Keeping your house a hygienic place to live in plays a major role in maintaining better overall well-being for you and your family. Germs, bacteria, viruses, and pests are everywhere no matter how tidy you think you are, and these can cause certain illnesses if you leave it unchecked.
Especially these days, COVID-19 can be transmitted from one person to another by various modes of transmissions, such as contacting contaminated objects. That’s why to get rid of viruses that can harm you, it’s crucial to disinfect areas and objects in your home.
For your safety, listed below are some of the areas and objects around your home where you should maintain cleanliness.
Chimney
Some people tend to neglect the situation of their chimney, ending up regretting their decision after encountering a lot of costly maintenance fees because of problems and accidents regarding this task.
Keep in mind that when you’re burning wood, it releases creosote – a thick, oily, and black residue that’s highly flammable. It’ll coat the inside of the chimney, and more creosote buildup can cause chimney fires if you don’t clean it. In addition to that, being unable to clean your chimney can reverse the direction of the smoke, causing carbon monoxide poisoning or leaving your house covered with smoke and ash.
Taking good care of your chimney doesn’t require you to clean it frequently. But, annual maintenance, including inspection and cleaning, is enough to know its situation and prevent problems from occurring.
If you’re planning on self-cleaning, reconsider the fact that you should think of your safety first. Accidents may occur during the process, especially if you don’t have the correct equipment and protective gear. Fortunately, there are various chimney cleaners, such as priddyclean.com, that have enough knowledge and ability to correctly clean your chimney.
Kitchen
Your kitchen is one of the areas in your house that can easily accumulate viruses, bacteria, germs, and pests because this is where household members gather and leave leftover foods, used dishes and utensils, and wash grimy towels.
It’s also the room for you to cook and prepare food for your family. That’s why it’s essential to clean the kitchen frequently to ensure that they’re eating uncontaminated meals.
Here are a few tips that can help you keep surfaces and items in your kitchen clean:
- To prevent cross-contamination, use two chopping boards when preparing for meals. Use one for raw meats and another for vegetables because cross-contamination may happen if ready-to-eat foods, like vegetables, come in contact with the juices of the uncooked meat.
- Use wipes with disinfectant to clean surfaces, countertops, refrigerator, faucet, and other surfaces that you often touch. You can also use bleach to sanitize countertops and prevent insects from gathering on leftover foods.
- Prevent overloading your fridge because it can block the cold air circulating, which will lead to bacteria build-up. Also, replace dish towels frequently because unhealthy microorganisms often increase here.
- Bacteria also develop and breed on dish sponges. Thus, to eliminate these unhealthy microorganisms, submerge your sponge in warm water or place damp sponges inside the microwave, allowing the heat to kill the bacteria.
Personal Belongings
There’s a possibility that you’re transferring unhealthy microorganisms unknowingly by touching surfaces and holding your items without sanitizing your hands first.
Here are some of your personal belongings that often come in contact with surfaces or other people’s hands:
- Purse
- Backpack
- Credit cards
- Keys
- Money
- Cellphones
To clean these, you can damp cloth with 70% isopropyl alcohol and wipe it on the object, getting rid of harmful microorganisms. However, there’s a correct way to clean your cell phone and other electronic gadgets.
Prevent using materials and cleaners that can damage your phone. For one, avoid disinfectant wipes and cleaners intended for window and kitchen cleaning because it has strong chemicals that can damage the screen. Also, you can find scratches and debris on your phone’s surface by using paper towels.
Bathroom
It’s not surprising to know that a bathroom is a perfect place for pathogens to develop, especially that it’s the least liked place for people to clean, and it takes a long time before cleaning it again.
Because of the moisture from the hot shower, faucet, drains, floor, towels, toothbrushes, and shower tub are ideal areas for germs to grow. To get rid of it, you can use disinfectants and wipe the surface every day.
For toilet handles, ensure that you disinfect it with 70% isopropyl alcohol solution as harmful microorganisms and pests live there. You can also use an old toothbrush to clean hard to reach and small areas.
Mold can also live on the flooring of the bathroom and can cause various health issues, such as asthma attacks and itchy eyes. Furthermore, trichophyton, the fungus that’s responsible for athlete’s foot and ringworm, can also thrive on the floor and pass it from one’s foot to others through the floor.
Eliminate trichophyton and mold by ensuring that you wipe the shower walls or tub after showering, clear the wastebasket daily, and disinfect damp areas in your bathroom.
Light Switches, Handles, and Knobs
There are areas in your house that everyone frequently touches, yet these are not cleaned every now and then. Refrigerator and microwave handle, stove knobs, and bathroom light switches are on top of the list that has a high amount of bacteria lingering.
For door knobs and handles, you can use an antibacterial cleaner or 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to remove pathogens. However, instead of applying it directly on the plate, for light switches, spray the disinfectant on a paper towel first.
Practice Good Hygiene
Aside from keeping your home clean, you should also ensure that you practice good habits to prevent the spread of unhealthy microorganisms. People living in countries with cases of COVID-19 should also do these habits to keep themselves safe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds
- Observe social distancing
- Take off your shoes inside the house
- Don’t touch your face
- Stay inside your home
- Use your elbow or a tissue when sneezing or coughing
- Wear a mask
Takeaways
Your health is the center of your life. Thus, living in a place where you can ensure the safety and health of you and your loved ones makes you feel happy and satisfied with your life.
Now that you already know what the areas and things inside your house that you need to keep clean are, start making your house a hygienic and safe place.
