Guess what? Your home is not as clean as you think. Even if you regularly attack all the usual filthy suspects, you’re probably overlooking myriad everyday objects. And as this piece from the Chicago Tribune points out, failure to completely clean your space can cost you, not just in general hygiene, but also in electronics performance.
Among the items you might be overlooking: toilet brushes. Sure, you clean the toilet, but what about the item you use to clean the toilet? “Your toilet brush should be cleaned every time you use it,” said Bed Bath & Beyond’s Shana Cowart. “Rinse it after every use and replace the head when needed.”
Simple enough. Potentially more complicated is wiping down your ceiling fan.
No, it’s not difficult to remove dust, but you may need an extra-long duster or stepladder to reach those blades. Once equipped with the proper tools, a wipe-down every couple of weeks should keep things tidy.
Another major dust magnet is your audio equipment. This is one example of infrequent cleaning leading to performance problems. Best Buy’s Jennifer Braniff-Harmon noted that “keeping your speakers clean will help keep the sound quality in tip top shape.”
And although aggression is a benefit while scrubbing away in the kitchen or bathroom, gentleness is the key when dealing with this type of equipment. Light cleaning with a dry or damp cloth is the ideal method for removing built-up dust.
Feel free to get aggressive with your kitchen cutting board, though. As Reader’s Digest notes, there is 200 times more fecal bacteria on the average cutting board than on a toilet seat. That’s according to research by University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba. He offered a few suggestions to get it clean, including spraying it with a vinegar solution before letting it set overnight or microwaving it for 30 seconds.
Another hotspot for germs is your washing machine. “If you do undergarments in one load and handkerchiefs in the next, you’re blowing your nose in what was in your underwear,” he said. A monthly cycle with hot water and some vinegar should clear out germs.
Horrified? Overwhelmed? If you’d rather not add to your weekend to-do list, you can always leave it to the professional house cleaners.