Which Area Of Your Home Has The Most Germs? Whether we want it or not, germs are everywhere in our life. They accumulate on home surfaces, clothes, and personal stuff and become a threat to our health. To minimize their life-threatening potential, you have to disinfect surfaces on regular basis. But how to know which areas in the house are more subject to a germ invasion?
Below we discuss which area of your home has the most germs to ensure you kill most pathogens with the next disinfection.
1. Kitchen
While supposed to be the cleanest area in the house, the kitchen is a hub for germs. There are several places in the kitchen where bacteria accumulate in huge quantities. We’ll start with the one that you would hardly expect to be on the list of the most contaminated places. Believe it or not, dish sponges and dishcloths are houses to a lot of germs. They come from food residue that gets stuck into the sponge and rots, turning into bacteria and yeast.
Studies showed that dish sponges and rugs contain such bacteria as E. Coli and Salmonella. Once they get into the human body, they can cause serious health problems. There are some ways you can get rid of these dangerous contaminants. You can place the damp rug or sponge in the microwave for 1-2 minutes every day. The heat will destroy all bacteria, enabling the sponge for new use.
Also, you can machine wash the rug at a high heat setting. After all, the best way to prevent the growth of germs on your dish cleaning supplies is to replace them regularly.
Another kitchen area with high contamination potential is the sink. To prevent germs from breeding and spreading around the sink, you should take good care of them. Make a point of disinfecting it once a week. Scrub the sink bottom and sides with vigor to remove even the toughest germ buildups. Also, disinfecting the drain with some bleach once a month would keep the bacteria multiplication in check.
2. Knobs and light switches
High-touch areas are always a hub for germs. If you don’t know which place should be the starting point for your disinfection, go with handles, knobs, and switches. You will hit the jackpot with this decision. Since you and your family members touch these items often, germs flock to live on them. So don’t hesitate a second, just grab the disinfecting wipes and sanitize the door handles, appliance knobs, and light switches.
Rub every nook and cranny to ensure all hidden germs meet their death. Avoid spraying the sanitizer on the control knobs of appliances. The liquid may get past the knob and cause the device to short out. Instead, use up to down motions with a disinfection wipe or a towel sprayed with sanitizer.
3. Bathroom
A bathroom is traditionally a beloved place of germs. It not only gathers bacteria while you are taking a shower or washing your hands. It also encourages germ growth given the high humidity that results from hot water. To keep the pathogen levels in check, disinfect the bathroom at least once a week. Ideally, sanitization of the sink, bathtub, cabinets, and personal care supplies should take place every day.
Moreover, consider replacing the shower towels as often as you can. Machine wash the dirty towels to ensure high-temperature chases away all bacteria and they are ready for new use. You are good to carry out thorough disinfection of the bathroom once a month. Use bleach to sanitize the germiest areas, killing the toughest bacteria. Use protective equipment when working with bleach to prevent its negative interaction with your body.
Also, you may take into consideration taking towels, toothbrushes, brushes, and other personal supplies to another room. This will prevent bleach odors from infusing into the items and make them impossible for further use. After disinfection, don’t forget to ventilate the house.
Which Area Of Your Home Has The Most Germs? – Bottom line
Any house is full of germs. Yet there are places that experience too much attention from bacteria and viruses. These are kitchen sink, dish rugs, high-touch places, and bathroom. You are good to start your disinfection namely from these areas to ensure you kill most of the home germs. Never let the germs reproduce and spread. Sanitize the germy places as often as once a week, and give them thorough disinfection once a month.
In this way, you will keep disease at bay.