Covid-19 - This Is How Long Coronavirus Stays on Any Surface
Did you ever wonder how exposed to Covid-19 (coronavirus) you might be when touching a surface others have touched before you and how long the virus can survive on a surfaces?
We are only just now starting to see the first research on how long the virus can stay alive outside the human body.
If you recently had visitors or borrowed books or chrome books from school, or went out grocery shopping, new studies clearly show that we need to be cautious.
Although we’re all in lock-down, studies show that Covid-19 (coronavirus) can stay alive for many days, which, especially for children, could end up in their mouths.
It is important to note that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), touching a surface or object with the virus and then touching your own face "is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads". Even so, the CDC, the World Health Organization and other health authorities, have emphasised that both washing your hands and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily are key in preventing Covid-19's spread.
If your child’s books from school, plastic toys, kitchen appliances or any other household item has been touched by a number of visitors in the last week, now is the time to do a clean.
Corona virus will stay alive much longer on certain materials and surfaces
We have studied new research coming out, and in the table below we have put together an overview for you, on how long the virus will last on different surfaces when measured at room temperature.
Copper alloy kills virus quickly while plastic can retain it up to 6 days
| Surface Type | Persistence |
| Copper | 4 h |
| Aluminum | 2-8 h |
| Steel | 48 h |
| Disposable gowns | 2 d |
| Wood | 4 d |
| Glass | 4 d |
| Paper | 4-5 d |
| Metal | 5 d |
| Silicon rubber | 5 d |
| Ceramic | 5 d |
| Teflon | 5 d |
| PVC | 5 d |
| Plastic | 6-9 d |
A study from the American Society for Microbiology shows that Covid-19 (coronavirus) only lives up to 4 hours on a copper alloy surface.
The opposite is true for plastic. PVC is often referred to as the most dangerous plastic of all times, and as these studies show, it is also one of the most accommodating environments for Covid-19 (coronavirus) to stay alive.
There's plastic and PVC in more things than you know (like your phone case), so we've put together a list for you below, so you know where to focus your efforts.
Make sure to disinfect these PVC items in your home to avoid the spread of a virus:
Household:
Cling Wrap
Shower Curtains
Bath Mats
Tablecloths
Place Mat
Credit Cards
Pond Liners
Wall Coverings including wall paper, wall decals for nursery or kid’s rooms
Fake Christmas Trees
Strollers and Car Seats
Toys
Water beds
Labels and Stickers
Photo Album Sheets
Mattress Covers
Imitation Leather Furniture
Cleaning product containers
Pet care product containers
Modelling Clay (Child Toy)
Apparel:
Your phone cover
Bibs
Aprons
Shoes / Boots
Bags / Luggage / Diaper Bags / Backpacks with rain protective coating
Rain Gear: boots, jackets, pants, gloves, hats
T-shirts with shiny PVC prints
Watchbands
Outdoor Items:
Balls
Children’s Swimming Pools
Garden Hoses
Greenhouses
Inflatable Furniture
Pond Liners
Greenhouse and Cold Frames
Tarps
Kitchen Items:
Drinking Straws
Dish Racks
Food Wrap
Plastic Bags
Food Storage Containers
Make sure to clean your surfaces as the virus is now shown to hang around for days
It’s clear that the virus has an ability to stay alive for quite a while, so the need for good hygiene and cleaning is stronger than ever. We hope this has created a bit of clarity as it can be hard to know if you’re doing the right thing when disinfecting your home. It’s good to keep in mind even in non-virus times to avoid the spread of sickness at home.
If you’d like to know more about what to look out for when choosing a disinfectant, please read the next blog in this series.
This was the first blog in a series of three, where we present our study of recent research and how to best clean your home for a virus.
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