How would YOU disinfect your new apartment if the last tenant died of an illness? (condo, how much)

[Gauss44]

I figure that dying and moving unfortunately are common enough to make this a worthwhile thread.

Here's my plan:

1. Mix a gallon of water with a tablespoon bleach:
Then use it to wipe down all sinks, everything in the kitchen
(Then dump the bucket out and make a fresh bucket by the same ratio of bleach and water.)
Use it to wipe down the shower and bathroom, starting with the cleaner areas and ending with the dirtiest.

2. After that I plan to dump a little pure bleach down each drain.

3. Next, I plan to wipe out all the closets and shelves with pinesol and water.

4. And last, I plan to take some alcohol and wipe off the doorknobs.

(I'm not sure if the carpets were washed, but I might steam clean them too.)

What would you do? Or how would you clean? Have I missed or overlooked anything?

(Personally, I find it untactful and insensitive to ask about what he died from. I would rather just clean it up well, offer condolences, and be a good tenant.)

[495neighbor]

Boiling saltwater kills most germs. Actually, hot water itself does.

I would say some diluted bleach to clean the bathroom floor couldn't hurt.

If the name is still on the mailbox or hallway directory, you could try web searching the name and the town for an obituary. Although, cause of death is on fewer and fewer obituaries these days.

[Gauss44]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Boiling saltwater kills most germs. Actually, hot water itself does.

I would say some diluted bleach to clean the bathroom floor couldn't hurt.

If the name is still on the mailbox or hallway directory, you could try web searching the name and the town for an obituary. Although, cause of death is on fewer and fewer obituaries these days.

That's a great idea and I did that. The obituary* confirmed it was an illness. Come to think of it, even if it wasn't, it's probably always a good idea to clean/disinfect just in case.

(Again, for anyone reading this, I don't mean to be insensitive, just think it's wise to take precautions.)

*I might also add that the obituary has me feeling sorry for the family. The last tenant seemed like an amazing person from what I read.

[Bob Lanata]

Gauss, I believe that you got it and it is not insensitive, just reality. Some may find it a bit uneasy.

We will all go that path someday, just some before us. My respects to his/her life

[timberline742]

A regular cleaning like any other place and air it out, no reason to be paranoid. People are crazy germ phobic these days with purell, and anti biotic this and that... counter productive.

[AbrasaxEos]

I mean, illness can mean a lot of different things. If it was cancer, or a cirrhotic liver, or heart disease - probably not a problem and you could just clean normally as you would for anyone who moved out. If you suspect though that it was something infectious, or involving blood-borne pathogens, I would consider a professional cleaning service who is familiar with treating residential spaces so as to eliminate these kind of things. I agree that people are a bit germ-phobic these days, and if he was just older and died of something only lightly infectious, then what you have above would probably be fine. However, was a coroner's assistant for a few years, and if you are dealing with something with moderate virulence, you would be surprised at (a) how much it can spread from coughing, sneezing, vomiting, etc. (b) how long pathogens can lie dormant, even on inert surfaces.

Also, remember that there is a difference between sanitizing and disinfecting. The former eliminates most of the pathogens that can cause problems, and the latter all. The dilution of bleach that you have above is a sanitizing one, to disinfect, it needs to be higher (you need to check on the percentage to determine it exactly, but for 5-6% bleach it is usually .5 cup to 1 gal.).

[SpringMom3]

Was it something contageous or not? if not contageous i would do a regular home cleaning. if it was, i would hire a crew.

[Gauss44]

As they say, "BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY."

To be clear, I'm not "worried" but I would like suggestions about how to sanitize this apartment. I like to make responsible decisions and err on the side of caution. I believe it is the responsible thing to do to make sure that the apartment has been properly sanitized for my own sake and for the sake of my visitors and their children (who like to come over and play my Wii). My problem is that I don't know how to properly sanitize. In the OP, I made an educated guess.

[anniefinboston]

Hi Gauss,

You are very industrious! I'd hire someone. Here's feedback, as requested...

Re. 1) bleach/water - If you want to actually disinfect using bleach: the ratio is 1/2 c reg. bleach per 1 gal water. This can be used to disinfect all nonporous surfaces - counters/floors/walls/doorknobs etc. You could use it in closets etc., if you really want to disinfect. ...be careful if you use another chemical combo to clean; do not mix any other chemicals into the bleach water; ammonia and bleach mixed together release toxic vapors.
Re. 2) drains - bleach will do it, though be careful with the kitchen sink, if it has a garbage disposal. For the kitchen, if it has a disposal, I'd cut up a few lemons and put them down the drain with lots of ice, run the disposal, and repeat. With all the other drains I'd run hot water for a while (anywhere from 2 min to 5 min.), then carefully put a good cup or two of bleach down the drain - let sit overnight. Run the hot water for a while the next morning. This process can also be used for the kitchen sink, after you've cleared its drain (with the lemon and ice trick) though do not run the disposal while there's bleach in the sink and rinse with lots and lots of hot water.
Re. 3) closets - see my comments above. Not really sure you need to disinfect the closets, but if you want to then I'd recommend staying with your bleach water.
Re. 4) doorknobs - Use the bleach water for sure.

2nd last to note - bleach will not disinfect if mixed in a lower ratio. There are other ways to disinfect surfaces if you want, ways that are more eco-friendly, though most experts rely on bleach as the tried and true. When using the bleach water consider disinfecting rooms in sections. Wipe down surfaces, using a large sponge or cloth that has generous amounts of the mix (don't fully wring the sponge/cloth); let that sit on the surfaces for a few minutes before wiping the mixture off (some folks use a second bucket, with plain water; others just use a whole lot of paper towels t wipe the surfaces dry). I recommend this method because bleach disinfects after it's been on a surface for a few minutes (I think it may be 3min?).

Lastly: bleach will stain clothes - good luck

[K.Uni]

Did he died inside the apt? :O I would be very freaked out...