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Even if you reach out for one of the cleaning solutions, certain common household items slip out of the cleaning net. They are never overlooked by professional cleaning services, of course. But some are simply out of their purview or even ability to clean without explicit permission from owners. So, you need to understand that common household items could be sources of infections. Here are a few examples.
Cellphones
Just as there are surprising places you forget to clean, plenty of items get overlooked as well. Our phones tend to be one of them. After all, we perceive our phones as a piece of electronics. And absolutely everyone knows how bad mixing water and electricity can be. Similarly, everyone knows of the consequences of dunking your phone in water and how easy it is to make it worthless. So, consciously or subconsciously, we tend to turn away from cleaning cellphones, which lets all the germs, bacteria, and viruses we come in contact with during our day linger on our phones.
Faucet handles
Even when spring cleaning when moving house and cleaning the entire property, faucet handles often get overlooked. Oh, plenty of people make sure to pay the sink particular attention. Yet the faucet handles are so out of the way and unobtrusive, not to mention associated with cleanliness, that we entirely forget about them. And this is a very, very bad thing if trying to squash all sources of infections. After all, the things we absolutely must touch with dirty fingers to wash our hands are faucet handles. And even when finishing the process, we tend to leave bits of soapy water on them. The two come together to offer a pretty serious source of infection if ignored for too long.
Doorknobs
Another example of how you tend to overlook a common source of infections even when deep cleaning your new house. Doorknobs are handled every day without much attention. You start touching them from the moment you come back from work or an errand. And yet, how often do you take the time to sterilize your doorknobs or even wipe them down? Not as often as you should, quite probably.
Dishwashing sponges
It is, again, easy to forget about sponges because of how closely we link them with cleaning itself. Would you try to wash soap? By the same token, since dishwashing sponges are used for cleaning, they are not treated as seriously as they should be. Consider the bits of food that get caught on your sponge. The fact that any food, when exposed to humidity, tends to develop mold or worse. Even walls can grow moldy if they are often exposed to water. So why should a sponge be any different when we purposely wet it as often as we do?
Cutting boards
Consider what goes across a cutting board during a typical day of meal preparation. Vegetables, meat, all kinds of food articles. And every single one of them leaves trace amounts of itself or its juices on your cutting board. Just giving it a quick wash is, unfortunately, common. And entirely insufficient. A cutting board needs to be washed carefully and thoroughly to avoid chances of infection.
Coffee makers
I ever we needed a professional cleaning service to include something in their offers, then it would be cleaning of coffee makers. The testimonial would be interesting to see, though. This is because we cannot be sure of the inner workings of such a machine. Unless we take it apart, of course. And such a task is complicated and runs the risk of damaging something. Still, it should not be skipped! The leftover coffee residue inside the machine is a serious health hazard and a potential source of infection. So no matter how hard it is, make sure to clean it almost as often as you would your kettle.
Bath and hand towels
With the growing need for covid 19 disinfection services, many previously overlooked spots are getting the cleaning they need. Yet, bath and hand towels continue to be overlooked. After all, they are something you use after you’ve washed up, right? There is a more significant concern, setting aside that their frequent use can lead to them growing moldy, particularly when it comes to hand towels. How often do you wash your arms up to the elbow after work? Probably not often. And yet, when drying your hands, the towel comes into contact with more than just your palms. Change your towels often, and always try to give them enough time to dry off!
Toothbrushes
It is astounding how often toothbrushes are mishandled and left to fester into a source of infection. No matter how much you insist on the fact that you are ‘washing’ your teeth, your mouth still carries a lot of bacteria. So, when you are done and just rinse your toothbrush before putting it back into its holder, you are making two mistakes. First, by not thoroughly washing it, you are letting such unwanted elements continue to cling to it. Secondly, leaving it wet provides a chance for the contaminated water to accumulate in the cup or whatever you are using to store your toothbrushes. This is quite literally one of the best environments for an infection to start spreading.
Money and wallets
We are so used to money and wallets we rarely give them a second thought. And yet, consider how many people have handled that one-dollar bill before you. Consider whether they take proper care of their hygiene. And then think about how carelessly you handle money and the wallet that stores it. Sometimes even directly before a meal.
Light switches
One of the most valuable tips for keeping covid 19 out of your home is properly disinfecting your light switches. Once again, their frequency of use and their association with electricity prevent most people from cleaning them. Thus leaving another potential source of infections free to fester in their homes.
Final thoughts
Now that we have proven that common household items could be sources of infections, we hope you better understand what you need to do to keep your home safe. As long as you put in enough work and remain diligent, we are confident you will successfully keep most if not all sources of infection out of your life.
