The Biggest Germ Areas in Your Home and How to Clean Them
A TV remote and a toilet have one thing in common, they all have germs. Studies have shown that the toilet might be cleaner than the remote. People spend more time cleaning the toilet and non in cleaning the remote. It turns out that toilets are much cleaner.
Germs are everywhere in the house. Even clean-looking surfaces like doorknobs have germs. Cleaning by water does not necessarily remove the germs. However, most germs thrive in wet areas.
The biggest germ areas in the house are those hard to clean. Some areas are quite hard to reach that they are never cleaned. Others look clean to the naked eye, but they are full of germs.
The following are some of the areas which are rarely cleaned and are full of germs.
House Walls
Most people clean their walls only when the dirt becomes noticeable and disturbing to look at. Failing to clean the walls provides room for germs to form. Germs come from dust and hands when people touch the walls.
Kitchen walls, bathroom, and toilet walls are even worse. The humid environment makes it easier for bacteria and germs to survive. Whenever a toilet is flushed, germs are tossed in the air and land on any surface they come across.
In the bathroom, germs may come from towels hanging on the wall. The kitchen walls are also full of germs from dirty dishes and food particles that are not often cleaned.
When cleaning the walls, any dust on the wall should first be removed using a dry cloth. Dirt that is stuck on the wall should be scrubbed off with a soapy cloth. Soap and detergents will remove germs from the walls.
Television Remote Controllers
Everyone in the house holds the tv remote: children, adults, visitors, and pets. Sometimes they fall on the dirty carpet, and once picked, they are never cleaned. The plastic cases and the rubber buttons of remote controls are magnets for germs.
According to Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona, Tv remotes in a hotel room are dirtier than toilet seats. In another research, tv remotes were tested for cold viruses. More than half of them tested positive for cold viruses.
A tv remote can be cleaned by the use of disinfectant. Instead of spraying, the disinfectant should be applied on a cloth that should be used to wipe it. A few minutes after cleaning it with a disinfectant, the remote should be wiped to remove any chemical that can cause discoloration.
The Shower Ceiling
A bathroom is always a wet place. Hot showers produce a lot of moisture that lands on the walls and the ceiling. Some ceilings are made of materials that absorb moisture. They provide a good environment for mold to thrive.
Most people clean the walls and the floor, but the ceiling is always too high to reach. An easy way to clean the ceiling is to use a brush with a long stick to scrub off the mold. The remaining mold can be sprayed with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or washed off with soda ash.
The Kitchen Sink
Every dirt from the kitchen is washed off through the kitchen sink, from raw meat to dirty dishes. The drain pipes under the sink are havens for bacteria and all sorts of germs. Bleaching the upper part of the sink does the job, but inside the drain pipes, germs continue to thrive.
Kitchen sinks should be cleaned regularly with hot water, vinegar, and soda ash. These can be able to kill the germs hiding within the pipes.
The Carpet
Carpets are traps for dirt and germs. They collect germs from people and pets. All sorts of germs from outside the house are brought to the carpet. Pets urinate on them and leave hair on them.
Cleaning a carpet is quite tedious, and most people from Alaska to Australia prefer to engage professional cleaners. However, soda ash can help remove most germs and even remove the bad smell from the pet’s urine. If you are short on time to do it yourself for the whole carpet, you’ll find carpet cleaning in Sutherland Shire the same as you would in Juneau.
Toothbrush and Toothbrush Holder
A toothbrush that is placed in the bathroom can collect many germs that come from the bathroom. Toothbrush holders are rarely cleaned and tend to accumulate germs over time.
To prevent germs from ending up in the mouth, toothbrushes should be kept far from the washrooms. The toothbrush holder should be cleaned regularly to remove germs.
Doorknobs and Handles
Just like the tv remote, doorknobs and fringe handles are touched by many people. They might look clean, but they are full of germs. Not many people think of cleaning them. They are believed to be possible sources of viruses such as Covid-19.
Fortunately, cleaning doorknobs and fridge handles is as easy as sanitizing hands. The standard hand sanitizer can be used to sanitize them. Although, this should be done regularly to prevent the spread of germs.
Germs can be found in many areas in a person’s house. They are responsible for some health problems people experience, such as the common cold and stomachaches.
The high-risk areas such as the ones mentioned above should be included in the cleaning routine of a house. Doing so can go a long way in minimizing germ-caused diseases.
