Some of the most bacteria-covered spots in your home are the ones you use most often, such as door and refrigerator handles. These frequent-contact surfaces allow easy transmission of cold, flu virus, E. Coli, Salmonella, Norovirus and more in your household, particularly when the average person’s hands carry at least 3,000 different germs.
Below are 5 germs hotspots you’ll need to keep a lookout for, and regularly disinfected.
Hotspot #1: Hand towels
Your rugs may provide a convenient way to clean all the spills, dust, and oily surfaces. What this also means is that these towels trap all sorts of germs within them. Dirty towels can carry a huge variety of
microbes and they’ve even been linked to spreading infectious disease. Most of the bacteria present are relatively harmless to healthy individuals. However, certain pathogens have been linked to food poisoning, which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever. Which is why it is vital to always keep these towels disinfected at all times, in spite of their purpose to keep things not dirty.
You can’t keep your towels 100% germ-free, but you can minimize it by washing your hand towels, only way more often than you probably do now.
There are two ways you can go to keeping your hand towels sanitized, one being using boiling water or using bleach. A ten-minute bath in boiling water on your stovetop will sanitize them and remove any stubborn odours. This is particularly helpful for dishcloths, which are more prone to smelly funk than towels. Whereas for bleach, you can occasionally add some bleach when you wash them. Adding bleach helps keep them odor and germ free, but be forewarned that this will discolour items that aren’t white.
Hotspot #2: Doorknobs
The house door knob is one of the most in-contact items in the house. Being so, they may harbour outside germs, which leaves everyone in contact with the doorknob susceptible to being infected with outside bacteria. Since the doorknob is one of the things we touch the most every day, it’s sanitization is often overlooked.
The most effective way to combat germs infesting your doorknob would be to regularly disinfect it. Whether the method of cleaning is using disinfectant wipes or a fast-acting spray, cover the knob with the product, and leave it to dry. Regularly scheduled wipes at least twice a day should be sufficient enough to keep the knob free of germs.
Hotspot #3: Refrigerator handles
Besides doorknobs, refrigerators are another item whose sanitization is often overlooked. Those that just came back from grocery shopping and are storing their bought goods from the grocery store will be in contact with the refrigerator handle, a lot. They risk bringing along all the germs carried from the surfaces they touch, thus leaving the fridge handle contaminated.
Therefore it is advisable that the handles of the refrigerator stay germ-free so that all people at home come in contact with minimal germs and bacterias as possible, whenever they want to get hold of their foods, or store groceries.
To avoid coming into contact with germs when opening your refrigerators, all you have to do is mix white vinegar with an equal amount of warm water in a container. Dip a rag in the solution and wring it so it’s not dripping. Wipe down the entire refrigerator, inside and outside, including the front and back of the handles. Use an old toothbrush to get into any creases or difficult areas. Applying a disinfectant spray or wipe is also applicable.
Hotspot #4: Faucets
Bathroom sink faucets have an average of 6,200 bacteria per square inch , some of which can survive on hard surfaces for weeks. This makes disinfecting them even more important.
To prevent cold, flu and a barrage of other illnesses, a twice-weekly schedule of disinfecting is recommended in addition to a weekly cleaning routine. Applying a disinfectant spray will be effective in keeping these bacteria at bay.
Hotspot #5: Remote controls
Another major culprit of accumulating bacteria may be lurking in your television room. Yes, your remote control is probably a major germ hub. Your channel changer most likely comes into contact with several different semi-clean hands in one day, in addition to all the surfaces and dust it collects.
The cleaning method is rather simple – you can use a drop of dish soap on a damp cotton cloth or an antiseptic wipe. The hard thing is to remember to keep them disinfected regularly – scheduling some time or set reminders to regularly clean your remote control will help keep unwanted germs at bay. Germ hotspots everywhere in my home. What to do?
It is safe to say that, even when we’re in the comforts of home, we are still under threat of coming into contact with various germs, viruses and bacterias. That being said, it is important to keep up safety health measures to minimize the presence of unwanted pathogens. This is achievable with the use of hand sanitizers, liquid soaps and disinfectants, coupled with good hygiene practices. It is necessary to take these measures at home, for your own safety and more importantly the safety of those that we love.
