While toilets and kitchen counters are the big-ticket items when it comes to cleaning, there are a lot more unclean surfaces in your home that may be overlooked in your daily or weekly routines.
Check out this list of the most unclean surfaces in your home and add them to your cleaning routine to ensure you and your family remain safe and healthy.
- Appliance Handles: How often do you clean the handle on your refrigerator, the buttons on your microwave, or the pull on your dishwasher? You’ll be surprised to learn that these touchable places are far dirtier than your toilet bowl! Why? Because we tend to clean things like our counters and toilet bowls far more often than the handles on our appliances, which means they are collecting germs, bacteria, and other icky things that can make us sick. Think about how often they are touched and everything else we touch before and after. Most studies have shown substances like mold and yeast build up on these surfaces. Keeping Clorox wipes handy is a great way to ensure these spots are disinfected regularly.
- Sponges and the Kitchen Sink: While we do a lot of our home cleaning in the kitchen sink, we also have to think about cleaning our kitchen sinks. Studies have shown leaving went sponges on the edge of the sink can be a hotbed for coliform bacteria and mold, along with the sink itself cultivating its own array of germs. Be sure to dry that sponge and dispose of it/ disinfect it regularly. For the sink, using disinfectant items or vinegar-based solutions at least once a month is recommended, and be sure to clean your drains/disposals, too.
- Cutting Board: Rinsing the cutting board may be a typical part of its use, but how often do you clean it? And we mean, really clean it? The crevices in the boards trap everything from food particles to bacteria, which is why it’s important to not only clean with soap and hot water after each use but take extra time to disinfect it with household items such as lemons, along with running it through the dishwasher to ensure it’s spotless.
- Countertops: Our bathroom and kitchen surfaces hold everything from our coffee makers to our toothbrushes, which means whatever is on and around those surfaces can end up on them. Did you know that particles from the toilet can get sprayed when flushed? Getting in the habit of dropping the lid before flushing, along with regular disinfecting of items like toothbrush holders, faucets, and soap dispensers are all great ways to ensure bacteria like coliform don’t make a home in your bathroom. In the kitchen, wipe down countertops after prepping foods, especially uncooked meats and eggs, to ensure salmonella and other bacteria don’t make their way onto your hands, other items in the kitchen, and your meal.
- Cell Phones and Electronics: Like appliance handles, our cell phones and other items such as computers, remote controls, and iPads get handled regularly, sometimes by multiple people per day. Are you washing your hands before and after each use? Just like a countertop or handle, phones and other electronics can host a world of nasty things, and if we don’t take the time to clean them, they can make us sick, especially if we are using our phones all day and bringing them to bed with us at night.
- Bathroom Rugs/Bathmats: Heat and moisture are two words germs and bacteria love to hear, so you can see why a rug or mat in the bathroom is the perfect place for things like mold to call home. Be sure to wash these items regularly and keep the floor dry underneath so mold doesn’t become a problem.
- Light Switches: Light switches are touched multiples times per day and probably the number one place we forget to clean. We don’t think twice about where our hands have been and who else has been touching them, too. Adding light switches to the cleaning checklist is an important part of keeping your home clean and you and your family healthy, especially if you have young kids.
Home Cleaning Checklist
Make your cleaning list, check it twice, and consider the helpful tips below to keep your home looking and feeling good.
- Find the Right Tools for the Job: Disinfectant wipes, DIY vinegar solutions, and store-bought cleaners can all do the job when it comes to keeping your home clean and safe. Along with the cleaners, be sure to swap out rags and sponges regularly and or disinfect them with hot water and solutions that are guaranteed to remove germs, dirt, and bacteria.
- Once-a-Day Wipe Downs: While we don’t need to do a deep clean every day, getting into a routine of grabbing a disinfectant wipe and wiping down counters and handles after a day in the kitchen can lessen the tasks on larger cleaning days and keep your home dirt and germ-free. Spray the shower with a cleaning solution after each use to reduce mold and mildew buildup and wipe down your electronics if you remove them from the home.
- Big and Small Ticket Items: When cleaning, don’t just go for the big-ticket items, such as countertops and showers. Remember to add in the handles, faucets, and items that remain on countertops to ensure they aren’t hosting germs, leftover food particles, or mold.
- Wear Gloves While Cleaning: Keep yourself safe when it comes to cleaning. Wear gloves to ensure your hands stay germ free, along with keeping yourself safe when it comes to store-bought cleaners and wipes.
In a fast-paced world, we don’t always have time to keep our homes clean, which is why companies such as Advanced Cleaning Service exist. Our family-run business knows how stressful life can be, and we want to make it easier by helping you keep your home looking great. Reach out and learn about our daily, weekly, and monthly options.
