Worried about germs out in public? It turns out that there are a lot of germs that are in your own home. Often times we don’t realize that there are germs and bacteria floating around our own houses. Whether it is in your kitchen or your bathroom, it is important to nip these germs in the bud before they can turn into major viruses. Here are some common household places that are home to germs!
The Laundry Room:
Most people use their washing machines multiple times a day, if not every day of the week. Although it is cleaning your clothes, your washing machine may be home to many bacteria and viruses. It is important to run your washer once a week with just a cup of bleach in order to make sure that there are not germs being spread from dirty laundry to other clothes in your house. To also kill germs during your laundry cycle, wash your clothes at the highest temperature that the fabrics can handle.
Linens can be a large contributor to germs in your home. Whether it is your kitchen towels or your bed sheets, fabrics can carry germs around if left dirty for too long. It’s crucial that you are washing your bed linens once a week in hot water in order to prevent germs from building up on the sheets. Linens with grass stains or that are soiled should be washed separately than other laundry. Towels that are used in the kitchen should never be watched with linens that are used in the bedroom or bathroom!
Family Room:
Most often, the “family room” or “living room” is the most commonly occupied room in the home. This means that germs spread here faster than other rooms. Things that are commonly touched; remotes, tables, and controllers are huge germ carriers. It is important to wipe down these objects with disinfectant wipes in order to help kill germs. If food is eaten in this room, it is important to vacuum and wipe down all surfaces in order to avoid bacteria from growing.
What is the most touched part of your home? We’ll give you a hint, it’s not your stove top or TV. It’s all of the things that people don’t even think about. Light switches, doorknobs, railings, and faucets are all culprits of holding on to germs and bacteria for a long time. While cleaning house, most people neglect to clean these fixtures! Since turning on and off switches and opening doors is such an automatic reflex for us, we don’t even realize how many times we have touched these things with dirty hands. Wipe these things down with disinfectant wipes to kill these germs at least once a week!
In your Kitchen:
Use a sponge in the kitchen? Your sponge is home to the most germs in your entire house. If your sponge is used for washing off dishes and utensils it could be carrying around bacteria and germs that can actually make you sick! To avoid getting germs from the sponge, wet it and throw it into the microwave to kill germs that may be flourishing in there. Your kitchen counters must be cleaned after every food preparation! It is important to get food particles off of the counter to avoid spreading additional germs or attracting bugs. Try to bleach your countertops at least once every week, and disinfect daily.
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