While Vacuuming your floors and scrubbing your countertops are good weekly remedies for tidying up your home, every few weeks to a month you’ll need to do some heavy cleaning – especially in the areas of your home that attract the most bacteria and germs.
Whether you want to do it yourself or outsource your cleaning to professional cleaning company like ServiceMaster of Minneapolis, your home deserves to be thoroughly cleaned often. If you’re expecting the company or just need to give your home a refresh, here are 7 of the dirtiest places in your home with helpful tips for how to clean them.
Kitchen – Specifically in the Sink
It makes sense that your kitchen sink wouldn’t necessarily be the most sanitary spot in your home (just think about all the bacteria, infested scraps, and debris that gets cleaned off of cutting boards and plates and end up in the sink – like raw meat, fish and whatever is leftover from dinner).
The best way to clean your sink is to use baking soda, as well as white vinegar oak. Scrub it with a rough sponge or place vinegar-saturated paper towels around the sink for 30 minutes to sanitize it.
Pro tip: change your sponge often! Microbiologist and professor Dr. Charles Gerba conducted a study with 1,000 household sponges and found that 10% of them were infected with salmonella.
Kitchen – Faucet
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You know that tiny screen at the end of your faucet? That’s called an aerator, and it is a hotbed for bacteria. If possible, take the aerator out and soak it in white vinegar every month or so to get rid of nasty buildup and germs.
Kitchen – Fridge
If you find yourself opening your fridge and see you don’t have a lot of food in there, before you run to the supermarket, use this time to clean out your fridge. Going a long time without giving your fridge a sanitizing rinse is a good way to create an area where bacteria can run rampant.
When cleaning your fridge, avoid chemical cleaners that might get into your food. Instead, use hot water and dishwashing liquid and remove shelves so that you can wash them on their own and give them the good scrubbing they decrease.
Kitchen – Above the Cabinets
Out of sight – out mind does not apply for keeping your home clean! You can find all sorts of bacteria, garbage, forgotten food, and other sorts of germ-infected filth up there.
To clean your kitchen cabinets, grab step ladder and use your vacuum hose attachment. Then, thoroughly vacuum up every little speck you see until it looks brand new.
Bathroom – Walls
Most people assume the toilet is the dirtiest place in your entire home, which it tends to be. However, your bathroom walls are also a source of dreams. When you flush with the toilet lid open, your walls can get exposed to different types of contamination.
You can just use any all-purpose cleaning spray to get rid of any germs and bacteria on these walls. (See also: 6 Tips to Keep Your Home Clean During the Holiday Season)
Bathroom – Shower Curtain
When it comes to your shower curtain, you have two options. You can either throw out your old one and get a new curtain when it becomes too dirty, or you can save some money and make one last by cleaning it.
You can get rid of any mold or germs on your curtain by spraying them with a mixture of vinegar and water, and by throwing it in the washing machine every few months.
Bathroom – Bathtub
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It stands to reason that the place where you get yourself clean would be dirty itself. If you’re a frequent bath-taker, then you should make sure you take the time to spruce up your bathtub every couple weeks.
One tip to limit bacteria growth in your bathtub is to make sure that you dry the bathtub surface after you use it, as it is easier for bacteria to thrive in wet conditions. Disinfect your tub regularly as well, at least once a week, using a cleaning solution that is at minimum 3 percent hydrogen peroxide.
Everywhere – Handles, Switches, and Knobs
Anything that gets touched multiple times a day, like over knobs, light switches, and door handles should be cleaned often. This is especially important during flu-season or if someone in your home is sick. In fact, according to CBS News, a study once found that a virus placed on a doorknob can infect half the people in an office within an hour. The same can be said for in your home as well.
To clean these areas, use a microfiber cloth dampened by a cleaning product of your choice and simply wipe them up and down.
About The Author:
Bryce Boyle Hoban is a blogger who has written articles for renowned blogs and websites about various topics, including home construction, remodeling, and home upkeeping.
