Germs are on our mind these days–especially during cold and flu season. It seems all kinds of gunk are out there this season. To protect your family, and help your loved ones protect themselves from germs, we compiled a list of the germiest places at home. Here’s a hint…they’re places that get a lot of traffic.
#1 Door Handles, Faucets and Light Switches
Door handles, light switches, and faucets get a lot of dirty hands, so they’re a place that needs frequent cleaning–especially during cold and flu season when sickness seems to spread.
#2 Desktop
You spend a lot of time at your desk, so it’s likely not a surprise that it has far more germs — about 400 times more — than a toilet seat. That amounts to about 21,000 bacteria, viruses, and fungi per square inch. All of these germs travel on your hands, so it’s important to wipe down desks so that you don’t spread these gross germs to other places in the office. As always, washing your hands and sanitizing frequently helps prevent the spread as well.
#3 Devices, Keyboards and Remote Controls
Consider how much you and everyone in your family touch iPads, cell phones, keyboards and remotes every single day. Not only do your family’s dirty fingers touch these items consistently, but if you work from home, you eat over your keyboard, spill drinks on it and sneeze and cough on it. That amounts to a lot of germs! And these germs quickly spread around your house
#4 Kitchen Sink and Counters
In addition to all of the hands touching the kitchen counters and sink, the kitchen gets food and bacteria that can increase the germiness. Wiping down these spots daily can help!
#5 Kitchen Sponges
A smelly kitchen sponge means it’s full of trapped bacteria and mildew. Run it through the dishwasher weekly, and replace it every month.
#6 Coffee Maker and Pot
This is one spot that often gets overlooked is one of the germiest places in home. We rinse out the coffee pot but think about how often the handle gets cleaned. Probably not often enough.
Regarding the coffee maker, you can add it to your list to clean more often. After all, bacteria love to grow in the damp, dark insides of these well-loved machines. Fill it with 4 cups of plain white vinegar, and let that stand for a half-hour. Then let it run through, followed by three cycles of water, or until you don’t smell the vinegar.
#7 Microwave Door
The more people in your family, the more hands you have using the microwave to heat up coffee, lunches, and whatever else they need. People touch the handle each time they use the microwave, and they have to press the buttons as well. Add it to your list of places to frequently clean.
#8 Bathrooms
Bathrooms host plenty of germs…from the rugs to the toilet to the shower. Ensure that the entire toilet gets cleaned often because it’s a touch point and full of germs. Periodically washing bathroom rugs can keep germs at bay. Cleaning showers periodically and keeping the drain clean can make sure your shower isn’t full of germy, standing water.
Hopefully our list of germiest places gives you places to focus on to keep your home as clean as can be. And if you’re in need of a professional cleaner, give us a call so we can keep your family safe and healthy.
