Dirtiest Spots In Your Home
Dirtiest Spots in your Home Keeping your home fresh, clean, and tidy can feel like a constant battle. Probate clearance
However, focusing on recurrent chores like the dishes and the laundry might lead you to neglect the germiest parts of your home – just because they don’t look dirty to the naked eye. Probate clearance
That doesn’t mean they’re not harboring some nasty bacteria that could affect you or your family’s health. Probate clearance
Far from all bacteria are harmful, some help to keep our bodies running properly, and exposure to a small amount can keep our immune systems strong. Probate clearance
However, nasties like staphylococcus aureus (staph), salmonella, and e.coli sticking around and multiplying in your home is not something you want, as they can make you sick or lead to infection. Probate clearance
So, what hidden corners should you be making it a priority to disinfect? And what’s the best way to clean them? Probate clearance
KITCHEN SPONGES
A study published in 2017 found more than 300 different types of bacteria lurking on a single kitchen sponge – including e.coli, salmonella, and Campylobacter. Probate clearance
This makes them one of the dirtiest items in your home, in line with the water found in your toilet.
Considering kitchen sponges are often used for a variety of purposes around the preparation of food.
From wiping countertops and tables to scrubbing clean dishes, this could be bad news for your health.
So, what’s the solution? There are a few to choose from. The most straightforward is putting it in the dishwasher after use (after you’ve wiped down your kitchen sink!). For this to practically work for you, you may need a few sponges on rotation at once.
Another popular way to clean it quickly is to rinse your sponge through (so it retains a small amount of clean water without being completely saturated) and pop it in the microwave for one minute.
Make sure you let your sponge cool before using it.
COUNTERTOPS AND CUTTING BOARDS
While we’re in the kitchen, it might be a good time to take another look at your worktops, cutting boards, and any other surfaces you use for food prep.
Many people simply rinse these areas or, worse, rub them clean with a dirty sponge after use.
While this may bring back the shine, it doesn’t get rid of the bacteria from the raw chicken you were slicing up.
Since these areas are often in environments that interact with a lot of heat and moisture, they’re the perfect breeding ground for germs.
Disinfectant wipes or sprays are your best friend when it comes to cleaning countertops.
When you do this straight after use, it kills any germs before they get the chance to thrive and multiply.
For cutting boards, they should be washed in very hot, soapy water after each use and dried thoroughly.
DOOR HANDLES, LIGHT SWITCHES, ETC
You should also think about things in your home that everyone touches. Door handles and light switches are the main culprit, but so are things like bathroom taps, banisters, and the knobs on your oven.
If nasty germs gather on these surfaces, everybody in the home will soon be exposed.
This risk will go down considerably if you take the time to wipe these items once a week with a disinfectant wipe.
KEYPADS AND CONTROLLERS
Other “high touch” items are remote controls, computer keyboards, and other gadget keypads. However, unlike light switches, these often have more nooks and crannies for bacteria to hide in.
Meaghan Murphy of Good Housekeeping recommends that remote controls are cleaned every month, or after a member of your household has been ill.
You can do this by removing the batteries and wiping the whole device with a disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth.
To clean around the buttons or any other small spaces, you can use a cotton bud saturated with the same disinfectant.
A toothpick can additionally be used to tease out any fluff or crumbs stuck in these. Once you’re finished, dry the remote and re-insert the batteries.
PET BOWLS
The NSF found pet bowls the 4th germiest item in many homes. In general, cats and dogs have fairly hardy immune systems,
But older animals, young animals, and pets fighting another illness can get seriously ill from a dirty bowl. It can also be a health risk to anyone handling the bowl as they refill it, or children playing on the floor.
It’s suggested that you clean your pet’s bowl every day, either by hand or in the dishwasher if it’s safe to do so. You should also sanitize it once per week.
You can do this by adding half a cup of bleach to a gallon of water and letting this sit in the bowl for 10 minutes before rinsing.
COULD YOUR HOME DO WITH A SPRING CLEAN?
A Herts Cleaning And Maintenance works in the St Albans area to make homes spick and span. Call us today or leave an inquiry for expert help with cleaning ovens, upholstery, carpets, and more.
