You wouldn’t ordinarily use your toilet brush for anything but the purpose for which it is kept. Because you’re well aware that the toilet brush is used for just one thing – cleaning the toilet.
Although it may be quite easy to call a household item “dirty” if it is kept in a place known to host microbes and bacteria, it is worth noting that many household items kept in more ‘honourable’ places are just as bacteria-infested as the toilet brush.
Here are nine common items in the household that can be dirtier than the toilet brush if not regularly cleaned.
- Kitchen sponge
When was the last time you changed your kitchen sponge? Research has shown that sponges, generally, tend to harbour a lot of bacteria such as E. coli which can cause infections. Kitchen sponges are also a breeding ground for the bacterium Salmonella, which causes typhoid and other gastrointestinal infections. If not regularly disinfected or replaced, a salmonella-infested sponge could trigger episodes of diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps. Kitchen sponges are best replaced once every quartre. If replacing your sponges once every quartre is too much of a task, you can consider sterilising them in hot water once a week, to keep them bacteria-free.
- Chopping board
Open surfaces used for cutting food items such as meat, fish, poultry and even fruits and vegetables, may tend to harbour some harmful bacteria. Chopping boards, especially, are known to accumulate harmful bacteria from the raw meat, poultry, and other food items on which they are mostly prepped. To keep a germ-free chopping board, it must be cleaned thoroughly after each use. Also, it must be washed with a sterilised sponge and soap under running water to neutralise any bacterial and/or microbial activities before each use, especially if the food item it will be used for will not be completely cooked in heat.
- Kitchen sink
Unhygienic items such as food particles, as well as enabling conditions like moisture, can create an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, microbes and mould in and around the kitchen sink.
Disinfect your sink at least once a week with hot water and Epsom salt, as the latter has been found to be effective in fighting a variety of bacteria, including Staph and E. coli. In order not to destroy your rubber tubes, lock the sink with the stopper and hold the water in for about an hour until it cools down. If your sink doesn’t have a stopper, disinfect it by rubbing some lime or lemon across the entire sink, and clean it off with a wet towel soaked in hot water.
- Mobile phone
Whether we like it or not the mobile phone has become a life companion, and, research has found mobile devices, especially the phone, to be one major breeding ground for bacteria. They easily accumulate germs from the hands, from object surfaces, from talking, and even from public places. Use an alcohol-based wipe or drench a pad of cotton with Rubbing Alcohol to clean your mobile phone each evening, after your nighttime beauty and wellness routine. If you want to be a little extra, clean it twice: each morning after your shower; after you have cleaned your face with your face toner, and repeat the process after your evening shower.
- Door knobs and door handles
Because they are frequently touched surfaces, door knobs and door handles do accumulate a lot of germs from the hands. It is advised that you disinfect your doors, and their handles and knobs regularly. However, if you’re not disinfecting your knobs and handles, do well to clean the whole door, at least, once every week, when you do your deep cleaning around the house.
- Toothbrush holder
Just like kitchen sponges and foams, toothbrush holders can accumulate bacteria from anywhere and anything, including toothbrushes, if not cleaned regularly. Wash your holders regularly, sterilise them weekly, or better still, change them frequently. The frequency of change should depend entirely on you.
- Kitchen countertops
Just like chopping boards, kitchen countertops can harbour lots of bacteria, especially if they come into contact with raw food and undone dishes. Wipe your countertops clean with alcohol-based wipes or sanitisers, before and after each use.
- Light switches
Because they can be some of the least regularly cleaned household items, switches and plugs do accumulate a lot of germs. Also, due to their regular exposure to the hand, light switches, plugs, and extension boards become breeding grounds for bacteria. If cleaning them daily seems to be too much work, consider cleaning them once every week, during your deep cleaning around the house.
- Computer keyboard
Have you ever considered how much bacteria your keyboard accumulates, even in a day? Just like the mobile phone, Keyboards can harbour dust and debris, if not cleaned regularly; and can thus become a breeding ground for bacteria. Clean your keyboard before each use to minimise the accumulation of bacteria.
