Home sweet home! A place to go after work to unwind. Your cozy bed, your comfortable room, where all your personal belongings reside. Your home is supposed to be a place of peace and relaxation. Unfortunately, there are millions of Germs in Your Home!
But sometimes, even in your own house, you feel like you’re not safe. You feel like there’s something lurking behind the walls that want to do harm to your health.
Places in your home where germs are lurking:
Well… there is! Germs are hiding where you would never think they could possibly hide in your home. Some of them can seem harmless at first glance but then turn out to be killers in the long run! So what places should you avoid touching as much as possible? Here’s a list of horrible suspects:
1- The kitchen Sink.
Do you have a sink mold problem? Does it resemble a mushroom or a slime? Well if so, don’t touch it with bare hands! In fact, try not to even breathe near it.
That sink mold is a perfect hiding place for some dirt and bacteria that can easily rub off on your hands or on your clothes!
Oftentimes moisture from the moldy sink can also drop onto your area rugs. Be sure to clean your area rugs and mats around your kitchen sink too.
2- The sink garbage disposal is crawling with germs.
The sink disposal rinses water remnants so they go down the drain instead of staying at the sink basin. But apparently, it’s a germy pit, too!
It washes small amounts of food from dishes and silverware into the disposal, where you can’t see them. Bacteria start breaking down the food particles and can get out of control! You may notice a funny smell or strange growth appearing in, on or around your sink.
3- Your sink sprayer.
You use this every day to get rid of bubbles in your sink while washing dishes or simply give them a good rinse with clean water. It shoots out soap foam but did you know it can be a sink germ source, too?
The sink sprayer has many hard-to-reach places and if not properly cleaned after use, they can become covered in germs!
4- In the sink drain.
It’s where dirty water goes, through the sinkhole. So naturally, it gets really grungy! You wouldn’t think that sink grime is something you should avoid getting into contact with but you’d better reconsider that thought! If the sink drain is backed up with scum and grunge, chances are high for some serious health issues like E Coli poisoning. Yikes!
5- The kitchen sponge.
You use it every day to clean dishes or any cooking utensil. But did you know it can be a sink germ sink, too?
Sponges tend to carry lots of germs and bacteria. They snag all the food particles and leave them there to rot and create even more germs! When the sponge starts to look grungy and is covered in scum, it’s time to spot the Germs in Your Home!
6- Dishwashing detergent by your sink.
It usually comes in powdered form but sometimes is available as cubes. Despite its name, dish soap isn’t really meant to be used on dishes.
When dissolved in water, it actually becomes a sink germ source, just like your sink sprayer or drains. You put that gel into contact with your sink every day when you wash dishes!
So what are the best ways to avoid getting? Make sure to use hot water and soap and clean all sink surfaces every day. Keep the sink sprayer and sink disposal clean, too.
7- Sink strainers.
They help keep particles from going down the sink drain but they can really get trapped inside!
Some sink strains don’t go deep enough to catch everything so if you have a modest-sized sink, try using a sink halogen or power press garbage disposals for excellent results in getting rid of sink harmful germs faster.
For extra protection, use a sink strainer with fine mesh over the drain opening.
8- Toilet water.
You flush it down every day but did you know that toilet water is germ rich?
Since germs are flushed through the sewer system all the time, they accumulate on your toilet seat and walls. And because of how often you clean your bathroom (hopefully), this place becomes grungy more quickly! Be sure to keep up with your area rug cleaning too as germs can easily travel from the toilet seat onto your area rugs.
9- The showerhead.
You clean yourself using it but did you know some germs can get trapped inside?
If there’s nothing stuck in your shower head, then consider yourself lucky. But if there is something like mildew or grunge, then it may be a breeding ground for bacteria.
10- The bathmat in your home.
It’s where you put all your wet feet after a shower or bath. And if not properly dried out, they can be an epicenter for bacteria!
If the mat is left wet, it allows the grunge to settle in and grow mold. So how do you keep your bathmat safe? Simply dry it off with a towel every time you use it! You should also remove dirt stains on it by scrubbing them with soap then rinse clean. A dirty bathmat can lead to fungi growing everywhere in your bathroom!
be sure to use a reputable cleaning service to keep your bathroom tiles and area rugs clean!
11- Your toothbrush is loaded with bacteria and Germs.
Another grunge hiding place are toothbrushes. They can carry germs from various sources like water faucets or sink drains when washed without soap.
Use hot water and soap to wash your toothbrushes after every use. And try putting them in a closed cup, like the one you might see in public bathrooms at school or work! That prevents grunge from getting into contact with the bristle part of your toothbrush.
12- The toilet seat!
You probably clean it once a day but did you know that cleaning and disinfecting is important in keeping grungy germs away? There are so many Germs in Your Home even in places where you sit!
When we think of toilets, we usually put disinfectant wipes in our shopping carts without giving it much thought. But when we don’t do it right, we can actually create more grunge—and thus, more grungy germs.
How do you disinfect the toilet bowl efficiently? First, scrub out the grunge using a brush or washcloth. Then pour clean water into the bowl and top it off with your favorite brand of disinfectant wipes. Flush after every use to keep germs away!
When the toilet seat has too much scum on it, wipe it down once a day with disinfectant wipes.
13- The refrigerator handles in your home.
It’s grungy, grimy and is handled often! We usually think of our fridge door handles when we clean but rarely do we consider that refrigerator handles are also magnets for germs just like doorknobs or faucets.
Just remember that every time you open your fridge with dirty hands, you’re transferring some of those germs to an even dirtier spot in your kitchen!
14- The kitchen faucet.
We usually wash our hands using the kitchen sink but did you know that taps are also magnets for germs?
Just like bathroom faucets, they need to be cleaned regularly! With all the water splashes in there, it’s easy for grunge to pile up—especially if you let your dishes sit in dirty water before washing them.
Remember to use paper towels or a dishcloth and soap when cleaning kitchen faucets. And wipe it dry after every use so no leftover scum is transferred onto your hands!
15- Countertops are loaded with Germs.
They’re places where food preparation happens so regular cleaning is necessary!
Your countertops are most likely near your stove and sink, which means they’ve seen their fair share of splashed water and dirty handprints. So if you don’t clean them often, there’s a risk for growing mold and bacteria!
Use soap and hot water to scrub your countertops once in a while or use disinfectant wipes after cooking so you can wipe spilled food away easily! This prevents neon green splotches from making themselves at home.
16- Clothing you wear.
It’s where your sweat lives so you might want to disinfect it every now and then! Germs in Your Home can be in everyday objects like underwear and socks!
Think about all the germs found in your clothes, pillowcases and towels. All this makes them the perfect place for bacteria to breed since they’re always damp with sweat after a workout or shower.
So what do you need to do? Treat clothing like pillowcases that are stained by simply washing them with hot water and soap! Remember not to leave wet clothes out because bacteria can grow there too if left moist. For folks in Gainesville, FL finding good dry cleaners in your area is a great way to save time. Dry cleaning services can be costly but they do save your family valuable time and labor.
17- Your shoes are crawling with bacteria.
The shoes you wear outside often bring dirt inside the house, which is why it’s important to clean them regularly!
You don’t really think about it but outside, shoes can get really dirty and transfer all of that grunge to your house!
If you simply brush off any dirt before wearing them indoors, you won’t have a problem. But if there’s too much for a brush to handle, make sure to disinfect the soles daily with soap and water or use disinfectant wipes! It’ll prevent more stains from showing up on your floors.
Remember that what you wear outdoors can also affect your indoor living environment so give some love your footwear by keeping it clean after every wear!
18- Your bed pillows are loaded with Germs.
The pillow you sleep with is a place where bacteria and fungi breed so pillowcases must be cleaned regularly!
While you’re sleeping, pillowcases collect dirt from your head every night. But how often do we clean pillowcases? And even if we do clean them, pillowcases may not catch the dirt that comes off of our heads and hair when we toss and turn in bed.
Speaking of which, what we don’t see may contain more germs than animals in the zoo! A pillowcase can harbor millions of living organisms—and most of these organisms come from our own heads. It’s even been found that there are over 100 types of fungus on pillows!
If you want to keep your pillow clean and hygienic, make sure you do these:
- Wash pillowcases regularly (at least once a week)
- Use pillow protectors (optional but can help prevent stains and sweat from coming in contact with pillowcases)
Remember that pillowcases have to be washed just like clothes! Just add them to the laundry with hot water and soap. This is necessary for all types of pillowcases—even those made from satin or silk.
19- Your pets have Germs.
The pet you bring into the house. It’s easy for dogs and cats to get infested with fleas so it’s important to care for them properly!
Fleas are known carriers of disease so they’re dangerous to have in the house. In fact, some people are even allergic to them!
In order to prevent infestations of fleas indoors, you should regularly treat your pets with insecticidal shampoos and powders. But if not all the eggs hatch or a few still manage to escape your notice, you’ll need a better way of killing them before they have a chance of growing into adults!
To do this, give pets baths with lukewarm soapy water or use pet-safe insecticides on their fur and skin once every two weeks until they’re no longer infested. This will ensure that all stages of development—from egg to larva pupa—get terminated before giving birth! Germs in Your Home need to go!
Germs Hiding in Your Home; In Conclusion
Be sure to keep your house clean and by doing so, you’ll also ensure the health and well-being of your entire family! Germs in Your Home are literally everywhere!
Did this article help you find new places where grungy germs are hiding? What other grungy germ hiding spots have you found around your home that we didn’t mention in this article? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Other Carpet and House Cleaning Reading:
Top 5 Pressure Washing Tips for Gainesville, FL
Should You Use Pressure Washing or Soft Washing on Your Property
