How to clean your phone, home, and hands to prevent coronavirus spread

Clorox and Lysol wipes work, but bleach sprays are the most effective.

While cleansing your entire house can seem like a daunting task, the CDC recommends prioritizing cleaning "high-touch" areas like door knobs, light switches, tables, and cell phones first before moving into the rest of the house.

Rather than focusing on cleaning — removing germs from surfaces with soap and water — and disinfecting — using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces — at the same time, the CDC also recommends focusing on cleaning first before circling back to disinfect.

A new study found that the virus lived up to nine days on surfaces, making it imperative to clean and disinfect as thoroughly as possible.

Clorox and Lysol wipes are effective in keeping coronavirus off surfaces, they aren't the best way to protect yourself from catching it.

Instead, spray products like bleach and Lysol can be effective to disinfect most surfaces. For people looking for more natural cleaners, Business Insider recommends buying Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner (3-pack), $11.85, available at Amazon.

Wash your laundry at the highest possible heat.

Use the warmest appropriate water setting for washing the items and let them dry completely afterward.

If you're not using gloves when washing dirty laundry, make sure to wash your hands afterwards.

Also, consider washing the laundry bag that holds your clothes, as that surface can also collect germs and viruses.

Wear gloves and make sure you have quality ventilation when you clean.

The CDC recommends using latex gloves to while you disinfect household surfaces.

If you're using reusable gloves, don't use them for other purposes, and clean your hands immediately after the gloves are removed. Peel the gloves away from your body, pulling them inside out, and try not to let the outside of the glove touch your skin.

Wash your hands for 20 seconds or more with quality hand soap.

According to the CDC, our best defense against the coronavirus is washing our hands for at least 20 seconds.

For those of us who have trouble keeping track of time, that's about the same length as the "Happy Birthday" song sung twice or the chorus to "Juicy" by Doja Cat.

Because scrubbing your hands with soap and warm water is essential in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, your choice of soap is not light decision.

The best overall hand soap Business Insider recommends is a six-pack of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Scented Hand Soap for $28.24 on Amazon. For those of us on a budget, we recommend using a six-pack of Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap for $17.94 on Amazon.

Your smartphone carries more germs than a toilet seat — here's how to clean it.

As Business Insider recently reported, The University of Arizona found back in 2012 that cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Toilet seats are cleaned frequently; cellphones are not.

Apple says it's safe to wipe down hard, nonporous surfaces like its screen with a Clorox Disinfectant Wipe or 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, but do not submerge your phone in a cleaning product.

Avoid getting moisture in the charging port, and do not use spray cleaners on the device.

You can scrub your phone with a microfiber cloth, which can be purchased online.

There are also UV phone sanitizers like Phone Soap, which uses UV-C light to break down germs and bacteria.

Read more:

Photos capture how the US is reacting to the coronavirus outbreak, from stocking up on supplies to deep cleaning mass transit and schools

Coronavirus live updates: Nearly 97,000 people have been infected and more than 3,300 have died. The US has reported 11 deaths. Here's everything we know.

Experts urge anyone who thinks they're sick with the coronavirus to call before going to a US hospital. Here's the process for potential patients.