Which are some of the dirtiest things in your house?
You’ll probably say the trash can or the seat toilet, but while this is true, you know that, therefore, you know you have to clean them. This obviously makes them less dirty than things you most likely forget to clean because it never occurred to you that they may be packed with dirt and bacteria.
This being said, we won’t talk about the areas of your house that make a good scrub-down obvious—you know very well which are those. But we’ll talk about those dirtiest things in your house that you forget to clean, which means dust, germs, and dirt buildup without you even noticing.
To help safeguard your family’s safety and health, start paying attention to these 7 commonly used items you may be forgetting while cleaning your house. Let’s get started!
1. Reusable grocery bags
The first entry on our list of the dirtiest things in your house are the reusable grocery bags. When was the last time you washed them? If you don’t have an answer to this question, it has most likely been a while since you’ve cleaned them.
In fact, most people empty the reusable grocery bags and put them right back where they belong. Just think of how many places those bags come into contact with. They’ve been in the grocery cart and then on the check-stand conveyor belt. The cashier touches the bags, not to mention all the things you place inside them. Then you place them in the trunk of your car.
All of these make reusable grocery bags some of the dirtiest things in your house. To avoid this from happening, try to clean them after every use. Once they’re empty, wipe down both the inside and outside with a disinfectant wipe and let them dry. Don’t forget the handles.
A better option would be to wash them in the washing machine.
2. Door handles
Surprise, surprise! Something you touch every day is among the dirtiest things in your house! Now you’ve probably realized you can’t remember when the last time you cleaned your door handles was.
Gross, isn’t it? But don’t worry; we’ve all been there. All you have to do is grab some disinfectant and a microfiber cloth and give all the door handles a good cleaning. Remember to do the same one a week, and they should be just fine.
If somebody in your home is or has been sick, make sure you disinfect your door handles several times a day to help prevent the illness from spreading.
3. Remote controls
Just like door handles, remote controls collect dirt and germs quickly. They are touched all the time and are like a petri dish for bacteria, making them one of the dirtiest things in your house. And when they aren’t in someone’s germy hands, they are either on the floor or stuck between the sofa cushions, which is also a spot full of bacteria and mold.
Whether it’s the remote for the TV, home entertainment system, or sound system, you most likely don’t clean it as often as you should. In fact, chances are you don’t clean your remote controls at all.
Now that we’ve settled on some of the dirtiest things in your house, let’s see how you should clean them. You don’t want to use a spray or something similar because those products have too much water base and can get into the device and ruin it. Instead, use a cloth blotted with rubbing alcohol to wipe down your remote controls. Don’t forget to do this regularly.
4. Purse
No. 4 on our list of the dirtiest things in your house is your purse. Most women carry purses, but do they ever clean them? Besides throwing away things like random pieces of gum and old receipts, most women rarely pay attention to purses, especially when it comes to the surfaces they set them down on. So it’s not a surprise that they’re among the dirtiest things in your house.
The exterior part of a purse is the dirtiest. Just think about how often you place yours on a table, bench, counter, etc. Imagine all the bacteria you’re picking up, then carrying them in your car seat when you set your purse down.
But the worst thing you can do is place your purse on the kitchen counter when you get home. Yes, this means all the germs can easily get on your food.
This being said, make sure you wipe the exterior part off with a disinfectant wipe or soapy microfiber cloth at least once a week. Also, avoid setting it down on just any surface in your house. The best thing you can do is place a hook in your drop zone and hang your purse there.
The following dirtiest things in your house will surprise you!
5. Light switches
Next on our list of the dirtiest things in your house are the light switches. Similar to other spots in your house, you touch those every day—multiple times. But how often do you clean and disinfect them? We thought so…
Now that you’re in the know, it’s time to get rid of that gunk buildup and germs. Before you whip out all of the cleaning supplies, make sure you flip the breaker to turn off the electricity to the switches.
Use a combination of a cotton swab, toothpick, dry toothbrush, and some cleaning product to get all the gunk out. The best thing you can do is remove the switch plate and give it a wash in the sink. With a stiff paintbrush or dry toothbrush, clean off all the surface dirt and dust. Then use a cotton swab blotted with disinfectant to remove the gunk and grime.
If there are any hard-to-reach spots, soak the tip of the toothpick in disinfectant and use it to get rid of the stubborn gunk.
You don’t have to repeat this process every week. As long as you wipe down your light switches with a disinfectant wipe on a regular basis, you’ll keep the germs at bay. Also, just like the door handles, if somebody in the house is sick, disinfect light switches several times a day to prevent the spread.
6. Shower curtain
Next on our list of the dirtiest things in your house is the shower curtain. You clean your bathroom on a regular basis to make sure the germs, bacteria, and limestone are gone and everything is sparkling, but you probably forget that your shower curtain also needs some attention. The result? It’s most likely one of the dirtiest things in your house.
Most of us don’t think to clean it until we notice the disgusting mold buildup at the bottom. Not to mention all that dirty water that spashes off bodies and ends up on the shower curtain.
To solve the problem, toss your shower curtain in the washing machine with a load of towels and add some Oxy Clean (Amazon always has the best prices when it comes to cleaning products) or a cup of baking soda for a little extra cleaning power. Make sure you repeat the process once every two weeks.
7. Toothbrush holder
When cleaning your bathroom, you can be quick to neglect your toothbrush holder. In fact, you probably do that a lot, making this object one of the dirtiest things in your house.
According to several studies, the toothbrush holder is among the top five germiest places in a house. And when you think that this is where you keep your toothbrush, which goes in your mouth… Yes, that’s definitely gross!
Go ahead and take a look at the inside of your toothbrush holder. Chances are you’ll see some slimy, stuck-on residue. If you see this, you’ll understand why this is one of the dirtiest things in your house. The first thing you should do in this case is soak the toothbrush holder in hot, soapy water and leave it there for at least 10 minutes. Then, scrub it until the gunk is wiped free, and sterilize it with some rubbing alcohol or in boiling water.
If you liked our article on the dirtiest things in your house, you may also want to read 8 Terrible Cleaning Mistakes People Had No Idea They Were Making.
