To deal with that horrifying knowledge — and the extra discarded skin and hair now that my wife is also working from home — I’ve been using the mattress and upholstery tools for the new Dyson V11 Outsize on the furniture as well as my usual floor vacuuming.

The $1300 V11 Outsize is an upgrade from the old V11 because the battery lasts a bit longer and the bin is much, much larger, so you don’t need to empty it as frequently while cleaning.

My apartment is pretty small, but it was still rare that I managed to get through the whole thing without needing to empty the V11 at least once, while the Outsize gets through almost one and a half cleans.

The only downside is that it’s noticeably heavier, which isn’t a problem when you’re using the usual floor attachment, but can be quite a workout when using the smaller attachments to vacuum the couch.

The best way to kill germs on fabric (like a face mask or coat that someone just coughed on) is to wash it in hot water with antibacterial detergent and then put it in the dryer.

But if you don’t have a dryer, your fabric is dry clean only, or you’re in a rush, using a steamer like the Tefal Access Steam Care Handheld Steamer will kill 99.9 per cent of germs and get the wrinkles out (and works on furniture and curtains).

There hasn’t been much research done yet on how long the new coronavirus lives on fabric, but other studies have shown that germs survive longer on cotton and wool than smoother synthetic fabrics.

As we’re spending more time looking at screens in order to feel some kind of connection and escape our own existential angst at the state of the world — not to mention the disenfranchised grief for all we’ve lost — our touchscreens, keyboards and remotes are becoming even grosser than usual.

We all know the fun fact about how our phone screens are seven times dirtier than a toilet seat, or nearly 12 times dirtier than a pet’s food bowl.

But while we’re all obsessively washing our hands, and maybe our phones, we’re probably all forgetting our Nintendo Switches, iPads, keyboards, TV remotes, and other frequently touched stuff.

Probably the best way to clean those items is with one of those specially designed UV light boxes. But everything I can find about those is fairly America focussed, and they don’t seem to be widely available in Australia. [Update: Since the publication of this article, the Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency has warned UV lamps are not recommended for home use.]

Another option is making your own antibacterial slime that can get into the nooks and crannies of the device without getting stuck there, but you’d have to feel extremely confident in your slime making skills to not worry about destroying your device.

There used to be a really good commercial option available, but that’s either sold out everywhere or discontinued.

The final option isn’t as efficient, but will still get you at least most of the way.

Laser has a range of antibacterial alcohol wipes designed for devices, and a computer cleaning kit with a can of compressed air, screen cleaning solution, a keyboard cleaning tool and a lint free cloth.

It’ll get the chunks out and get it as disinfected as it can be without damaging the device (if used correctly).

The last fun fact is perhaps the funnest, though. While the urge to become afraid of all germs and hide is especially strong right now, germs are everywhere and a part of life.

They help build up your immune system, and you’ll never fully escape them no matter what you do.

So, keep washing your hands, clean everything within reason, follow government guidelines, and avoid touching public touch screens (you don’t want to know the fun facts about those). We’ll get through this.