So often we forget to clean some of the simplest, but the dirtiest places in the home. Germs, grime and dirt can be found in a lot of inconspicuous areas of the home. Without proper cleaning, these germs can lead to illness of family members or transferring the dirt from one area and to another area. Let’s look at some of the dirty areas in your home and how best to get them clean.
Light switches
That is right! Many people forget to wipe down light switches because they under estimate the use of the switches. However, people coming and going, turning on and off lights and with what kinds of hands could lead to who knows what kind of dirt. Not to mention, dirty hands lead ugly light switches on nice beautiful walls.
Door Handles
Same goes for door handles. Dirty hands, dirty handles! It is time to take a little cleaner and wipe down those door handles and light switches. It is good practice to try to clean these areas often to avoid germ transfer if you want to avoid getting sick. This also goes for refrigerator or other appliance handles.
Drawer Pulls and Knobs
Drawer pulls and knobs are great additions to kitchens and baths to help create a beautiful design to these rooms. However, like other door handles, cleaning these areas will keep your home free of germs and grime. It is especially important to clean drawer pulls and knobs because you are handling food and lotions and other beauty products that could lead to all kinds of gunk building up.
Remote Controls
We live in a world where remote controls are used with televisions, music systems, garage door openers, fans, and so much more. It is time to wipe down these controls to remove the dirt. Gently clean these products by placing your cleaning solution on the rag not the item, as the rag will carry the cleaning solution but not the liquid to potential damage the control. This same principle applies to phones if you still continue to use a land line.
Sponges and Rags
Kitchen sponges and rags contain a lot of germs and could cause illness due to food that is cleaned using these items. Periodically, replace your sponges and wash your dish rags. You can do this as often as you like. Food contains some of the worst germs in the raw form like salmonella from chicken or pork which cause a visit to the emergency room.
Cutting Boards
Similarly to dish rags, cutting boards can contain food by products if not cleaned properly. If you can run your cutting boards through the dishwasher, this will start the process to remove the germs. If not, use a mixture of bleach and water to periodically deep clean your cutting boards.
Faucets
We often forget about the mineral buildup in our shower heads and sink faucets. Now’s the time to use a mix of vinegar and water to clean the parts and pieces of shower heads and faucets. Gently remove the components of each, soak in vinegar and water, rinse and then gently reattach the pieces. You might find that your water flow is better due to the minerals that are removed from the areas.
With these quick and easy cleaning tips on some of the unforeseen dirty places in your home, we hope you are keeping your home safe from germs and dirt. We would love to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts on other areas of the home that your find surprisingly dirty.
