You probably think that the kitchen and the bathroom are the dirtiest places in your home. After all, they’re where you do your cooking and bathing, so they must be pretty dirty, right? Well, as it turns out, those aren’t the dirtiest places in your house – not by a long shot!
In this article, we will list the 15 dirtiest places in your home and tell you why they’re dirtier than you expect. We’ll also give you some easy tips for cleaning them!
1. The living room
Believe it or not, the living room is one of the dirtiest places in your home. It’s full of dust, pet hair, and other allergens that can cause problems for people with allergies or asthma.
And if you have carpet in your living room, it’s probably even dirtier. To clean your living room, start by vacuuming the floors and dusting all of the surfaces. Don’t forget to clean under the furniture!
If you have a fireplace in your living room, make sure to clean it out regularly. A build-up of soot and ash can be a fire hazard. And speaking of fires, if you have any candles in your living room, make sure to blow them out before you leave the room.
Finally, if you have any pets, make sure to keep their fur trimmed and brushed. This will help cut down on the amount of pet hair in your living room.
2. Kitchen Countertops
Your kitchen countertops are one of the dirtiest places in your home. They are full of bacteria, food particles, and grease. Another reason your kitchen countertop is listed as one of the dirtiest places is that it is where you prepare food.
You are constantly touching raw meat, vegetables, and fruit. Then you place your hands on the countertop to prepare your food. This is a breeding ground for bacteria.
To clean your kitchen countertop, you should use a disinfectant or sanitizer. You can also use a mixture of water and vinegar. Be sure to wipe down your countertop after you prepare food. Also, don’t forget to clean the area under your kitchen appliances. This is where a lot of dirt and dust accumulate.
3. Doorknobs and light switches
We touch these surfaces an average of 6 to 10 times per day, so it’s no wonder they can get pretty grimy. These surfaces can also accumulate dirt since they’re not usually at eye level and therefore easy to miss when we’re cleaning.
To clean doorknobs and light switches, simply wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe or a cloth dampened with soapy water.
Wipe doorknobs and light switches down with a disinfecting wipe or a cloth dampened with soapy water once a week. If you have young children in the house, you may want to do this more often. Pay attention to other high-touch areas in your home, such as cabinet knobs and drawer pulls.
4. Electronics
We’re constantly touching our phones, laptops, and remote controls. And because we take them everywhere with us (even into the bathroom), they’re full of bacteria.
The CDC recommends cleaning your electronics with alcohol wipes or a cloth dampened with soapy water.
5. Inside the toothbrush cup
The toothbrush cup is one of those places that you don’t think about when it comes to cleaning. But it’s important to clean it regularly because it can harbor all sorts of bacteria. The best way to clean it is to put some vinegar in the cup and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, rinse it out with hot water.
6. Coffee Maker
You might not think your coffee maker is dirty, but it is. The water tank is a prime spot for mold to grow, and the coffee filter can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Additionally, your coffee maker can get dirty by leaving coffee grinds and oils behind. To clean your coffee maker, you should disassemble it and wash all of the parts with hot, soapy water.
Then, rinse everything well and let it air dry. You should also descale your coffee maker every few months to prevent a build-up of minerals.
- To descale your coffee maker, you can use a commercial descaling solution or a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar.
- Run this mixture through your coffee maker as you would normally make coffee.
- Let the mixture sit in the coffee pot for 30 minutes, then finish running the cycle.
- Rinse out the coffee pot and run a few cycles of just water to remove any residual vinegar taste
7. Faucets and Sinks
You know those little spots around the handles of your faucets and drains that you can never seem to clean properly? They’re teeming with bacteria.
One study found that kitchen sink faucets had an average of more than 300,000 colony-forming units of bacteria per square inch.
To clean, first, remove any buildup of mineral deposits by scrubbing with a toothbrush dipped in vinegar. Then disinfect with a cloth soaked in a mixture of one part water to one part bleach. Rinse well and dry with a clean towel.
8. Your Bathtub
Your bathtub is one of the dirtiest places in your home. It is full of bacteria and mold that can cause serious health problems. The best way to clean your bathtub is to use a bleach and water solution.
Bleach is a powerful disinfectant that will kill the bacteria and mold in your bathtub.
To clean your bathtub, you will need:
- A bleaching solution (mix one part bleach with one part water); A sponge or brush; gloves
First, you will need to remove all of the items from your bathtub. This includes your shower curtain, soap dish, and any other items that are in your tub.
Next, you will need to fill your tub with the bleaching solution.
Make sure that the entire tub is covered with the solution. Let the solution sit in your tub for at least 30 minutes. This will give the bleach time to work.
After 30 minutes, you can begin scrubbing your tub with a sponge or brush. Be sure to scrub all of the surfaces, including the sides and bottom of the tub.
Once you have finished scrubbing, you can drain the tub and rinse it with clean water. You should also dry your tub with a clean towel to prevent mold and mildew from growing.
Your bathtub should now be clean and free of bacteria and mold. Remember to clean your tub regularly to prevent these health hazards from growing.
9. Cutting Board
he cutting board is one of the dirtiest places in your home. It is full of bacteria from raw meat, vegetables, and fruit. To clean it, use a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. soak the board for 20 minutes, then scrub with a brush and rinse with hot water.
After you have cut raw meat on your cutting board, it is important to clean it immediately. If you don’t have time to wash it right away, place it in the sink and cover it with hot soapy water.
10. Toilet Bowls
We all know that toilets are dirty, but we may not realize just how much bacteria is lurking in our toilet bowls. A study by NSF International found that the average toilet seat has about 50 times more bacteria than a doorknob.
And while you may clean your toilet bowl regularly, there are still a few nooks and crannies where bacteria can hide. Use a toilet brush to clean under the rim of your toilet bowl, and be sure to disinfect your brush after each use.
11. Kitchen Sink
Our kitchen sink is another breeding ground for bacteria. You probably already know to clean it regularly, but are you doing it correctly?
First, scrub the sink with hot soapy water and a sponge. Then, rinse it with hot water and disinfect it with a solution of one tablespoon bleach to one gallon of water. Finally, rinse the sink with clean water and dry with a clean towel.
12. Refrigerators
Your refrigerator can also be a hotbed for bacteria, especially if you don’t clean it regularly. A study by NSF International found that the average refrigerator has more than 25 times the amount of bacteria as a toilet seat.
To clean your refrigerator, start by taking everything out and throwing away anything that’s expired. Then, give the inside of your fridge a good wipe down with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Be sure to clean the gasket, which is the rubber seal that goes around the door, as this can be a breeding ground for mold. Finally, put everything back in and give your fridge a good scrub down on the outside
13. Microwaves
Another appliance that you may not think to clean very often is your microwave. You probably only give it a good scrub down when something spills inside of it.
However, microwaves can harbor a lot of bacteria. Anytime you heat food in your microwave, it can cause bacteria to splatter all around the inside of the appliance.
Be sure to clean your microwave regularly with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
Simply place a bowl of this mixture inside and let it run for about five minutes.
Then, wipe down the inside of the microwave with a clean cloth.
14. Dish Towels
ou might not think that your dish towels are all that dirty. After all, you use them to clean things! But dish towels are one of the germiest places in your home.
They’re often used to wipe up food and spills, which means they can harbor all sorts of bacteria.
Make sure your dishtowels are clean by washing them in hot water with bleach at least once a week.
15. Shower curtain
We all know that our shower gets dirty. But did you know that your shower curtain can be one of the dirtiest places in your home?
A shower curtain can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can cause respiratory problems. To clean your shower curtain, simply put it in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar and a few towels.
Conclusion
These are the 15 dirtiest places in your home. Some of them may surprise you, but they are all important to keep clean. By following the tips above, you can easily keep your home clean and free of dirt and bacteria. Thanks for reading!
