Your home is a haven, a place you get to escape work, unwind, relax, and are free to be yourself. Unfortunately, your home is also a place where germs and bacteria fester, turning into mold and causing numerous illnesses to every member of your family. It’s easy to remember to keep your bathroom and kitchen counters clean, but there are five other major areas in your home that rarely get cleaned and are responsible for that cold or virus that gets passed around to everyone that steps through the front door.
Kitchen - Besides the kitchen counter, your sponges, dish rags, kitchen sink, cutting boards, and refrigerator collect endless germs and bacteria. According to the National Sanitation Foundation, more than 75% of dish rags and sponges tested positive for Salmonella, E. coli, and fecal matter.
To prevent these nasty germs and bacteria from lingering and spreading to your loved ones, frequently use disinfectant wipes on all surfaces and in the sink after prepping raw foods. Use hot water and bleach to clean sponges and change your dish rags out at least once a week.
Door handles and light switches - The amount of people that touch the front doorknob, or turn on the kitchen lights is astounding. If you don’t wash your hands before opening a door or turning on the lights in your home, then everything else you’ve touched is now on that handle or light switch. Cleaning all the door handles and switches in your home will prevent bacteria from growing and the spreading of germs throughout your home.
Electronics - Every member of your family touches all the laptops, tablets, and remote controls in your home, multiple times a day. These surfaces carry bacteria that have the potential to cause mold and even staph. All of these shared items should be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe at least twice a week. if you take your remote into the kitchen or use your phone in the bathroom, you might want to consider disinfecting it immediately after or daily if this is a regular habit.
Pets - Your cat or dog brings in a great deal of dirt, mud, and germs from outside. Although you can’t make your pet wear shoes, or rather shouldn’t, you can wipe their feet before coming inside.
Clean their water dish daily. If you think about it, you don’t drink from the same glass day after day without it being washed, so why should your animal? When your cat or dog drinks from the water dish, it has a tendency to splash water all over the floor – easily spreading germs everywhere. Regularly cleaning your dog’s water dish will greatly decrease the amount of germs that are spread.
