family,  home and interiors,  homewares

Home Cleaning Habits: Rights and Wrongs

A clean home makes for a happy, healthy family, yet while your house may look sparkling, there are plenty of places where germs lurk, that are often missed out of the cleaning routine.

Studies have found that bacteria can divide and multiply every 20 minutes, and these germs can attach to anything and everything in your home, so it’s crucial to find and destroy them, to create a truly healthy home.

So what parts of the home do we tend to forget about when cleaning and how often should we be vacuuming, scrubbing and polishing? Here are a few words of advice from the home hygiene experts at Clinell Direct.

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Germs are hiding where you may not realise

Kitchen sponges

Although they are covered in washing liquid or kitchen cleaner on a regular basis, damp kitchen sponges gather bacteria from around your kitchen and offer the best breeding ground for it. These kitchen essentials can end up being 200,000 times filthier than the toilet seat, so make sure you are either regularly replacing your kitchen sponges, or alternatively, microwave them for two minutes and dry on the radiator afterwards.

Chopping boards

Again, these kitchen tools can become an awful lot dirtier than a toilet seat – 200x to be precise – if they aren’t cleaned properly. Simply soak in warm, soapy water for 5 minutes, then scrub, rinse and dry off with some kitchen paper rather than a tea towel.

Keyboards and Remotes

Computer keyboards and TV remotes can accumulate dust, food crumbs and even bacteria from when we cough and sneeze, to name just a few! They can be tricky to clean, but try tipping them upside down and giving them a shake to remove any loose residue, then use antibacterial wipes to clean the parts you can see, as well as sanitised cotton buds to clean in between the keys.

Plants

Houseplants gather dust and germs on their leaves and in the plant pots, too. Bugs are attracted to this bacteria, so as strange as it may seem, try to clean your plants every so often. Simply wipe away any dust with a warm, damp cloth.

Skirting boards and door frames

One of the major culprits for gathering dust without us realising! Simply wipe away any dust from them on a weekly basis, to prevent build ups.

Handles and switches

Plug and light switches, and door and cupboard handles are constantly touched by bacteria-ridden hands, but by simply wiping them down with an antibacterial wipe once a week, you can prevent germs being transferred from one person to another.

How often should you be cleaning certain parts of the home?

The following guidelines can help you to keep on top of your home cleaning and ensure you are preventing as much bacteria and germ build up as possible.

Daily cleaning

  • Wash the dishes
  • Wipe kitchen surfaces, including counters and tables, with antibacterial wipes or sprays
  • Sweep the kitchen floor and any other rooms that are a little messy
  • Wipe bathroom surfaces, including shower walls and the sink
  • If you have a coffee machine, try to clean it every day to avoid build up and strange tasting coffee

 

Weekly cleaning

  • Mop floors and vacuum carpets. Here’s some Reviews of the Shark Vacuum If you Need An Upgrade!
  • Clean windows and mirrors with glass cleaner
  • Dust and vacuum furniture
  • Change your bedding
  • Wash your laundry
  • Clean out any food past its expiry date
  • Clean the microwave and any other kitchen accessories
  • Sanitise kitchen sponges and cloths
  • Dust and clean skirting boards and door frames

 

Monthly cleaning

  • Dust light fixtures and use antibacterial wipes to clean them
  • Clean the dishwasher and any other larger appliances e.g. washing machine, tumble dryer
  • Dust and clean blinds and/or curtains
  • Clean the inside of the fridge

Cleaning for every quarter or midway through the year

  • Thoroughly clean the oven
  • Thoroughly clean the cooker hood
  • Move all furniture out to completely dust and clean behind
  • Clean your outside decking and garden furniture
  • Give your pillows a wash
  • Sprinkle mattresses with baking soda, wait and then vacuum
  • Clean drains and rubbish bins

 

Yearly cleaning

  • Give your carpets a thorough wash and clean
  • Wash your curtains
  • Give your gutters a clear out and clean
  • If you have fireplace, give it a deep clean

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