I was perusing the Weather Channel to make sure where I live is actually as insanely cold as I think it is (it is) and came across an article of the grittiest spots in our homes.
I've been yelping about kitchen sinks and dish sponges and scrubbers for years. As I sanitize our sinks every evening, I make sure my family (and anyone else in the house) hears me pontificating about how dirty a kitchen sink is and all the nearby accessories. And they are dirty little places indeed! Why? Because everything dirty lands in them. From dishes to clothes, to soiled cloth diapers to that blankie that Junior threw up on this morning. And not only that, but the sink is a place we forget to clean. And who cleans a pot scrubber? In many homes, the kitchen sinks are dirtier than the toilets. We remember to clean toilets and often have a brick shaped little thingy that we put it the toilet bowel or the tank, and it dispenses bleach and other cleaning fluids at every flush. But sinks? Not so much...
I put pot scrubbers or dish brushes into the dishwasher once a week and use the "sanitize" option when I turn it on. If you don't have a dishwasher, soak your brushes and scrubbers in hot, hot soapy water weekly. And clean that sink every evening!
Anyway, the nag in me was pleased to see the kitchen sink and scrubbers top the list. And now that I am finished nagging here - the following are the 8 other dirty spots in the average house:
Faucet handles.
Makes sense. We flush the toilet and turn on faucets before we wash our hands, so the person after us touches our germs.
Home Office
Often dirtier than a regular office! For many reasons - we often have our germy kids in there, we eat meals in there and don't have an office cleaning person coming in at night to clean it all up! Clean the home office once a week!
The toilet
We know why.
Use bleach and clean the entire toilet, as well as the seat and toilet cover on a regular basis.
The bathtub
We think it should be clean because we're so clean when we get out of it. But where does all the dirt go? It stays in the tub! Clean it after every bath. And those of us with jetted tubs? These are hotbeds for germs too. I use several dishwasher tablets that I drop down by the jets and fire the jets up for 10 minutes.
The shower curtain.
I check hotel shower curtains all the time. They are prime locations for bacteria and mold. My tip is to make sure you stretch out the shower curtain when wet. Leaving it bunched up allows germs and mold to fester.
Wet laundry.
It's tempting to throw in a load and head off for the day but bacteria and mold forms really quickly in wet (and often warm) laundry. Get it out as soon as possible.
The vacuum cleaner
Where does all the dirt from floors, carpets and blinds go? In your friendly vacuum! Empty and clean them regularly and wash your hands after use.
Our beds
We spend nearly one third of our lives in our beds, even if it feels like we barely get to rest. Beds are full of mites, bugs and germs, if we don't watch out. Change sheets once a week, wash them in hot water, vacuum the mattress regularly, and use a mattress cover. Clean that fairly often too. Doing this will also help to keep allergies at bay.
www.weather.com
And these are ten ways to keep you - and your home - clean and comfortable.
Tell Us
What's the dirtiest spot in your home? Nobody needs a completely germ-free home (we need some germs!) but what do you do to keep on top of the daily grind of keeping a home clean?
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment2 Comments
I am a pretty clean person, most of the time, and this article gave me the chills. The sink is a horrible place to collect germs but in all fairness it is certainly true. After reading this article, I walked over to my sink and ran my finger across the bottom to get a finger full of who knows what.
The bathtub is also a good one to think about. You really do have the assumption that your bathtub should be clean although, I hate the times that I shave my legs in the bathtub and have that ring around the hair line on the tub. YUCK!
I wanted to add that I think Lysol should pay you some money for sharing this article. I had to go and buy two bottles.
January 17, 2009 - 3:52pmThis Comment
The dirtiest spot in our house is the kitchen sink. After years of cleaning out dishes left soaking for days (literally), including any sponges or pot scrubbers, left by others in my household, I've finally drawn a line in the sand. I no longer pick up others messes. I cannot understand why people won't just go the extra 2 feet to putting the items in the dishwasher.
How do I get the rest of my family to do this? I'm about ready to buy my own sponges/pot scrubbers and store them in a seperate location for personal use only.
January 16, 2009 - 10:07amThis Comment