Right now, COVID-19 is continuing to spread from person to person, resulting in sickness and, in worse cases, death.

With each passing day, the situation seems to be getting worse, and the number of people infected continues to rise. 

To prevent people from contracting this virus, we will need to do our best to stay clean, and thankfully, there are multiple ways to do so. 

One way to keep clean is to wash your hands. According to the American Cleaning Institute, handwashing is essential because it will prevent the spread of germs.

The proper procedure for handwashing is to apply clean water to your hands; after that, use the soap and begin to scrub your hands thoroughly.  Rinse off your hands for about 20 seconds when your done scrubbing.  From there, all you would need to do is dry them off, and that’s it. 

If you need a further demonstration, many celebrities, including famous chef Gordon Ramsay posted videos online explaining how to so effectively.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent of alcohol if you find yourself in a situation in which you are unable to wash your hands with soap and water. 

Another way to keep clean is by disinfecting your home. According to WIRED, even if no one in your home is sick, it is recommended that you disinfect the place anyway to kill off any pathogens that may cause us to become ill. 

Areas that should be disinfected are doorknobs, kitchen counters, table surfaces, game controllers, TV remote, among others. To properly disinfect, you must clean the area before; that way, everything remains clean, and most of the germs will be gone. 

The CDC further reinforces the idea stating that cleaning and disinfecting are both essential, because if you use one without the other, then the germs don’t get killed.  To lower the spread of any infection, you have to do both things. 

Practicing social distancing is also another way in which you can keep clean. Don’t go out to heavily populated areas such as parks and beaches, instead remain at home if you can. I have already seen that rule implemented by some pharmacies.  When you get in line, they have placed the blue tape on the ground, letting you know where it is you need to stand. 

At airports, while waiting to get through the security checkpoint, they will instruct everyone to move back and not be so close to one another.  This prevents people from coming into contact with those who may be infected despite not displaying symptoms. 

Finally, another way of keeping clean is not to touch your face and eyes with unwashed hands. Touching your face with unwashed hands can increase the chances of contracting the virus from something that you might have touched. 

According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, people touch their faces about 23 times per hour. By touching your face that many times you have a higher chance for germs entering your mucous membranes, which can lead to infection.  If you need to touch your face for whatever reason, then make sure your hands are clean first. 

In times like this, knowing all routes to maintain cleanliness is crucial for everyone to remain healthy and free of the COVID-19.  By cleaning and keeping clean, we may be able to prevent ourselves and others from getting sick.