If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that some germs can be seriously detrimental to our health, and can spread far quicker and easier than many of us may previously have realized. While social distancing and the wearing of face masks have helped to keep us safe when outside of our homes, what can we do to ensure that our homes are as safe and germ-free as they can possibly be?
Let’s take a quick cleanliness and hygiene tour through every room in the home:
Entrances or mudrooms
Since this is the space you first enter when arriving back at home, it’s arguably one of the most important places to keep clean, and preventing germs from entering the rest of your home, starts here.
Have an area where shoes can be taken off and stored, along with racks and hooks for coats and all exterior wear. Frequently sanitize door handles and light switches and any other surfaces that are regularly touched.
Kitchen and dining room
Bacteria can easily begin to build up in kitchens, but as food is prepared there, it’s essential that you thoroughly clean and sanitize all surfaces along with the sink and faucets, before and after any food prep is carried out. All handles and switches that are frequently touched must be kept clean at all times, and you can sanitize your kitchen sponge by microwaving it for 2 minutes.
Make sure that expired food is gotten rid of and that all food items are stored correctly in the refrigerator.
Vacuum and mop the floors at least once a week (and more often if they look dirty or you have pets and/or small children), and don’t forget to keep the dining table and chairs or stools clean and disinfected, too.
Living room
Vacuum the floors and any other hard to reach areas using the attachments on your vacuum cleaner, and dust all surfaces with a microfiber cloth at least once a week. It also helps to have carpets and furniture professionally cleaned once a year to remove any stubborn stains and germs that might be lingering there.
Sanitize the tv remote and any other accessories that are frequently touched, along with light switches, coffee tables and lamps.
Bedrooms
While bedrooms can be seen as clean places since many adults only sleep in them, beds are actually breeding grounds for dust mites and other allergens. Also, if you don’t shower before getting into bed each night, you could be transferring germs to the bedding itself. To keep your bed as hygienically clean as possible, wash your bedding every week in hot water, and use hypoallergenic mattress and pillow covers.
You should also try to mitigate the spreading of germs by putting dirty laundry straight into the hamper – it’s especially important to teach your kids this!
For your kids bedrooms, try to encourage them not to leave anything dirty lying around, from plates and tissues to clothes and schoolbooks, and for smaller children, wash their stuffed toys every so often.
Office
Take the time to sanitize all frequently touched items on your desk, from the computer keyboard and mouse to light switches and drawer handles.
Bathrooms
Hopefully you already clean your toilet, washbasin, shower and tub at least weekly, but it’s also important to carry out a bi-monthly deep clean, in which all areas of the bathroom are cleaned thoroughly to eliminate any germs. Don’t forget to sanitize the flush, too!
Empty trash cans regularly and close the toilet lid before flushing to prevent nasty germs from spreading themselves throughout the room.
For a germ-free home every day of the week, hire a professional cleaning service.
Freelance writer and published author.