What Do You Mean When You Say Clean?

This short quiz will assess your hygienic pursuits and knowledge of the current social guidelines. Test yourself and see where you rank on our Sanitization Scale!

1. How do you usually wash your hands?

a) Am I supposed to do that?

b) A quick rinse with water does the trick.

c) I wash with soap and water. Sometimes, I don’t have time to wait for the water to warm up, so I make it fast.

d) I like to wash with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds, making sure to get around my thumbs, wrists, and under my nails.

 

2. Do you wear a mask in public and adhere to social distancing measures?

a) When I remember, I grab my mask.

b) Sometimes, I like to see what other people around me are doing. I don't want to be the only one if they aren't wearing a mask.

c) I wear the mask, but maintaining 6 feet in public places is often difficult.

d) I wear multiple masks whenever I go out and maintain 6 feet of space whenever possible.

 

3. How often do you sanitize your hands?

a) What’s hand sanitizer?

b) Occasionally, if sanitizing stations are around for me to use.

c) Before leaving and after returning to my house or car.

d) I keep it on me! I will use it before leaving my car and exiting any building.

 

4. What steps do you take when cleaning household surfaces?

a) Why bother? They’ll just be dirty again tomorrow.

b) My house, my germs! I need to quickly wipe down with a wet paper towel.

c) I like to thoroughly wipe down all the high-traffic areas of the house, like light switches or doorknobs, with cleaner, disinfectant, or hot water and soap.

d) I make sure to clean high-traffic cleaners with an EPA-registered disinfectant and sanitize objects that are touched often, such as my phone screen, the fridge door handle, and faucet handles.

 

5. If you do use an EPA-registered disinfectant? Which areas of your home or business do you apply it to?

a) Just the areas that generally get sticky or gross, like the countertops.

b) I’ll wipe down the countertops and hit the spots where we eat and in the break room.

c) I’m excellent at wiping down countertops, eating areas, break rooms, and high-traffic areas.

d) I make a point to sanitize the entire place, making sure to hit the countertops, eating areas and break rooms, high traffic areas, as well as sterilizing the handheld “hot spots” like the remotes, computers/tablets, and doorknobs.

 

6. Do you thoroughly read any and all instructions for cleaning products?

a) They’re all the same thing, right?! How different could it really be?

b) I glance over the directions, but I know the gist. Spray, wipe and repeat if necessary.

c) I take the time to read the instructions, but if it says it needs to sit, I think that’s just a suggestion.

d) I read the directions thoroughly and follow the guidelines for proper cleaning.

 

7. If your children attend school in person, what steps do you take beforehand?

a) Tell them you hope they have a great day at school.

b) Ensure they bring a mask to school and pack their lunch to help cut down on the germs of the cafeteria food.

c) Make sure they bring and wear a mask throughout the day and provide them with personal hand sanitizer.

d) Make sure they wear a mask all day, provide them with a personal hand sanitizer, check their temperature every day before school, and discuss with them the seriousness of this sickness so they can help stop the spread of it.

8. Are you current on the most recent CDC recommendations regarding keeping yourself and those around you safe from COVID-19 and other illnesses?

a) Who has time to keep up with that?!

b) I see it on the news occasionally, but otherwise, I don’t keep up.

c) I am familiar with the guidelines set by the CDC.

d) I am very aware of the guidelines set by the CDC, and I look out for changes when I hear about them.

SANITIZATION SCALE

So how clean are you?

Count up your score and see where you rank below.

A’s are +1 point B’s are +2 points

C’s are +3 points D’s are +4 points

If you scored:

1-8: You’ll need to step your game up. You and your family are at a much higher risk of sickness or disease by not following proper CDC guidelines and standard disinfecting practices. Luckily, you can change that in a few days with a few extra steps! You have some work before you can start flexing those cleaning muscles, but a little elbow grease and informed education will get you there.

9-16: You’re on the right path. Your house or workplace is taking steps to ensure you stay healthy, but with some fine-tuning to your cleaning routine, you can make the next step to total cleanliness. You’re definitely a Savvy Sterilizer.

17-24: Bacteria beware! You are taking your cleaning very seriously. Your hygiene handiwork is impressive, but with a few minor adjustments, you can slay your day and fight off infection without even breaking a sweat. You’re a Cleaning Commander.

25-32: Germs cower at your presence. You’re taking every step possible to ensure the safety of your home and workplace! You have maximized your opportunity to avoid contracting and spreading Covid-19 or other illnesses. You are a Superstar Sanitization Specialist!