Your accessories can carry coronavirus, here’s how you can keep them protected

We are all stuck indoors because of lockdown. Still, sometimes some of us have to go out because of absolute necessity, to buy medicine or grocery or some other emergencies.

We are being reminded of the important instructions such as wearing a mask, washing hands properly, the etiquette of coughing, social distancing again and again. But little do we hear about the accessories which are equally important and dear to us, can also be potential carriers of coronavirus, reports Anandabazar. 

Experts have said, watch, moneybag, mobile phone/phone cover, spectacles, spectacles box, jewellery etc have a high tendency of transmitting the virus into our body. That's why having concerns about keeping them safe is a must.

Mobile Phone

Suppose you have stepped out from your house with full precaution. But after that, if you took out your phone and used it outside, there is a high chance that germs will be transferred to your phone from your hand. The virus can also transmit to the phone while you're talking and keeping the device closer to your ear. Our ears have very little distance from our eyes, nose or mouth. So, the risk of transmission is very high from these organs.

According to virologists, mobile phone is a perfect example of "high-touch surface" which if not cleaned properly can start community transmission of viruses like Sars or Covid-19.

So, to keep your phone safe, first turn off your phone. After that, you have to rub your phone with a piece of clothing soaked into sanitiser or germicide lotion. Rub every inch of that phone very well and then leave it under the sun for a while.

Follow the same process for phone covers. You can use soap water too.

Spectacles

According to the guidelines of WHO, touching our faces make us highly susceptible to catching the virus. But for those who use spectacles, it's already a risk because this object sits right over their faces. So after cleaning your hands and face completely, clean your spectacles with soap water. After that sweep it with glass cleaning lotion by the proper glass cleaning cloths. Don't use just any piece of clothing.

For spectacle cover or boxes, clean them with soap water first then rub with sanitiser or cleaning lotion.

Moneybag/belt

Currency note is an active source of transmitting the virus. Since our moneybags carry them, there is a high risk of exposing ourselves to the virus through this. Both moneybags and belts are needed to be cleaned with sanitiser or soap water.

Jewelleries

Doctors have strictly advised against wearing any kind of jewellery at this moment. But if you have to wear it for some reason, then clean these with extra caution. Because bacteria and virus can get stuck within every fold and corner of our precious jewellery.

Rings, earrings, bangles are needed to be cleaned with a brush soaked with sanitiser. The brush has to go every inch of the jewellery to remove the germs. Then keep them under the sun to get dried.

Here you need to be careful about not using the sanitiser which is made of methyl alcohol. Instead, look for sanitisers which are made with ethyl alcohol because methyl is poisonous. It could act reversely.