is a fantastic website full of solid research and helpful wisdom.
                                  click here to connect to Women's voices site and the article

  As it turns out the lesson I learned 25 years ago still holds true.  Be very careful and aware when using products that kill something- aka germ killers, mold killers, pesticides etc.  Because... and this is a huge point ... they kill or damage living organisms.  And we are in fact a living organism!
                                             
 Before you panic about germs and how to avoid keep this in mind:
     In most situations removal of germs/soil is a much healthier way of creating a safe environment than the killing germs.

Here is a wonderfully simple alternative for you:  Use Residue Free cleaning 
   1. Thoroughly wipe surface down with a damp towel and a little mild cleaner or a damp microfiber-            Rub back and forth
                Mild cleaners: dish washing liquid, liquid castle soap, baby wipes
  2.   Rinse with a moist/wet, clean towel, microfiber or even paper towel - Rub back and forth
  3.   Dry surface again rub back and forth

In this three step process you are loosening the soil/germs and breaking surface tension.  Then rinsing and removing the cleaner and germs/soil.   Finally with drying, you further remove the cleaner, soil/germs and moisture.  Leaving your surface clean and free of residue

After all, cleaning is the removal of germs, soil, etc not the addition of chemicals.

   By the way, I am not against disinfectants.  In some situations they can be life saving.  What I am against is using disinfectants daily, without reading, following the label and most importantly out of habit or fear.  This is unnecessary and total overkill.

  Cleaning is a science and an art.  Learn how to clean for the health of home and family.  We teach residue free cleaning which focuses on the science and actual system of cleaning.  Call if you would like to schedule a presentation or consult.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and simply clean home,
            Denise
 

An Ounce Of Prevention blog- Where did it come from?

    This blog, an ounce of prevention, was created after numerous phone calls from stressed clients.  The stress came from damaged done from cleaners or restorative chemicals- damaged that could have totally been prevented with just a smidgen of help.  And so I created this blog.  I wanted to give that smidgen of help to prevent what could be prevented.

   This afternoon, I'm working on an upcoming presentation for Piece County's Cancer Survivor Conference.  My class will be all about prevention.  Preventing stress and unnecessary chemical exposure.  In our world of speed and ease, sometimes our health gets lost in the dust.  If a splash of prevention will alleviate even a speck of stress or damage I will talk until the cows come home.

 If you are interested in attending this conference click here for more information

    As I'm gathering my key points, a lovely lady called me today.  As we were chatting, she shared with me her own frustrations with "normal old" cleaners.  She had used a "household" chemical that ended up causing her to be over exposed to a nasty little chemical - which gave her asthma!  This is not uncommon and actually a pretty high insistence in the cleaning/restoration/building industries.  While on the phone, she also told me about a friend who lost her eye from working with a toilet bowl cleaner!  I would love to say, these are rare incidences but I can't.

   What is true is that we have all gotten so used to using chemicals in our food, on our bodies, to clean with to paint with, to make and to create with that we are not weary any more.  These products that are sold in our grocery stores, just a couple isles down from our food, must be safe...Right???

   Here is what I know:  
      We as a society use way too much chemical to get most jobs done- needlessly
     These chemicals are usually over kill for the job- too aggressive and too dangerous
     We have stopped using systems and physics but now rely only on the strength of chemical to get the
               job done
      Many chemicals:
               especially cleaners, pesticides, paints, disinfectants and fragrances are sprayed into our air
      Chemicals get accidentally mixed together all the time
      We are habitual by nature and become desensitized to what we are around all the time
      The labels, which are not great but still helpful, are rarely read or followed
      Safety measures are rarely implemented
      Change takes effort and so finding safer alternatives gets put on the back burner of our long to do lists
      We forget to ask questions about our chemicals- what, why, how, when, where????
      We apply lots of chemical and then leave them behind....
       We don't know where to start or how to use safer products and so we give up

    I'm not against modern improvements and our business is based on using chemicals to assist our work.  But what I am against is not pausing those few seconds to ponder our next step. It is in those precious seconds of questioning our next move, of listening to the little voice within, of pausing to ask for help that makes all the difference in the world.

   If you can, please come visit my upcoming presentations. 
                  If you cant, then I ask you a favor?...

 Before you use a chemical in your home or on your body...

1.  Pause - learn to pause and ask questions
             What are you using?
              Why are you using it?  How long have you used it? How do you feel when you use it?
              What is it?  What is in it?  What is that?
              Have I read the label- do I understand this product?
              Is there a better, safer, milder product or way to go forward?

2. Practice Doing no harm- always use the mildest and safest way
             Is this product safe for me, the environment, the material I'm working with?
             How am I using it?  Did it get into mouth, get on my skin or into my lungs?
             Is there a safer way?  Can I prevent needing this product?

3.  Leave nothing behind!  
            What is lingering behind?
            Did I remove this product-completely?
            How do I feel?

4.  Go outside and breathe
           Unplug for just a second and go outside.  Breathe in fresh air, look at the sky, the trees the water
           We typically spend 80-90% percent of our time indoors
           Our homes are usually 2-5 times more toxic than the outdoors.
           Sometimes our best solution is to look at life from a new angle.

Hope to see you on Sept 13th!  As always, wishing you a healthy, happy and residue free home!
        Denise
         

   
           

How to prevent moldy toes, soap scum on your skin and an ugly shower!

       Showers are part of everyday life.  But do you ever wonder why our skin doesn't have the same chronic soil conditions as our showers:  mold, soap scum, hard water deposits and itty bitty dust bunnies?

    The only reason we don't have soap scum on our tummies and mold between our toes is because we rinse and dry our skin with every shower. If we didn't and treated our skin as we treat our showers, we would have a bad skin epidemic on our hands!  Well, maybe not an epidemic but we would definitely be itchier humans.

3 miraculous things happen when we rinse and dry our showers after each use:

      1.  Hard water deposit build up is minimized

      2.  Soap scum build up is minimized as is mold food

      3.  Less moisture means less mold, mold thrives in moist areas!

      My husband was just telling me about a conversation he had earlier this week.  Our client was wondering if you could in fact clean a shower with mild cleaners- neutral pH.  The answer to that depends on when you clean.  If you rinse and dry after each shower, then you can use the very mildest of products because nothing has set up.  Think about your kitchen dinner dishes and a meal of eggs, pasta or oatmeal.  If you rinse as soon as you are done eating, the process is quick and easy.  If these foods sit up over night, we all know they can turn into concrete!  Soap scum is like concrete on steroids!

     In cleaning, most damage is done by using too aggressive of cleaners or scratching pads (green pad).  Not only do we damage our beautiful showers by what we use to clean, we also damage ourselves.  The cleaners we usually buy to clean our showers tend to be dangerous to our lungs, skins and eyes, they are often acidic, high alkaline or very reactive like bleach.

     Did you know an acidic cleaner will eat away most grout joints and damage many natural stones?  Did you know mixing acids and bleaches cause caustic gasses?  Did you know showers tend to have poor ventilation but most cleaners want you to use in a well ventilated area! 

     The secret to being healthy, having a beautiful shower, minimizing your family's chemical exposure and keeping your shower in great shape is easier than you think.

     5 tips for the incredibly effective daily maintenance of a shower!

1.      Before you turn on your shower - turn on your exhaust fan!                                                             

         Let your exhaust fan run a full 60 minutes after your shower

           This step removes the humidity from your shower that can lead to mold

           Keeping the relative humidity down in the NW also pays big dividends for healthy homes.

2.   After showering

         Rinse the walls, door and shower pan with water

            Hand held shower heads are perfect for this step

            This step removes the soap and personal care products you used from your shower

3.   After showering

        Dry off your showers with either a towel or squeegee.

        If you only squeegee, you will be re-depositing the soap down the walls, into the grout joint and onto your shower pan- creating a surprisingly thick build up of soap scum.

       I personally like to dry with a towel as it gets the details better and I can dry fixtures off at the same time.

4.  Open up shower doors or curtains to let air flow.

     If you close up your shower tight, this will greatly delay your drying- if not stop it completely.

5.  Use the mildest means possible to clean!

      And when you clean your shower: use mild cleaners!  A good choice is a neutral stone and tile cleaner.  Another product which works wonderfully is dish washing liquid.  Dish washing liquid usually has a neutral pH and is already a product you have on stock. (Make sure to dilute or you will have bubbles galore!)

     Also, use a microfiber, wash mitt or wash cloth and rub your shower to break the surface tension- releasing the soil/soap from the walls.

    In our family the rule of thumb is:  Last one in dries the shower.  This daily process takes minimal time and effort but pays huge- gigantic- enormous benefits in the long run!  You will have a squeaky clean shower.  Your shower will last much longer and look better.  You will not need to use or even buy those harsh shower cleaners and on cleaning day- cleaning your shower is a snap!

   If you need help getting your shower back to clean, feel free to call on us.  We specialize in cleaning natural stone, tile and grout.  With our 23 plus years of cleaning experience we can get your shower back to beautiful!

  As always, wishing you and your family a healthy and happy home!

Denise Frakes

Co- Owner of Blue Sky Service: Stone and Tile Care

Certified Healthy home specialist

Residue free and green cleaning specialist

Begin with the end in mind... Leave nothing behind

Yesterday, I sent out our first ever e-newsletter!! For all visiting our blog site today, welcome!

I think and study about cleaning, health, homes and even the philosophy of cleaning more than any normal person. But like us all, I'm not normal, normal doesn't really exist. I believe normal falls in the same category as perfection. They are both like a spring breeze, lovely to think about but try to hold on too tight and you will squeeze the breeze right out.

Why do I think about our homes and health so much? Because I believe every family has the right to be joyfully, healthy and happy. When we are sick, lacking energy or depressed this right is like the spring breeze, it is gone and becomes a distant longing. If I can shed a little light and health back into your life and your families lives, then all my my abundantly normal time spent learning and contemplating will be worth every second.

Today, I want to continue visiting with you about creating a Residue Free Home. My last couple blogs have talked about the basics of a residue free home. This blog is looking at the final principle which is... leave nothing behind. Stephen Covey in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, says "begin with the end in mind". This is exactly what we want to do in the care of our homes: Begin with the end in mind. The end is leaving our homes free of unwanted toxins, allergens, irritants and contaminates.

If there is one common that has followed Dallas and I in our 20 years + in cleaning is RESIDUE! The number one thing we see or see signs of, is residue left behind. Residue is often cleaners or chemicals over applied, sprayed around, mixed and unsuccessfully removed. When you spray a cleaner, fragrance, an aerosol, a pesticide, paint, disinfectant, perfume, or hair spray..... where does it all go?

In green cleaning, the focus is usually on safer products. I'm all for that!! But what is not usually talked about is the method those products are used. Of course, we start with the mildest and safest means possible in our cleaners and products but this is not the whole story. How we use and how often we use those products matters a great deal!! Unless we are putting oxygen into our air, then strive to leave nothing unwanted behind.

Here are three easy ways to minimize residue left behind
1. Do not spray chemicals into the air- minimize exposure
2. Open up windows, turn on exhaust fans - removes chemicals and allergens
3. Rinse and dry - make sure there is always a removal process

Of course, I will be writing more on residue free homes but these three ways will get you started. The air we breath is essential to our vibrant health. Keep your home's air clean, fresh and free of unwanted chemicals, allergens etc.

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home
Denise
Co-Owner of Blue Sky Services
Certified Healthy Home Specialist with NCHH

Don't fall for the spray and destroy method of cleaning

One of the scariest constants I have seen over my last 20 years has been the over use of cleaners.

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There is a billion dollar industry out there trying to help us decide to buy their cleaners because we need their cleaners. Help and need are the key words. Help is actually a huge marketing plan to convince us that we can not live with out their products. Need is truly in the eye of the seller. If you listen to commercials you would think your life will come to an end if you don't disinfect your mirrors, wipe up any germs that dare enter your home and remove any trace of living from your home.

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The fact is you do not need 15 different cleaners in your home. Most cleaners you pick up at the grocery store are what I would call restorative cleaners. They are meant to spray and destroy. The spray and destroy method is not healthy for your home or your surfaces.

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For the next couple of months, we are going to help show you a new way to have a healthy home, a clean home and a long lasting home. We are not a billion dollar industry and we do not recommend the spray and destroy method, what you will find is a very passionate company trying to help prevent damage- to you and your home. Stay tuned!!

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Wishing you a healthy and happy home,

Denise

H1N1 Prevention Series #2: Disinfectants

This is part two of our series on the prevention of flu and colds in your home. Of course there are never any guarantees you or your family will not get sick, but if you can prevent a cold or worse then why not?

My heart sank as I heard the mounting worry of the swine flu. It wasn't so much the flu but the fear of what comes with this news - wild and aggressive disinfecting. It has been our experience most disinfectants are over used and not used correctly. Don't get me wrong in certain situations disinfecting and killing germs is important but here is what usually happens.

1- Disinfectants are often used incorrectly, which means they don't do what you are expecting them to do - kill viruses and germs.
2- Disinfectants are overused. Disinfectants are meant to kill living organisms. In case you forgot: you, your kids and pets are also living organisms. Spraying in the air,over your head and on every surface can be detrimental to you and your home's health.
3- The directions and labels are often not read or followed carefully.

Disinfectants can be detrimental to your health if not used safely and correctly.

How to best use disinfectants:
1. Make sure the disinfectant you are using kills what you are trying to kill. In the case of H1N1-swine flu strain "the EPA believes, bases on available scientific information, that the currently registered influenza A virus products will be effective against the 2009-H1N1 and other influenza A virus strains on hard, not-porous surfaces".
2. Read the labels and follow the directions. Please use caution when working with disinfectants. Mix and use according to the labels directions- more is not better!
3. Use in targeted locations. Keeping a clean house a good practice for a healthy home. You don't need to disinfect every surface. Focus on areas where your hands touch most frequently. This would be door knobs, light switches, handles, faucets, areas around toilets. Also, use only on non-porous surfaces - not in the air or on surfaces like fabric.
4. Use your disinfectants correctly. Disinfectants work better on clean surfaces. They usually need to sit on the surface for approximately 10 minutes. Spraying and wiping are not usually effective means of disinfecting. There are some disinfectants that are both a cleaner and disinfectant together but still they work better on clean surfaces and if you read the label most still need that 10 minutes of dwell time.
5. For those of you with natural stone and sensitive surfaces check the pH of the disinfectant you are using. You don't want to damage your surfaces in the process of disinfecting.

Just like most cleaning, less is usually more. Please use carefully, follow direction and use only where needed. Think of disinfectants like you would antibiotics, use only as necessary not for everything. Sometimes thorough cleaning is all that is needed. Each disinfectant is different so read the label carefully but if possible, after the recommended dwell time rinse and dry leaving your surfaces residue free.

Sources: Antimicrobial products registered for use against the H1N1 Flu and other influenza A viruses on hard surfaces. Environmental Protection Agency

Germ Reduction and Pesticide Exposure Prevention Checklist. Healthy Schools Network

Preparing Your Organization for H1N1 Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu): Planning and prevention.