Coronavirus—How to keep your wheelchair or walker clean

General Guidance

• Carry alcohol hand sanitizer or wet sanitizing tissues to disinfect the parts of the wheelchair or walker you touch most often.

• If you travel in a transit vehicle, try to avoid touching anything other than your walker or wheelchair.

• Wear gloves. Use disposable ones or wash reusable ones every day with soapy water.

• Make sure caregivers are staying on top of their personal hygiene to protect themselves in order to protect others. Have your caregiver wear gloves and use frequent hand washing, disinfecting counters or places you touch.

• Regularly clean any backpack or purse that touches your chair or walker.

• Wear a mask and maintain at least 6 feet social distance. Avoid crowds of people who aren’t familiar.

Specific Cleaning Instructions
To clean armpads and handles.

• Brush dirt off the handles
• Wipe with a wet towel, then dry
• Sterilize with 75% alcohol and then immediately dry

To clean any cushion.

• Vacuum it regularly
• Detach the cover by unzipping if possible
• Clean upholstery surface with mild detergent and rinse
• To remove water more quickly, place upholstery in a laundry bag and run through the spin cycle
• Then air dry

To clean the controller and joy stick.

• Wipe the surface with a wet towel and dry it
• Sterilize the surface with 75% alcohol and immediately dry it with a dry towel

Keep your walker or wheelchair clean, especially when leaving your home and returning.  Attending to this may decrease the chance that Coronavirus is carried into your home.