Microbes are everywhere, and this is normal. But in some places there are a lot of them.
Door handles, a pistol pump at a gas station, valves of public latrines – we won’t even start talking about this. And so it is clear that they will never be crystal clear, and there is nothing we can do about it. Unlike the things that we have at home, and which we can quite cope with. We have collected 25 things that ideally need to be cleaned every day. Or at least a little more often than usual.
1. Keyboard
Only those who have never sat at a computer or laptop in their life, do not know how dirty the keyboard is. Last year, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published an analytical article that said that the keyboard can be infected even with staphylococcus, and this is a very dangerous infection. Therefore, it is desirable to wipe the keyboard with a special antibacterial agent every day.
2. Pillowcases
Of course, every day hardly anyone will wash the pillow cases. But health would definitely benefit: by the end of the week, about 3 of millions of bacteria per 5 square centimeters accumulate on a pillowcase. They feed mainly on our skin scales, hair, crumbs (if you eat in bed). If you change the bed once a week, these microorganisms do not deliver trouble. And if less often, the bacteria can provoke inflammation on the skin, the growth of acne and blackheads.
3. Sports water bottle
Conscious citizens try to take care of nature as much as they can and buy reusable sports bottles. This is wonderful if you remember to wash the bottle itself, the valve and the straw. Studies have shown that the number of bacteria in a bottle can reach 75 thousands per milliliter. And if you do not wash the bottle, by the end of the day their number rises to 2 million per milliliter.
4. Rings
In 2009, Norwegian scientists found that the number of bacteria in the hands of those who wore rings was twice as large as those who did without ornaments on their fingers. Just washing your hands without removing the ring is not enough – you need to clean it separately. Especially when it comes to engagement ring that you wear all the time.
5. Phone
Scientists have found that using the phone may even provoke acne in the cheek area, closer to the corner of the mouth. Indeed, we take the phone with us everywhere, even to the toilet. And, unlike the hands, we do not wash the gadget after visiting the restroom. Once a day, and better often, you need to wipe the phone with an alcohol solution.
6. Steering wheel
According to a study of the portal CarRentals.com, on average, 629 bacteria colonies per centimeter live on the steering wheel. This is four times more than the number of bacteria on the rim of the toilet bowl. Therefore, you need to wipe the steering wheel every time before you go.
7. Coffee cup
Or tea if you prefer this drink. Admit it, you don’t wash your mug every time after drinking a tea at work? According to the microbiologist Charles Gerba, every fifth circle is a refuge of fecal bacteria. If after using the cup only to rinse, and not to wash with hot water and soap, their number grows exponentially.
8. Dishwashing sponges
They need to be changed every week. And after each use – thoroughly rinse and wring. You can even disinfect, heating in the microwave, but this does not mean that after this procedure you can change the sponge less often. The sponge is the dirtiest thing in the house, No. 1 in all ratings of microbiologists, a real oasis of pathogenic bacteria.
9. TV remote
Or from the air conditioner. This is a subject on which fecal bacteria appear more often than others. For example, in hotels 80 percent of all consoles are infected with this dirty trick – these are the data of the American Society of Microbiologists.
10. Bath toys
If you cut your kid’s favorite yellow duckling, you can find disgusting things there. For example, mold. In 2018, a study was conducted, the results of which were disappointing: two-thirds of bath toys are affected by mold, a third by listerias and bacteria that cause pneumonia.
11. Door handles
Not even discussed. Like a switch: coming from the street, we turn on the light with the same hands that held the handrails in public transport and went through the packages with products in the store. And these packaging and handrails to us who just did not paw.
12. Shower
Yes, water is constantly flowing through it. But this does not mean that the sprayer itself will be cleaned. All the same American microbiologists say that there are so many bacteria on the shower head that people often catch respiratory diseases in their own bathroom.
13. Bath towels
We have already written about the fact that towels should not be stored in the bathroom – despite the fact that it is quite logical. Bacteria on the towels are full, and in the moist warm environment of the bathroom, they multiply at an unprecedented rate. Therefore, you need to change towels more often, and wash – at high temperatures. It is advisable to iron them later.
14. Washcloths
They exfoliate keratinized skin, for which we love them. But this skin, unfortunately, is not completely washed off the washcloths. If the washcloth is made of natural materials, the bacteria breed in it with undisguised pleasure. And the next time you wash, you do not get rid of the bacteria, but, on the contrary, acquire new ones.
15. Sink in the bathroom
The sink itself and the table on which it is installed should be cleaned daily. Even in hotels, where after every guest there is a general cleaning, millions of bacteria nest in the sinks. And at home they may be even more, because we do not use professional means for cleaning.
16. Sink drain
If the dirt on the bowl itself is visible, then we usually do not climb inside the drain hole. And in vain. Experts say that they should be poured daily with disinfectant. Otherwise, the bacteria that live there are spread throughout the room – all because of the flowing and splashing water.
17. Razor
A close shave may not be so clean. On razors found even Staphylococcus aureus, a deadly bacterium. Wet bathroom environment is an ideal environment for their reproduction. Therefore it would be good to sprinkle the razor with a disinfectant.
18. Toothbrush
Not surprising. It can nest and staphylococcus, and E. coli. If the brush is also stored in a special case, or closed with a lid, the bacteria reproduce much faster than in the air. The solution is to water the brush with an antibacterial mouthwash. And change it more often.
19. Kitchen Countertops
Put unwashed bananas on the table, put a bag of groceries, wash the meat (which is absolutely impossible to do) and splash water on the table – it’s ready, the kitchen is now in our incredibly dirty place in the house. Countertops should be regularly cleaned with soapy water, and potentially dirty objects should not be placed on them.
20. Plates
After the sponge for washing dishes, the kitchen sink is the second most dirty thing in the house. Leftover food plus moisture – and here it is, the ideal environment for a wide variety of bacteria. To avoid their spreading, you need to wash the dishes immediately. And in any case, do not leave her at night. This, by the way, and the house does not like.
21. Cutting boards
And not necessarily wooden. Some types of wood have an antibacterial effect in their own right, unlike soulless plastic. But this does not mean that they do not need to be washed. Need to! Carefully and immediately after use.
22. Kitchen towels
They need to be changed every day. Exception – if you do not cook and do not go into the kitchen at all. Towels and rags for tabletops share first place on the degree of contamination with sponges for washing dishes.
23. Window sill
Street dust is an incredibly toxic thing. In spring and summer, pollen is also added to it. As a result, we have an explosive mixture of the two most powerful allergens, which accumulates on the windowsill, even if the windows are closed.
24. Cat tray
We clean the human toilet every day, the same should be done with the cat tray. Otherwise, everything that appeared there, the cat will quickly spread throughout the house. And on the pillow will bring to you.
25. Coffee maker
We wash the cup where the finished coffee is poured, change the filters, wipe the outside. And, perhaps, all. But it is also necessary to part this miracle of technology from within. How to do this is in the instructions. Otherwise, microbes begin to multiply in the reservoir of the coffee maker – a complete set, including E. coli.