Advice for households with mpox cases - Information sheet - English - HE1282

How to prevent spreading mpox to others in the household

• Cover skin lesions (spots, bumps, blisters or sores) when in communal spaces or around others, using adhesive bandages (plasters), dressings or clothing such as long-sleeved tops and trousers, socks and gloves. Dispose of used bandages/dressings in a rubbish bag. Refer to the Managing rubbish section.
• Clean your hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or soap and water, and dry thoroughly using a clean towel. When doing this, it is important you have your own soap and towel that you do not share with family or other household members.
• It is important to wash your hands:
  • before and after touching lesions, changing bandages or dressings, and after changing bedding
  • before and after preparing food
  • before eating or feeding/breastfeeding
  • after using the toilet or changing nappies
  • after coughing, sneezing and/or disposing of a tissue
  • when hands are visibly dirty.
• Do not share unwashed drinking glasses/cups and eating utensils. It is not necessary for you to use separate crockery or cutlery if they are properly washed. You should wash crockery and cutlery well after use, either in a dishwasher using a full hot wash cycle or by hand with hot soapy water and leave to air dry.

Cleaning and disinfecting

The following guidance is for people with mild mpox symptoms and few lesions or lesions that can be easily covered. If you have a lot of lesions or they are difficult to cover, more thorough cleaning may be required. Your public health service team can provide advice on what you need to do.

• It is important to clean your home and its surfaces, and your laundry regularly while you have mpox and to undertake a final thorough clean of everything once your lesions have completely healed.
• You should manage your own cleaning and laundry to avoid others in the household coming into contact with infectious particles or contaminated surfaces. If the cleaning needs to be done by someone else, then they should protect themselves by wearing:
  • a well-fitting medical mask that covers their nose and mouth
  • disposable or personal washing up gloves
  • clothes that cover their skin as much as possible (e.g. long-sleeved top and full-length trousers). These should be washed (separately) as soon as possible after the cleaning has finished.
• Regularly clean and disinfect items or surfaces that have had direct contact with your lesions. 
• Clean surfaces using a damp cloth to remove dust and infectious particles. Avoid vacuuming or dry sweeping to prevent infectious particles being released into the air and spreading — if this is not possible, ensure that a mask (and if available, eye protection such as glasses) is worn while vacuuming/sweeping. To clean floors, it is best to use a damp mop.
• Disinfect surfaces and other items using normal household cleaning products or sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) products (e.g. disinfectants, bleach or cleaning wipes).
• If you have lesions on your hands, use gloves while cleaning to protect your skin from chemicals and avoid further contact with surfaces.
• After cleaning, remove and dispose of all cleaning items (i.e. cloths and gloves) into a disposable bag as described in the Managing rubbish section, then clean hands with soap and water and dry thoroughly.

Laundry

Some items of clothing may become soiled due to leakage of fluid from your skin lesions. The virus can also be passed on through linen and other laundry items you have had contact with, so it is important you have your own linen, towels and bedding and do not share, wash or store these items with others in the household.

• Avoid shaking bedding, clothing, towels and other items to prevent infectious particles from lesions and body fluids travelling in the air. When needing to change bedding, carefully lift and roll bedding in on itself.
• Place items into a bag before transferring to the washing machine. This is to reduce any infectious particles dropping/spreading into other areas of the house.
• Wash items with laundry detergent and preferably hot water (at least 70ºC) or with household bleach (a minimum of 0.05%) if using cold water. Avoid using an ‘eco’ or ‘quick wash’ cycle. Dry clothes as per normal.
• Clean all surfaces (e.g. washing machine including the lid or handle) once finished and clean hands thoroughly.
• If you need to use public laundry services or local laundromats, wash items with hot water (at least 70°C).

Managing rubbish

• Wear a mask and disposable gloves when handling any waste or rubbish that had contact with your lesions.
• Place waste in a strong disposable rubbish bag (or if you do not have one available, place the rubbish bag in a second disposable bag), tie securely, and dispose as usual with the domestic waste. Avoid filling more than three quarters full so that it can be easily and securely tied off without waste falling out or dispersing infectious particles into the air.
• Clean your hands thoroughly after handling waste or rubbish.