How often should you clean your house?
Many of us perceive cleanliness as something the importance of which we definitely understand but underestimate at the same time. We always have so many tasks on our to-do list that are more highly prioritized than putting on our rubber gloves and making our home shine. However, if only somebody showed us the place we live in under a microscope, we would probably take some days off work and do nothing else but disinfect that kingdom of bacteria and microbes. Some bacteria, such as E.Coli, for example, can live for a few hours to a full day, while other bacteria, such as calicivirus, can live for days or weeks. If you delay your cleaning for too long, these tiny creatures can even make you sick. So let’s see how often scientists suggest you clean your home to avoid unpleasant consequences.
How often should you…
Wash the sinks?
You might be surprised, but washing your sink once a month is not enough. Once a week is not an option either. Every day is the safest solution of all. Some scientists argue that your bathroom sink accumulates faecal matter because you wash your hands after using the bathroom. Food particles often contaminate your kitchen sink so, if not cleaned properly, E.Coli and Salmonella can be frequent guests there.
Change the sheets?
Although all of the bacteria that live on the sheets is mostly harmless (like dust), it still can mix with the dirt and oils sloughed off during sleep and cling to your skin, leading to dandruff or acne. So, as you can see, not only eating fast food can spoil your skin condition – the reason can be simply unchanged bedsheets. Change them once a week or once every two weeks and wash in hot water.
Vacuum and mop the floor?
It is recommended to vacuum at least once per week and mop the floor every couple of weeks. It is a different story if you have pets – then, probably, you should do it a little more often. Also, remember that the kitchen is your zone of risk due to food bacteria so keep an eye on it more carefully.
Wipe down the bathroom?
Your second zone of risk is the bathroom. E. Coli can be found here and there so in order to get rid of it or, at least, minimise its presence, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once per week and the bathtub – every two weeks. Do not forget to clean your shower curtains because they tend to cause mildew that some people cannot tolerate.
Swap out towels?
Your bathroom towels collect a lot of bacteria, such as faecal matter and staph. Imagine, you have an open cut or wound and you dry it off with a towel full of bacteria. You’d better change your bath towels every second day to stay on the safe side. Regarding your kitchen towels, unless you touched raw meat, you can feel free to swipe them out weekly.
Swap out sponges?
You must have heard that there is hardly anything that can compete with your kitchen sponge in terms of the bacteria quantities on it (because of food particles that stick to the surface). Scientists recommend changing a sponge every week. However, keep in mind that you can also try to disinfect your sponge by first soaking it in boiling water, wringing it out, and then placing it in the microwave for 2 minutes. In any case, sooner or later, you will still need to replace it with a new one.
Wipe down doorknobs?
At least something in our house can be given less attention than the rest of the areas. Undoubtedly, the doorknobs also accumulate bacteria but, still, they should be washed every couple of weeks. Door knobs in the bathroom and the kitchen are more contaminated than in the bedroom or sitting room, so they should be addressed first.
