The Dirtiest Places in Your Home
We know that kitchen counters and laundry baskets are some of the dirtiest parts of your furnished apartment, but what about the parts you don’t know? It may surprise you that dirt and bacteria can make their way into several unseen places.
Remember that bacteria can’t be seen by the naked eye, so while a surface or area looks spotless, that may not be the case. You must know places where dirt tends to collect to maintain your home’s cleanliness.
1. Bathroom
We know that the bathroom can be pretty dirty and messy, but we don’t understand how unclean it can really be. Even if bathrooms are where you take showers and clean yourself up, many bacteria actually linger after each use.
If there are several people in your home using the bathroom, all the more there’s a massive potential for dirt and bacteria. Specifically, you need to pay utmost attention to doorknobs, light switches, and faucet handles.
Since these are where people put their hands on, it’s no wonder germs can quickly spread in these areas. Of course, you can’t dismiss the floor too.
Be sure to mop your bathroom floor regularly, at least weekly or twice every month. Disinfecting your bathroom should be a mainstay in your cleaning routine for your home.
2. Living area
The living room is one of the dirtiest parts of your home people don’t really know about. But this is where you spend most of your time relaxing and unwinding, so it makes sense that it gets dirty with frequent use.
In front of your TV and your gaming monitors are just some living room areas that are bound to have a lot of bacteria.
If you have game controllers, remotes, keyboards, tablets, and headphones, you’re basically spreading germs and bacteria with everyone else you share these items with. You should regularly wipe these gadgets and accessories with a disinfectant wipe.
The same goes for your upholstery furniture, as the fabric has been exposed to unwashed hands, pet hair, soil from feet, and other sources of dirt. Lastly, your carpet is another part of your living room that often goes unnoticed, so be sure to clean it at least weekly.
3. Bedroom
Your bedroom is the one place you probably expected to find clean on this list, but that isn’t the case. Aside from bacteria, bed bugs and other insects may nest within your bed.
Beds aren’t used for just sleeping. Several activities such as watching TV, working, or even eating are done in bed.
Because of these activities, pests and insects can find their way into your bedroom. As it can harbor many bacteria and germs you may not be aware of, skin irritation may occur, especially if you’re not regularly changing your sheets, mattress, and covers.
A study has significantly shown that of all parts of the bedroom, fungal contamination is mostly found on pillows. Be sure to dry your pillowcases completely before using them or folding them, as moist areas attract all kinds of bacteria.
So while a wash can effectively disinfect your pillowcases, it’s the drying process that truly matters.
4. Other unnoticed places
There are some areas you may not be paying attention to in terms of cleanliness. For instance, pet toys and feeding bowls.
As much as you love your pets, they don’t have the best sanitation in terms of eating habits. Disinfecting pet bowls will require a dishwasher, or just soap and warm water will suffice.
Your keys, purses, and wallets are other unclean items you may be unaware of. This is primarily because money and credit cards are among the dirtiest things in your wallet, and you toss your keys everywhere.
You can use disinfectant wipes to clean them, rubbing alcohol, soap and water, or make a homemade solution. Using a vinegar and linseed oil solution has been found to be an effective disinfectant.
Lastly, gym bags and backpacks are also considered dirty, so be sure to disinfect them regularly by using a disinfectant as long as it doesn’t harm the fabric.
Now that you have better knowledge of where bacteria and germs can be found in your home, you know which areas to clean the most.