What’s the Dirtiest Place in YOUR Home?

When it comes to house cleaning, we tend to focus on the areas that are obvious.

The dusty, cluttered or highly trafficked.

But where are the REAL germs lurking? Do you even know?

And once you do, you need to ask yourself… when's the last time I gave them a good cleaning?

First things first.

Let’s take a tour of your home, and start tackling the germiest of the germy… the “Dingy Dozen.

Dish sponges: The worst of the worst. Almost all have E. coli, and most have mold and yeast. Definitely clean often, put in the dishwasher when your run a load, and even consider microwaving for 30 seconds every few days.
Kitchen sink: You wash your food here, and it’s often more germy than your bathroom. At least once a week, this needs a thorough cleaning.
Toothbrush holder: If I told you this was even dirtier than your toilet, would you gag? What if I told you that if your toothbrush is close to the bowl, you may even get particles on the bristles when you flush? It pays to sanitize your toothbrush weekly, and replace at least every few months.
Pet bowl & toys: Nearly half have mold, and almost 1 in 5 have coliform or staph. Be sure to clean often, and use the dishwasher. Don’t your pets deserve it?
Coffee maker: Damp & dark is a great place for germs to thrive. To clean, fill with vinegar, wait 30 minutes, brew as you would coffee, then run water through for a couple cycles.
Bathroom faucets: You touch the faucet before you wash your hands. Think about it…
Kitchen counter: Consider all the germy things that end up on the countertop. Bags of groceries, purses, the daily mail. Definitely clean before you place any food on it.
Stove knobs: When’s the last time you cleaned them – like, really cleaned them? Once a week, give them a good soaping.
Toilet seat & handle: Obviously dirty, but these fall down the list because they typically get cleaned often. Keep it up!
Bathroom door & light switch: Hopefully you’re cleaning your hands after doing your business. But if you’re not, what do you touch next?
Remote controls: All the germy hands in the house touch these, and they are not the thing you can drop in a bucket of soapy water. But they need your attention, and a good place for a sanitizer or wipes to target.
Computer & cell phone: With as much time as we spend online, and as little as we clean them, if you’re not washing your hands after use, you better take the time to clean them instead… and often.

Ok, now you have an action plan. But first on your list is not to panic.

The goal isn’t to keep your home germ-free. It’s to reduce the number of germs, to keep the stress on your system (and on your mind) as low as possible.

Every little bit helps, and just knowing what’s really dirty will make you think twice about putting off cleaning for too long.

So your home doesn’t just look clean. It IS clean.