No matter how frequently you’re cleaning, there is a good chance your home is still full of germs and bacterias. Cleaning chores end with washing the dishes, wiping down, vacuum and taking the trash out. These are the most visible parts, easier to notice when getting dirty. That’s why you pay extra attention to them and forget other almost invisible parts of your home which can cause your health. Germs can easily spread from person to another one or to a surface.
What is the germiest place in your house? Did you guess the toilet seat? Well, try again, as the toilet seat is not even on our list.
Here are some dirty places you might not have considered…
Dirtiest spots in the bathroom
Dirtiest spots in the living room
Dirtiest Spots in The Kitchen
Cutting Boards
The cutting board is one of the dirtiest items in your kitchen. You use it almost every day and yet forget to clean it properly. You should have two separate boards. One for raw meat and fish and one for fruit, vegetables, bread and anything you can eat raw. Avoid cutting raw meat and right after that a tomato for example. You can easily get a dangerous disease from the bacteria in the meat.
How to Clean Cutting Board
You can use a plastic cutting board for raw products. It’s easy to clean and disinfect it even in the dishwasher. If you use a wooden cutting board, sprinkle salt on top of it. Cut a lemon into two pieces and rub the salt in the board using the lemon. Leave it for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water.
Knife Block
Are you guilty of skipping to clean the knife holder? We know, most of the people are. The knives you use to chop your food each night go back in that thing daily. Sure, they’re clean when you put them away, but dust and other scrubs can start to grow in tiniest spaces.
How to Clean Knife Block
Remove all of the knives. Turn the block over and shake it so the scraps can fall out. Use a pipe cleaner in the slots, be sure to reach every corner. Use hot water to scrub the surface of the block, go back in the slots with a pipe cleaner and rub the inside again. Rinse with hot water to remove the soap.
Oven Knobs
We’re sure cleaning the stove is in your weekly cleaning checklist. But when was the last time you paid extra attention to the oven knobs? Just think about how many times you touched this knobs with dirty hands while you were cooking and didn’t clean after that.
How to Clean Stove Knobs
If you can remove the knobs, put them in a bowl with soapy water, let them sit for 15 minutes and rinse them with water. If you can’t remove them, spray with all-purpose cleaner and again let them sit for 15 minutes. Clean them with microfibre cloth after that.
Stove Range Hood
Have you taken a look at that thing lately? If you cook frequently, then you use it a lot. The cooker hood filter is probably clogged with dirt and grease.
How to clean Stove Range Hood
Most hoods have detachable filters that you can run through your dishwasher or soak in hot, soapy water. Check the manufacturer instructions and find out how is suggested to clean it.
Cutlery tray
The tray where you hold your cutlery is a host of a lot of crumbs and dust as well.
How to Clean Cutlery Tray
Clean the cutleries in the dishwasher and wash the tray with hot soapy water. Leave it to dry completely and then you can put it back in your dryer.
Kitchen Sink
The kitchen sink is full of bacteria from food scraps and leftovers. Think about it. You rinse your dishes while you’re cooking or after eating and probably don’t pay attention to clean the sink thoroughly after that.
How to Clean Kitchen Sink
Spray all-purpose cleaner and wipe it down daily. Once a week you can clean your drain by sprinkling some baking soda, white vinegar and rinse it with hot water after that.
Dish Sponge
They can be perfect for washing dishes and absorb fluids instantly, but the little holes in them can also easily absorb bacteria.
How to Clean Dish Sponges
Put it in the microwave or in a dishwasher for a full cleaning cycle. Replace it regularly. Toss it out immediately if it looks dirty even after rinsing it out. Avoid cleaning up spills from meat juices or rotten food. Use paper towels for that purpose.
Contact Points
Door handles and knobs are often neglected during the weekly cleaning. These are the places which are most important to be cleaned and disinfected, as these are the areas we have contact with a lot and we’re touching them with hands.
How to Clean Contact Points
You can simply spray them with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe them down thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.
Countertops
You need to disinfect the countertops daily, as you’re putting your food here before eating it. You’re also chopping raw meat and vegetables there. Bacterias from the raw products can stay in the countertops and transfer to your sandwich hours later. If you don’t wash your hands and touch the countertop, the germs can find a place in your food later.
How to Clean Countertops
Wash the countertop with hot soapy water right after you’re done with the cooking. Then, rinse it with clean water, and apply sanitizer.
Coffee Maker
The inside of your coffeemaker is the perfect place for germs because of the warm and humid environment. Bacteria and mould can easily generate there.
How to Clean the Coffee Maker
Read the manufacturer cleaning instructions. If there are no specific recommendations, you can put inside hot water with white vinegar, leave it for 30 minutes and then rinse it a couple of times with cold water, until the odour from the vinegar is completely gone.
Recycle Bin
It’s not a revelation that your bin is covered with bacteria. And yet, did you clean it often? We’re sure most of the times you’re just changing the garbage bag. But this is not enough.
How to Clean the Recycle Bean
Wipe it down inside and out every couple of days with an all-purpose cleaner. Every month or so, use bleach to disinfect it, rinse it with cold water and let it sun dry.
Refrigerator
Spilled food and forgotten leftovers will breed germs in the fridge. The worst part is that bacteria are in constant contact with your fresh food. If your food smells bad toss it out, even if it’s not expired yet. Avoid leaving leftover food for more than one night in your fridge.
How to Clean the Refrigerator
It’s best not to use chemicals cleaners. Remove the items from the refrigerator shelves and remove the shelves themselves after that. Clean them with hot water and dishwashing soap. Wipe them up with a microfiber cloth and put them back in the fridge.
The Cleaning Supplies
The most obvious things we all forget to clean are the cleanings supplies. The things you’re using to do your daily chores also need a good clean. The mop, the broom, cloths, sponges, they’re all spreading bacterias if you don’t clean them after a single use. By cleaning your supplies regularly and replacing them when worn out, they will be disinfected when you need to use them.
How to Clean the Cleaning Supplies
You can use the vacuum to clean the broom from the dust. Every month or so put the brushes and brooms in a container with hot soapy water. Let them sit around 30 minutes, rinse them and let them air dry completely before use. If you can remove the head of the mop, put it in the dishwasher for a whole cycle with hot water. If not, soak it up in water with white vinegar for 30 minutes and rinse with cold water.
Dirtiest Spots in The Bathroom
Toilet Brush
Toilet brush is one of the main reason your bathroom smells bad. This area is often neglected.
How to Clean The Toilet Brush
Pour bleach into the brush container, let it sit for at least an hour. Rinse it with water and let it air dry completely. Repeat this every month or so to be sure your toilet brush is clean.
Toothbrush Holder
How often you clean the place where you hold your toothbrush? We bet it’s not as often as you should. This place is a serious bacteria generator as well.
How to Clean Toothbrush Holder
Use hot water and dishwasher soap to clean the toothbrush leftovers. Put it in the dishwasher if it’s dishwasher-safe. Fill the toothbrush holder with antibacterial mouthwash. Leave it for 10 minutes, rinse it with water and let it air dry.
Makeup Bag
Your makeup applicators are prime germs carrier. Germs that live in your makeup applicators and brushes can cause skin infections. To keep the makeup products clean, you can wash them once a week with regular soap and water.
How to Clean Makeup Bag
Take out all the makeup, clean it with alcohol wipes or sanitizer and put the makeup bag in the washing machine.
Sink Faucets
Sink fixtures regularly pump out hot water. A warm and humid environment is created that germs grow in. Leaving them dirty for long periods of time can result in becoming very dull and increases their chances of becoming infected with bacteria.
How to Clean Sink Faucets
Clean them daily with all-purpose cleaner to kill the germs. Every couple of weeks you can attach a bag filled with vinegar and leave it overnight to remove the hard water stains.
Bathtub
The tub is another favourite spot for germs and mould due to the high moisture. Mould can form around shampoo and lotion bottles as well.
How to Clean the Bathtub
You can also use a grapefruit sliced in two pieces with salt on top of it to scrub the bathtub surface to remove the soap scum. Every couple of weeks spray the bathtub with bleach and scrub it with a sponge, leave it for 30 minutes and then run the water and rinse it thoroughly.
Bath Towels
The feeling of wrapping yourself in a fluffy towel after taking a shower is amazing. But you need to pay extra attention to the condition of your towel. If it’s sitting wet for a long time it can become a bacteria grower.
How to Clean Bath Towels
Make sure that you’re letting the towel dry out completely and fast after every shower.After using the towel two-three times put it in the washing machine.
Dirtiest Spots in The Living Room
Remote Control
When was the last time you cleaned your remote control? Imagine how many times every member of your family and your guests touched it with unclean hands. These little devices can become serious germs breeders as well.
How to Clean The Remote Control
Remove the batteries and deep a cotton in alcohol, rub it on the whole surface and pay extra attention to the spots around the buttons. If there are crumbs inside the buttons, use a toothpick to remove it. Dry the remote with a microfiber cloth. Repeat this every week and put the remote control into a box to avoid exposing it to extra germs.
Electronics
Electronics as laptops, phones and tablets are another place where you need to focus your attention on. Computer keyboards and mouses are another items exposed to the use of the whole family and are another favourite germs spot.
How to Clean Electronics
Clean all touchscreen surfaces with products design for that purpose and dry microfiber cloth at least once a week. Pay attention to keyboards and mouses. Pull them out of the computer and clean them with alcohol and a clean cloth.
Carpet
If you have pets or small children or both, you need to pay attention to the carpet of your general room. It collects all kind of dust, dirt, skin cells or food. Every time you walk or your kid sit on it, you’re spreading more germs around.
How to Clean The Carpet
We’re sure, you already know the proper way to clean your carpet. You just need to be consistent doing it frequently enough. Vacuum it at least once a week and steam clean it at least once per year.
Pets’ Bowls, Toys and Bed
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that germs grow in pet bowls and toys. Clean them daily with warm, soapy water – or just pop them in the dishwasher!
Good habits like taking your shoes off before entering the house, washing your hands after using the bathroom or touching raw food, cleaning the countertops and the common areas after every use is a great way to stop bacteria from growing in your home and live a healthier life.
Tags: Bathroom cleaning, cleaning tips, Dirtiest spots in your home, Dirty spots, Germiest spots in your home, Germy spots, Kitchen cleaning, Living room cleaning
