The average Brit spends a substantial amount of time at home, which is why it’s important to keep it in a clean condition, not only so you can relax when you get in from work and enjoy your house at its best but also in order to live a healthy lifestyle.
A lack of cleaning results in a build-up of dust and germs which can be a threat to your health. Clutter is the biggest cause of neglected cleaning routines; when your home is full of clutter a) you can’t physically clean every inch of your house when it’s over-capacitated b) cleaning seems like a much bigger feat so is avoided at all costs c) research has found that mess creates stress, which is harmful to your mental health and can result in anxiety and depression. Not only can an unclean home affect your mental health but it can also have an impact on your physical health, the accumulated dust and germs will come into contact with your body, whether they are inhaled, consumed or touched they have the potential to make you sick.
We’re here to help you overcome your clutter and establish a regular cleaning routine that doesn’t take over your life. This article focuses on home cleaning hot-spots, the areas in your house where germs love to hide and are often overlooked in the cleaning routine.
We love to relax in our living rooms and completely unwind, getting rid of all the stress from our day. Research revealed that the average lazy Brit spends 17 years of their life on the sofa, whether that may be sitting, snuggling or sleeping. Now, have a think about how often you clean your sofa – rarely I image. We wash our bedsheets regularly so why are we so ignorant when it comes to the sofa? We’re not suggesting you become obsessive and clean the sofa weekly or anything, just that you give it some attention on a monthly basis. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the entirety of the sofa and let rest for 20mins, then using an upholstery nozzle, hoover the surface of the sofa and delve into those nooks and crannies to retrieve the dust, crumbs and odd pennies that have slipped down there. For a more intense clean replace the baking soda with a dry carpet cleaner. If your sofa has removable covers, give them a wash a couple of times a year following the cleaning guidelines on the label.
Other areas of the lounge that you need to pay special attention to include the floor underneath the sofas, remote controls and any buttons on the TV and other electronic appliances.
Common sense tells us that the kitchen is the most important room to maintain a clean environment, and yet too often the kitchen harbours more germs than anywhere else in the house! Due to the quantity of raw foods and rubbish that pass through the kitchen, there are plenty of germs to eradicate with your sanitation spray, so grab your spray and sponge and get ready to go germ hunting.
First rule of the kitchen, make sure that raw foods and cooked foods never come into contact. At all costs, avoid a build-up of dirty dishes, wash utensils and crockery as you go to avoid a collection of unsanitary items. A damp dishcloth isn’t enough to clean down the kitchen worksurfaces, use a disinfectant spray to sanitise the surfaces. Chop up some lemon and heat in a bowl of water in the microwave for 2 minutes to loosen any dirt or food stains, then wipe away with a sponge and the inside of your microwave should be pristine. Other areas that are often overlooked that also deserve your attention include fridge handles and doors, fridge shelves, cabinet doors and handles, the dials and buttons on a cooker and other kitchen appliances, coffee machine and water dispenser nozzles.
A damp dishcloth isn’t enough to clean down the kitchen worksurfaces, use a disinfectant spray to sanitise the surfaces.
Chop up some lemon and heat in a bowl of water in the microwave for 2 minutes to loosen any dirt or food stains, then wipe away with a sponge and the inside of your microwave should be pristine. Other areas that are often overlooked that also deserve your attention include fridge handles and doors, fridge shelves, cabinet doors and handles, the dials and buttons on a cooker and other kitchen appliances, coffee machine and water dispenser nozzles.
Other areas that are often overlooked that also deserve your attention include fridge handles and doors, fridge shelves, cabinet doors and handles, the dials and buttons on a cooker and other kitchen appliances, coffee machine and water dispenser nozzles.
In our lifetime we spend 227,468 hours / 26 years asleep on average; a substantial amount of time spent in the bedroom. It’s important to avoid a build-up of dust in the bedroom as you will breathe this in when you sleep. Dust your bedroom thoroughly on a weekly basis, making sure to reach all those nooks and crannies and hard to reach spots. Dust often collects on lampshades; germs are likely to fester here as it provides a warm hospitable environment for them to thrive in. Remove all dust from the lampshades easily and effectively using a lint roller or sellotape.
During your dusting routine don’t bypass the decorations or ornaments, be sure to move every item and replace when it has had its turn with the duster.
Two of the germiest places in every household are switches and handles so be sure to sanitise the light switches and door knobs in your bedroom. An area often overlooked is the mattress, although there is bedding between us and the mattress it is still a good idea to clean it once a year, to do this follow the same method used for cleaning sofas (mentioned above) and then allow time to air; the best things for a mattress are UV sunlight and fresh air.
An area often overlooked is the mattress, although there is bedding between us and the mattress it is still a good idea to clean it once a year. To do this, follow the same method used for cleaning sofas (mentioned above) and then allow time to air; the best things for a mattress are UV sunlight and fresh air.
Most of us are aware of the germ infested locals in the bathroom but there are a few routines you need to get into the habit of in order to keep those germs at bay and keep your family fighting fit. 60% of us admit to skipping closing the toilet lid before flushing; germs and water droplets from inside the toilet bowl spray up to six feet meaning there could be unwanted particles on your toothbrush! Next time you go to the toilet be sure to close the lid before you flush. Your sponge / loofah presents the perfect environment to harbour germs which
Your sponge / loofah presents the perfect environment to harbour germs which is why it should be replaced every three weeks. The majority of us are guilty of never having washed our shower curtains, usually because we don’t realise it’s a possibility but the truth is most shower curtains can be thrown in the washing machine for a cycle and then just hung to air dry. Wash the shower curtain every other month to avoid a build-up of mildew and mould. Too often the toilet flush handle is neglected in cleaning routines, an area that’s
The majority of us are guilty of never having washed our shower curtains, usually because we don’t realise it’s a possibility but the truth is most shower curtains can be thrown in the washing machine for a cycle and then just hung to air dry. Wash the shower curtain every other month to avoid a build-up of mildew and mould. Too often the toilet flush handle is neglected in cleaning routines, an area that’s
Too often the toilet flush handle is neglected in cleaning routines, an area that’s the first point of contact after using the toilet. Sanitise the flush handle several times a week and the toilet brush handle once a week.
Avoid leaving plastic cups in the bathroom for mouth rinsing, instead use disposable paper / plastic cups or cup water to your mouth after washing your hands.
