Worried about the bugs that are lurking in your home? Follow these expert-led tips to help you work out the frequency of your domestic cleaning tasks.
How clean is your home? Whether you’re lucky enough to have a cleaner visit you, or you diligently set to work on blitzing the house each week, the chances are that your humble abode is nowhere near as hygienic as you think it is. In fact, it’s most likely crawling in bacteria according to a recent guide produced by My Domaine which uses scientific evidence to provide us with their best practices for a full range of cleaning chores. So, if you’re looking around your home wondering where the bugs lie, read on for guidance on how frequently you should be scrubbing up.
Living Room
This area of your home may not seem like it poses many hygiene risks, but upholstery attracts mites and is the perfect breeding ground for bugs as deadly as staphylococcus bacteria, which is responsible for stomach upsets, pneumonia and the common cold. Another, known as aspergillus versicolor, is a type of indoor mould which can cause a range of allergies such as itchy eyes and respiratory conditions. Investing in upholstery cleaning services every six months or so would be an ideal way to keep these at bay.
Kitchen Jobs
Starting in one of the busiest rooms of the house, this is one area of your property that you’ll want to get right. Hygienic food preparation standards are essential for maintaining good health, so it’s important to ensure that your work surfaces and appliances are completely bug-free. Your countertops and kitchen table should be cleaned every single day, ensuring that you replace your sponges and cloths weekly.
Your microwave is a hotbed of infestation and experts recommend that you clean this by wiping down once a week, and conduct a fortnightly deep clean. This involves filling a microwaveable dish with half water, and half white wine vinegar. Turn the power on high until the windows steam up.
Your fridge is next on the list given all the fresh food that it contains. The shelves of your fridge should be disinfected at least once a month, but particular attention should be paid to the salad container, which can harbour up to 750 times the safe level of bacteria that the body can cope with.
Bathroom Blitz
Next up, is one of the filthiest rooms, but it might surprise you that it’s not just the toilet that you need to focus on. Academics from Simmons College in Boston have proven that the bath itself contains more bacteria than your bin. You should also put bleach in your toilet on a daily basis to keep the rim clean.
Bedroom Chores
It’s best practice to shower each night before bed to reduce the amount of dirt that you bring into the bed with you. Additionally, if you sleep naked then you’ll be exposing your sheets and mattress to bacteria that loves to reproduce while you’re resting. Wash your pillowcases every week, but clean the actual pillows every three months to prevent dust mites, and their faeces from building up. Similarly, your mattress needs baking soda sprinkling on it every two months. This can then be vacuumed up, although a mattress protector would also be a worthwhile investment.
If you’re starting to feel a bit itchy looking around your home, then now is the time to spring into action. Make a list of all the jobs you should be doing daily, and then get started on the deep-cleaning chores. Don’t be tempted to put them off – your health is at risk.
