Your home may be your pride and joy, but are you aware of the millions of bacteria potentially teeming on every surface?
While unpleasant to think about, it’s important to note that even the tidiest home can harbor a plethora of harmful bacteria – after all, tidy doesn’t necessarily equate to clean!
To protect you and your family from the risk of nasty infections and diseases, all you need to do is incorporate a few habits into your regular cleaning routine. Here are a few tips on how you can make your home more hygienic:
Although the water supplied to your home has been through a water treatment facility, it can still pick up harmful contaminants like chemicals and heavy metals – not exactly what you want to be giving to your little ones! Fortunately, there are plenty of filtered water solutions that you can install in your home to guarantee fresh, pure water every time.
You can even opt for a whole house filtration system so that the water you use for bathing, cleaning, and doing laundry is entirely free of pollutants.
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In countries like Japan and Russia, it’s common practice to take off your shoes before entering a home. There’s a growing body of research backing up this hygienic custom, which reveals that about 40% of shoes carry the nasty C. diff bacteria.
Picking up a C. diff infection can cause anything from a bout of diarrhea to life-threatening colon inflammation, so the next time you come home, leave your shoes at the door and get your slippers on. This is particularly important if you have a curious toddler regularly crawling around on the floor!
Dusting may not be the most exciting activity, but it’s essential to keeping a clean home. Made up of delightful things like skin cells, dust mite excrement, and pet dander; dust carries allergens that may lead to fungal skin infections and respiratory issues. Make sure to tackle electronics and furniture when dusting, and open up your windows every few days to ventilate your home.
Everyone views their bed as the coziest place in the world, but did you know that your sheets can also be the perfect breeding ground for germs? Sheets can house everything from human skin cells and pollen through to dust mites and fungi.
To prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria, ensure to wash your sheets at least once a week at the hottest temperature recommended on their care instructions. Otherwise, you may be putting yourself at risk of skin and wound infections, bacterial and viral infections, pneumonia and bacteremia.
Unsurprisingly, your bathroom can be one of the leading transmitters of nasties like Salmonella, Campylobacter, Norovirus and E. coli. To keep you and your family safe from infections, make sure to clean and disinfect taps, light switches and handles regularly. Additionally, ensure to ventilate the bathroom by cracking a window or using the exhaust fan when you shower to prevent the formation of mold and mildew.
While cleaning probably isn’t up there on your list of favorite pastimes, it’s likely bacteria doesn’t rank too highly either! The next time you don your rubber gloves, remind yourself that keeping a clean, hygienic home is the best way of keeping your family healthy, happy and safe from potentially harmful infections.
