Is Your House Making You Sick?

If you think your toilet is the dirtiest place in your home, think again. More bacteria is living around your kitchen sink. In fact, a study found over 200,000 times more faecal bacteria on kitchen sponges than on toilet seats. That's why your dog drinks from your toilet. They’re smarter than we thought.

But before burning your house down and killing it with fire, it’s important to know that not all bacteria is bad. And thankfully, multiple studies have shown that routine cleaning with the appropriate products and disinfectants is sufficient to effectively keep our homes clean. So, here are some of the common areas of your home with harmful bacteria and how you can clean them properly to reduce contamination.

Kitchen

The best way to kill any nasty bacteria on your kitchen sponge is by simply wetting it and zapping it with your microwave for 2 minutes a day. Always wash dirty dishes as soon as possible after use, store food in a sealed container, and keep bin lids closed. Use a disinfectant to regularly wipe down all kitchen surfaces like countertop, sink, table, stove, and microwave. And as a study detected coronavirus living on stainless steel and plastic for 72 hours, you should be doing this once every day.

Bathroom

Microorganisms like mould multiply rapidly and thrive in moist environments like bathrooms. And studies have shown that coliform faecal matter can actually survive 24 to 36 hours on bathroom surfaces, no don’t leave the lid up when flushing. Use a toilet brush and disinfectant cleaner to scrub inside the toilet bowl once a week. You should also use an all-purpose cleaner on a wet cloth to wash the seat and lid of the toilet, as well as around the outside of the bowl.

Living Room

Germs and bacteria love to hang out wherever you do, which means right there in your lounge room for Netflix & Chill. So always clean up any crumbs and spills immediately to stop bacteria growing on your floor and furniture. And your carpet can hold more dirt than most average city streets, so vacuum and steam clean them regularly. Don’t forget to shake out any rugs and wash your floors at least once a week. This is all-important to keep your living areas hygienically clean.

Bedrooms

According to studies, microbial dust mites, dead skin, and hair found in bedrooms can negatively affect children and adults. To keep your bedrooms free from dust mites, bacteria, and other debris, you should regularly sweep, vacuum, and steam clean the floors. Plus you should change bed linen at least once a week and wash them in hot water, and even more often when someone is sick. And remember to keep food out of bedrooms as the crumbs can attract insects, bacteria, and mould.

Laundry

You might assume your washing machine would be pretty clean, but your dirty laundry fills it with bacteria. The best way to clean it is to run your washing machine empty with hot water and some bleach once a week. Hot water is much more effective than cold in killing germs, bacteria, and viruses like Covid, so you should also wash your laundry at the possible highest temperature.

In a time where we need to protect our health more than ever, these tips should help! Invest in some great cleaning gear, put the music on, and start scrubbing for a healthier home.