As we start to get used to the 'new normal', it's easy to become complacent about hygiene. Yet now, more than ever, it's important to stay vigilant when it comes to keeping your home safe and sanitised. Here we've rounded up some great ideas to help you and your family stay well – from clever cleaning hacks and innovative technology to easy habits to incorporate into your daily routine.

There are numerous ways to keep your interior germ-free, but one of the most effective is freshening up the air in your living spaces. While products like Dyson's air treatment purifiers use filters to capture 99.9% of microscopic allergens, pollutants and germs, so too can certain indoor plants. Plants can naturally remove toxins from the air and pump out clean oxygen, helping you create a healthy environment. Opt for a weeping fig, a golden pothos or a rubber fig, Patch Plants suggests.

Wiping down surfaces may make them look sparkling, but it's important to remember that there's a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Bacteria and viruses are often left behind (and spread around) if you aren't disinfecting at the same time. The good news is that you don't have to splash out on pricey cleaners – a diluted bleach formula (four teaspoons of bleach to a litre of water) will do the trick.

You can also take your cleaning regime one step further, with self-cleaning technology. Enough to help you create a Covid-free space, Nanoselfclean’s innovative wrap product is designed to protect high traffic touchpoints around the home. Using a patented formula, the company’s self-adhesive touchpads can be added to door handles or light switches and use light to oxidise bacteria on surfaces. The self-cleaning coating lasts between three and six months. Other tech includes self-cleaning toilet brushes, taps and showerheads.

Did you know that microbes can double in number every 20 minutes? Proven to significantly reduce the growth of harmful bacteria, antimicrobial paint can prevent germs from multiplying. Products include Microsafe by Hanford+Green, which is proven to be effective against SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, and Paint Shield® by Sherwin-Williams, which kills 99.9% of viruses within two hours of exposure on painted surfaces. How nifty is that?

You don't have to boil-wash all of your clothes, towels and bedding but there are a few ways to stop viruses spreading from your fabrics and sheets. First, don't shake your laundry before you put it in the machine as it could disperse the virus into the air. Next, wash your hands after you've finished loading, and finally, don't leave wet laundry in the machine – this bad home habit allows any remaining germs to multiply.

Whether you're feeling unwell or not, you should always use a tissue to blow your nose or cough into. It's important to dispose of any tissues in a closed bin that you don't have to touch to open. A pedal bin is ideal, or if you have a larger budget, opt for one with a sensor that's motion-activated.

Opening a window is the easiest way to control germs in your home. It helps to flush out indoor contaminants, including airborne infections, and it'll do your body good in general. Even if it's chilly outside, try opening windows at either end of your home every day for 20 minutes. Before 10am and after 9pm is best, as the outside air will be less polluted. Keeping a trickle vent open year-round is also a good idea.

Minimising contact with those outside your household is key, especially in shops and supermarkets. Self-scan checkouts might have seemed arduous pre-lockdown but now they're a good way of limiting contact with cashiers. Take your own reusable bags too – it's better for the environment and they'll come into less contact with germs than the store's carriers.

While it's tempting to open parcels straight away, it's a good idea to let them sit for a few days in a porch or inside by the door. With general post, as soon as you pick it up, open and read it and then bin the envelopes. Wash your hands immediately for 20 seconds – take a photo of letters with your phone if required, then file them away and rewash your hands.

Want squeaky-clean floors? Time to upgrade from a mop or steam mop to a hard floor cleaner. These clean much like a carpet washer, vacuuming, washing and drying your floors as they go. When combined with an antibacterial solution, they're a sure-fire way to leave floors hygienically clean and free of harmful microbes.

Just as a chopping board can harbour invisible bacteria, so too can fabrics. While getting your laundry regime right is essential, so too is being regular with washing. During these times it's recommended that you wash your bed sheets every three days, since materials can collect germ particles. The same goes for hand towels and dish sponges – and don't forget about those cushions and throws that might not have been washed for years.

The chances of catching coronavirus from your dog or cat are low, however, it's a good idea to always wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets. As well as minimising any potential virus risk, it protects you against bacteria that can pass between pets and humans, such as E.coli and salmonella.

There's more than one good reason to kick your shoes off at the door after a long day – not only does it help to prevent dirt being tracked through your home, but can keep potentially harmful microbes away from your main living spaces. Put your hallway to good use by popping a stool by the door for removing your shoes, along with a storage unit that can accommodate the whole family's footwear.

If you don't fancy relying on new-found technology, then consider the places around your home that are touched frequently. Handles are probably among the top five. Soap (or washing-up liquid) and water will do the trick on a regular basis, but to disinfect, use a diluted bleach solution. The same applies for anywhere else that you touch often – light switches, keyboards, remotes and taps are all popular hiding places for germs.

While plush toys can be popped in the weekly wash, bath toys and solid plastic toys, such as blocks, bricks and rings are best cleaned in the dishwasher. Secure larger toys between the prongs, put small toys in a mesh bag and select the sanitising cycle. If you don't have a dishwasher you can wash them by hand in hot, soapy water, adding one or two teaspoons of bleach to the water and leaving them to soak for five minutes to sanitise.

Whether it's a home delivery or groceries brought home from the supermarket, you can take extra precautions by wiping down packaging with reusable wipes or paper towels soaked in a sanitising solution. It's important not to use any chemicals or cleaning products on fresh loose produce like fruit and veg. Instead, leave these items to quarantine for 72 hours, then wash thoroughly before preparing.

Rather than have guests traipse through the house to reach your garden when restrictions allow, ask friends and family to come through a side gate. This reduces the amount of foot traffic through your home and the number of people touching surfaces. Why not make your garden gate more inviting by adding a fresh coat of paint?

You might think that an occasional wipe over with an antibacterial product is fine for keeping your phone or tablet germ-free, but our gadgets are often the most handled items in our homes and can accumulate a shocking amount of harmful microbes. Rather than burning through packets of sanitising wipes, clean regularly with an eco-friendly lint-free cloth (like the one you'd use to clean your glasses) and a spritz of a 50/50 mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol and distilled water.

Coats aren't cleaned nearly as often as clothes so tend to harbour more dirt and particles from outside. Stop germs spreading through the rest of your home by hanging up your coat as soon as you're through the door, keeping any nasties confined to your entranceway. Short of a place to put them? Try a narrow, freestanding rack with staggered tiers.

When you wash your hands, tiny droplets of water can fly into the air. If there are bottles and sponges around the sink, the droplets can land on these objects and any viruses contained in them may survive. Decluttering limits the surface area, plus you'll also have easier access for more frequent handwashing.

It can feel wasteful to throw away an antibacterial wipe you've only used to clean one light switch, but to prevent spreading germs that the wipe's captured, the best thing to do is dispose of it before you move on to the next spot. A more environmentally friendly solution is to use eco wipes or soap and water.

Reusable bags are great for the environment but not so good when it comes to staying germ-free, so it's important to clean them. Put canvas bags in the washing machine on a hot cycle on a weekly basis and wipe the plastic ones down inside and out each time they're used with warm soapy water, paying attention to the seams. Air-dry them before you store them away.

The dirtiest places in your home aren't always where you'd imagine, so when you wipe down worktops and basins, don't neglect the other high-contact objects around your home. Bins, stove knobs, toothbrush holders and even salt and pepper shakers can be a haven for bacteria, so disinfect them or wipe over regularly with antibacterial wipes or reusable alternatives.

Knowing who's at your door without opening it is both convenient and a great tool for keeping your home virus-free. A security doorbell or video intercom makes contact-free deliveries easier and limits the number of people accessing your doorway. Many models also allow you to communicate with visitors remotely, often via apps, so you can answer the door when you're away from the house too.

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