We all know how important it is to keep our homes as germ-free as possible. With these recommendations, not only will your home be cleaner and smell nicer, but these tips and tricks should help keep you on your feet and out of the doctor’s office.
Wipe It Down
There are many areas for germs to hide. The most common around the home include doorknobs, faucet handles, refrigerator handles, remote controls and more. Use antibacterial wipes frequently on commonly touched items, as you or your family may encounter these dozens of times each day. Sanitizing minimizes the spread of germs.
Use a damp microfiber cloth to gently wipe dust from your television screen and cell phone screen. Your phone is covered in germs: over 25,000 bacteria per square inch, to be precise! Additionally, vacuum crumbs that fall onto floors immediately and clean spills right away to prevent the bacteria from growing in your carpets and furniture.
Wash It Out
Contrary to popular belief, your washing machine is not one of the cleanest places in your house. Dirty laundry can fill your washer – and future loads of laundry – with bacteria and viruses. To keep it fresh, run your washer empty with a cup of bleach once a week.
Wash your sheets, towels, and clothes in hot water at least once a week. Humans spend a lot of time in our bedrooms, so it’s not surprising this is a place where germs would congregate. We shed dead skin cells on the bedding, and across the room, as well on our clothes we throw into the dirty laundry hamper, providing germs many places to thrive.
Remove Excess
Where you go, your shoes go. Pollen, germs and bacteria stick to your shoes, so when you walk into your house, these foreign microbes invade your home. Create a new family-wide policy: no shoes in the house! Removing your shoes at the door will help keep these germs from spreading across your floors.
Another helpful yet simple cleaning tip is to eliminate places where mold might be hiding, such as excess clutter, or food either on the countertops or refrigerator. We may forget about these items and by the time we reach for them again, they may be covered in dust. Deny them the opportunity by de-cluttering.
Kitchen Clean-Up
The kitchen sink, along with your countertops, offers germs a safe harbor in which to grow and thrive. The key to keeping germs away is using an antibacterial cleaner or traditional soap and water after ever rinse, every snack, every meal. Sanitize your towels and rags in the washing machine and your sponges in the dishwasher. And disinfect your sink and counters, multiple times a week with your favorite disinfectant.
Cutting boards are another kitchen trouble-spot. It’s important to use separate boards for meats and veggies/fruits. Although bacteria are eliminated when the meat is cooked, they can still survive on the cutting board. Cutting boards should also be thoroughly cleaned after each use, since bacteria and germs can survive even in the small cracks of the cutting board.
Make It Routine
Instead of trying to clean your whole house at once, clean routinely. This can be difficult as we all lead busy lives. However, planning small intervals of cleaning every other day or so will lessen the burden of the overwhelming deep-clean every two or three months.
Cleaning a little every day is the easiest way to keep your home germ-free. Instead of reacting to dust, mold, and other germs that suddenly arise, you can proactively prevent bacteria from building up in the first place by cleaning a little each day.
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