We all want to keep our house Gem-free. Germs are everywhere. It’s inevitable that we come in contact with them on a daily basis. Out at the store, at work, and of course…..even in our own home!
Here’s the part that’s an eye-opener: Your own toilet seat may be cleaner than some other items or areas in your home. That’s right – would you ever think your toilet seat may be one of the cleaner things around the house?
Well, as it turns out, it’s not too hard to believe. We have weekly cleaning rituals where we go in and clean the bathroom and scrub the toilet really well. And of course, that’s great. But what about some other areas or items in the home? There are certain things that we touch on a daily basis. In fact, the whole family touches on a daily basis and they pile up with more and more germs.
These are the items we need to be concerned about as we touch them and eat a snack or wipe our face…..germs are flying everywhere! We were so good at using hand sanitizer and washing up quite often during the Covid 19 pandemic, but sometimes keeping up with that falls by the wayside now.
It’s not that we don’t care about germs, it’s just that life gets hectic and sometimes you’re right in the middle of something, not realizing that you just used a germ-infested item for the last half hour and now you’re going to make yourself something to eat!
Courtney Mason, General Manager and VP of The Spruce recently gave some tips on keeping more things clean. And also divulged what could be dirtier than your actual toilet! Let’s take a look at some of her tips and hopefully do a better job at keeping things clean and preventing germs from traveling everywhere. Especially as we get close to cold and flu season.
REMOTE CONTROL
We sometimes forget that the remote control is touched by everyone in the house. It stores every germ and while we use it we’re sometimes snacking while watching tv!! Be sure to wipe it down periodically to get those nasty germs off.
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 11: A student uses a TV remote control to move his robot during a sumo robots combat trainning during the Cybertech robotics competition at the the School of Industrial Engineering of Madrid on April 11, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. The engineering students association RESET organizes the robotics contest in order to gain the practical experience that the university classes don’t have and to increase the popularity of robotics within new engineering students, while they teach them to build robots. Students build their robots from the scratch with specs and rules agreed by the association. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)
KEYBOARD
Your computer keyboard can also become very gross and filled with germs. Besides the crumbs of an old snack, your fingers are pressing every button and leaving behind oils and germs for the next person to touch. It’s best to unplug it and wipe it down with a microfiber cloth. You can spray equal parts rubbing alcohol and water onto the cloth and give that keyboard a much needed cleaning!
BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration a young man types on an illuminated computer keyboard typically favored by computer coders on January 25, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. 2020 saw a sharp rise in global cybercrime that was in part driven by the jump in online retailing that ensued during national lockdowns as governments sought to rein in the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS
These bags are being reused and we’re carrying them everywhere. They carry germs and E. Coli. According to a recent study almost none of us are cleaning them. Check the label as your first step, there are many bags that can actually go into the wash in the cold cycle.
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: A customer carries a reusable bag after shopping at a local supermarket on March 1, 2020 in New York City. New York State is banning the distribution of single-use plastic bags, trying to reduce billions of discarded bags that ends into landfills, rivers and oceans. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
WOODEN CUTTING BOARDS
We’re chopping up all sorts of foods on these boards and not always fully cleaning them off. These are porous which makes it a little tricky. However, when you’re done, just use a little distilled white vinegar and wipe down the board and you’re good to go!
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 28: A Barfly knife and cutting board is displayed at the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo and World Tea Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center on March 28, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Nightclub & Bar Media Group)
PURSES AND BACKPACKS
These are held onto throughout the day. They are sometimes et on the ground or on dirty surfaces. Be sure to clean your pocket book and wash your backpack every now and again. Otherwise your just building up more germs!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 01: Marjan Tabibzada attends L’Oréal Paris’ Women Of Worth Celebration at The Ebell Club of Los Angeles on December 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
