The easiest thing you can do both at home, in the office, or out in public is wash your hands. But you have to wash your hands the correct way.

Do: Rub your hands together with soap for at least 20 seconds. Try singing 'Happy Birthday' or 'The Alphabet Song' while washing. Hitting this time mark is essential.

Do: Keep your hands pointing down, so dirty water won't run into your sleeves

Do: Scrub every part of your hand, including the back of your hands and thumbs.

And remember, longer finger nails can harbor more bacteria than shorter nails.

"You really need to focus on your fingertips. A lot of people wash their palms, but if you think about what you touch the most, it's your fingertips," said Dr. Michael Chang, Infectious Disease Specialist at UTHealth/UT Physicians.

Don't: Touch the faucet or sink. That will only contaminate your skin.

Don't: Forget to fully dry your hands. Wet hands spread germs easier than when they are dry.

The CDC is now urging businesses to vigorously and routinely wipe down their workplace surfaces to contain the spread of any potentially deadly virus. Keeping the office germ free doesn't just mean wiping everything down, but choosing what you clean with and how you clean carefully.

Do: Wipe down everything at your desk or in your office at least once a week to stop new germs from growing.

Do: Leave disinfectant sprays to rest on the surface for at least 10 seconds before wiping it down.

Do: Wipe everything down with a fresh wipe or cloth. That includes your mouse, keyboard, and entire desk chair.

Speaking of your keyboard, flip it over when you leave the office every day.

Don't: Forget to use the one-way wipe method. You never want to wipe in one direction and go back over it in the opposite direction because you will deposit germs you just cleaned up.

Don't: Dry a surface after using an antibacterial wipe. You have to let those air dry.

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"I've sometimes seen people use the wipe and then wipe it off and again. That's just not as effective. You need to let that air dry, so the disinfectant in the over-the-counter stuff will have enough time to kill the germs," said Dr. Chang.

Remember, not all products will work in your home. Look at a bottle of Lysol, Purell or Clorox. You'll see a claim that the contents can kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including the coronavirus.