Areas in Your Home You May Never Know Needs Cleaned

When you go to clean your house, you don’t think about every square inch. You think about the obvious living areas and the small spaces that you know to clean, but beware of the spots you do not clean. Below is a list of the dirtiest places hidden in your home that you forget to clean. You will be shocked.

Doorknobs

This one is almost a no brainer, but most people completely forget about all the germs we carry on our hands. Studies showed that Starbucks doorknobs are dirtier than a toilet seat, your door knob at home might not be as extreme but still dirtier than a toilet seat. Studies have shown the flu virus staying active on doorknobs for up to 24 hours, but that’s not all the harmful bacteria doorknobs carry. This includes staphylococcus, which can cause skin infections and food poisoning. A few other harmful bacteria are e-coli and salmonella, both causing food poisoning and other arrays of symptoms.

Toothbrush and Holder

Believe it or not, but your toothbrush and toothbrush holder are pretty disgusting. There was a study done that confirmed the fact, if your toothbrush is within 10 feet of your toilet after it has been flushed with the lid open, the germs and bacteria from the toilet are spread all around the room contaminating your toothbrush and everything else in the room within the radius. Your toothbrush can have traces of e-coli and staph bacteria all over it, this is especially bad with groups of toothbrushes stored together. Even if you get a new toothbrush every week, you will need to clean the holder as well.

Toilet

Most people clean their toilet, but not the entire toilet itself. The hidden part backed by the wall and the water hoses are commonly ignored and harbor the bacteria as the toilet bowl itself. Microbes such as e-coli, shigella, and staph are commonly found on toilet seats and in the toilet bowl, meaning they are all over the entire toilet. It is important to clean your entire toilet constantly, as mentioned above when a toilet is flushed, a spray of bacteria is spread all around the bathroom. Keeping this to a minimal will help protect you and your family from any future illnesses.

Oven Knobs

The knobs you use to turn on your oven or stove are just as dirty as a regular door knob, containing the exact same bacteria. The average oven knob contains large amounts of staph, e-coli, and salmonella bacteria, as well as the possibility to harbor the flu virus. The fact that our hands come in contact with a variety of extremely disgusting surfaces everyday , is an obvious sign that handles and knobs need to be cleaned on a daily basis.

Faucet Aerator

You know that screen that is at the end of your facet where the water comes out? Yeah, that thing is called a faucet aerator and it is extremely dirty. Dirt and grime actually builds up around the threads of these filters and can make your water taste bad and have a smell. Who knows what’s really in our water, so cleaning your faucet aerator every few month is important for keeping your and your family safe.

Water Heater

Your water heater gets pretty dang dirty, and if you don’t believe me go home and wipe it down. It’s true, your water heater collects so much dust, it’s actually surprising. If you take a baby wipe and wipe behind the heater where all the pipes are, you will come out with a dust covered piece of cloth. Make sure you wipe down the water pipes too, but beware when the heater is hot, you could get burned.

Washer and Dryer

Most appliances get dirty over time, these two very important machines can be the worst. The outside of the machine being the main hot spot. Most of the front side is spilled soap and everyday dirt, but the backside is far worse. Behind your washer and dryer can be a dust and lint battlefield, looking impossible to clean. The smartest thing to do is pull them out and just get to work, your washer and dryer should work better as well from the open air vents.

Pet Toys and Dishes

This might shock you but your pet’s toys and bowl can eventually grow mold, yeast, and many other harmful bacteria. One common and scary bacteria found is dog bowls is Serratia Marcescens, which causes infections and even pneumonia. The even scarier thing is the fact average dishwashers don’t kill these bacteria, leaving bleach washing the only option. Even then some bacteria such as salmonella and e-coli will survive if the bleach solution isn’t strong enough.

Kitchen Sponge

Often referred to as a hotbed for bacteria growth, your kitchen sponge is filled with microscopic bacteria. A recent study showed evidence of sponges being responsible for croscontanmination in the kitchen, and at home food poisoning. Klebsiella, e-coli, salmonella, and other harmful bacteria are the most commonly abundant germs found throughout the kitchen sponge. Another study shown that washing a dirty sponge does nothing more then shift the bacteria around, making cleaning sponges impossible, so better yet buy a bulk pack to last you a while.

Shower and Bathtub

Taking a shower may feel like you are getting squeaky clean, but the reality is your bathtub is covered in bacteria. Starting with shower curtains, a good invention despite the tendency to grow mold and collect mildew. Your bathtub and shower walls collect bacteria just as well as a sponge, making it nearly impossible to avoid contamination. After a bath is drawn and the water is drained, gastrointestinal viruses are left behind on the bathtub floor and the sides on the walls. When these viruses come in contact with your hands, there is almost a 90% chance you will spread the viruses into your mouth one way or another, which can spread even further through other forms of contamination.

Refrigerator

Yes, your refrigerator is just as dirty if not more than a toilet seat. Cleaning your refrigerator with bleach on a weekly basis is extremely important for preventing sickness and food contamination. Many things will be slopped in the fridge and left to sit. Other things can go bad and spoil, promoting bacteria growth within your refrigerator. A weekly bleach rag wipedown is essential for a healthy home.

Tops of Cabinets

The very tops of cabinets are one of the most ignored spots when it comes to cleaning the house. Two feet from the ceiling, there isn’t a question why they have always been ignored. But fact is they need to be cleaned, not as dirty as some of the places on this list, but still a large dust collecting shelf. Aweekly dusting and wipe down is all it takes, and this can save someone’s life if they are allergic to dust.

Remotes and Controllers

The most innocent germ magnet on this list, your t.v. remote! If you put your hands on it, it is most likely infested with bacteria. A study done by a university in virginia found a 75% chance of any remote tested having positive results of the cold and flu virus. Scientist have also found traces of salmonella, e-coli, and staph all inhabiting the average t.v. remote and gaming controller.

Keyboards

Keyboards like doorknobs and remotes, involve the use of our dirty hands which in turn makes the surface dirty. Keyboards also collect lots of dust and dirt underneath the keys, make sure to pop the keys out and wipe down the inside of the keyboard and each individual piece. Germs and bacteria such as the flu virus and e-coli can stay active on your keyboard for up to a day, so beware.

Pillow Case

Have you been breaking out with acne in the morning? This could be to blame on your filthy pillow case. For real, your pillow case can contain over 10,000 dust mites and large amounts of dead skin. Bacteria also thrive in these kind of conditions and have easy access when you lay your head down. It is recommended to wash your pillowcase every week to prevent illness and breakouts.

Smartphone and Tablet

We saved the dirtiest for last, everyone’s beloved smartphone. These are the dirtiest things on the list, being ranked 300 times dirtier than your toilet seat. The average american checks their phone at least 47 times a day, spreading a handful of bacteria all over the surface of the phone. Any phone can be carrying e-coli, MRSA, staph, and other harmful bacteria, in fact some studies suggest the rapid increase in the flu virus was caused by smartphones.

When it comes to cleaning your house, don’t forget to wash those hidden areas you always forget. You can use this list as a starting point, but believe me this list could go on forever. We encourage you to find the hidden areas in your house that you weren’t cleaning before, because it can really save your life.