Many of us have a set cleaning routine that you follow religiously. Sweep the floor, mop the floor, disinfect the cupboards, clean up dusty areas, etc. If I tell you that despite doing all that, you’re still missing key spots that can leave your family vulnerable to germs and bacteria?
Doctors advise you to put an eye out on high touch items that you use daily. Chances are, these items are the ones that you don’t even think about cleaning when you’re doing a routine home cleanup. However, it’s never too late to live a more efficient sanitary lifestyle. Here are some high touch household objects that you should disinfect starting now.
Handles and Doorknobs
It doesn’t matter where these handles or doorknobs are located, and they have to be correctly wiped, cleaned, or disinfected. These are by far one of the dirtiest surfaces that could ever be left uncleaned in any household. Imagine having a surface that you touch daily to be filled with loads of different bacteria.
Disinfect your refrigerator handles, microwave handles, cabinet handles, drawer handles, and every single doorknob in your house. It doesn’t matter how frequently you touch those doorknobs; if you leave them uncleaned, the bacteria will accumulate eventually.
Wipe away grease or grime from the handles or doorknobs with soapy water, rinse, and then wipe it again with a disinfectant wipe like Clorox.
Buttons and Dials
Another surface that’s often overlooked is buttons and dials present on your microwave, refrigerator, or even toaster! These have to be routinely cleaned and disinfected.
We suggest using a cleaning solution and sticking with the instructions on how to use it. Ideally, you want it to stay on for as long as possible before you wipe it off. If you’re using a spray instead of a regular cleaning solution or disinfectant wipe, spray it directly on the surface instead of on a towel.
Sponges
Sponges are everyday household items that you wouldn’t even think about cleaning. They get soaked in dishwashing soap and rinsed with water, why do you need to clean it? Well, the more an object comes into contact with water, the faster the bacterial growth becomes.
Clean your sponge using a 10% bleach 90% water solution. You can clean your sponge once per week, but you have to replace it or only use it for wiping countertops after a week or two weeks of use. You should also replace or bleach your sponge if it comes in contact with any type of meat or vegetables.
Cards and Wallets
If you go out frequently to either buy groceries or other essentials, make sure to clean your credit cards and the cardholder or wallet that you use to store them. Studies show that about 8-10% of these credit cards are heavily contaminated, to the point where it’d be comparable to a dirty public restroom toilet bowl.
Use a disinfectant wipe to clean it after every use or wipe it with a clean damp cloth. Do this to your cardholder or wallet as well.
Phones
We live in a world where most of the population owns a smartphone or a regular phone. It’s almost essential because of how convenient it is. You can use it to call people from across the world, surf the internet, or kill time by playing games.
However, because of the frequency in which we hold and fidget with our phones, the buildup of bacteria on the screen and back of the phone is disturbingly high. On average, we check on our phones for about 47 times a day. Considering that quarantine has us on our phones for most of our days, you should consider cleaning it thoroughly.
Grab a disinfectant wipe and wipe the entire phone. Make sure to wipe down hard to make sure you don’t just glide over the bacteria. You can also use an alcohol wipe or a 70% alcohol solution and a microfiber cloth.