Home Project Tip 9 - Dirtiest Places

Home Project Tip 9 – Dirtiest Places

Published June 21, 2011

When was the last time you wiped down the remote?

Slime, goo, bacteria: there’s stuff oozing everywhere. Wow, you only have to say the words and you can make some people squirm. After all, who, if given the choice, is going to want to live in a “dirty, disease-prone” environment over a clean one? So just what are some of the dirtiest areas in your living space? We decided to show you first hand.

It’s What You Can’t See

When you think of dirt, grime and goo, it is sometimes easy to miss the things we can’t see with the naked eye—for example, all those germs and viruses that come along for the ride. And sometimes, even after we vacuum, dust, and scrub the bathroom, there’s still a lot of places that are dirty. In fact, they can be the dirtiest places in the home.

Basically, anything that people tend to touch and use a lot are bound to be more germ prone. Think about where fingers and hands have been and then how they’re used. If they haven’t been washed in while, they carry all sorts of dirt, grime and ooky sludge. Of course, the same holds true for shoes, purses and bags: These items pick up dirt and germs from floors or places outside the home and then are then brought in and often set on counter tops. Oh, and besides all the items we show below, let’s not forget about the germs and goo on cleaning tools like broom handles, toilet brushes or cans and bottles of cleaning solution.

Cleaner Clean

When you know what to clean you can (1) make your house sparkle and (2) cut the risk of passing along a cold or flu to the ones you love.

Let’s take a look at some of the spots that are easiest to miss:

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Do you wipe down your light switches?

What about those knobs on the lamps?

Was the last hand that touched this clean?

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Chairs are easy to miss when it comes to cleaning.

Every time a chair is used a hand comes in contact.

I'm wiping this up with a anti-bacterial wipe.

Faucets are a natural collector of germs.

Those ear tips go in ears. Keep them clean.

Replace or clean ear bud tips frequently.

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What about those bannisters or railings?

Those computer keys get used several hours a day.

What do you do with your purse while using the bathroom.

Do you often set a purse or handbag on the floor?

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What about appliance knobs or buttons?

Microwaves collect a lot of gooey and sticky food.

Don't forget the microwave. .

With a phone, you've got both mouth and hands in close promxity.

Phones bring fingers and mouth in close contact.

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Cloth grocery bags need frequent washing.

What about your refrigerator handles?

Shower heads naturally collect dirt and grime.

Before you're clean you're dirty. Clean handles.

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Use some of the soap to clean the dispenser.

Don't forget to wash the soap dispenser.

Wash your hands after using the restroom.

Here's another trouble spot.

Have a little one who misses?

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Cleaning Up

A good generic wipe will often do the trick.

Cleaning some of these places is no harder than wiping them down with a disinfectant wipe, or a paper towel and some good cleaner. To disinfect, you can use standard antibacterial or anti-viral wipes you find at the store, paper towels or washable clean towels, and a cleaner like 409 or Windex. One note of caution: Some surfaces—for example television screens or the plastic on certain appliances—may be marred or damaged by certain cleaners. It pays to check the manufacturer’s recommendations first!

Many of today's cleaners rely on strong chemicals to disinfect, but there are some greener alternatives.

Go Green

If you’re looking for a green alternative that promises to disinfect, check out H2Orange2, which uses hydrogen peroxide. . This product is used in hospitals and schools and promises to kill 99% of bacteria and viruses. Or, for some hard non-porous surfaces like glass, you can use a vinegar water solution. (See our window cleaning tip for the proper mix ratio.)

The Power Of Light

Yet another idea is to invest in a UV “C” light wand, such as those made by Verilux. The C spectrum of UV light is known to effectively kill mold, spores, dust mites, viruses and bacteria. For more information, check out this light wand at Amazon.com or wherever household cleaning appliances are sold.

Not All Bad

There is some concern, our society is becoming too germ phobic—not all germs are bad for you. In fact, some intestinal bacteria are actually beneficial to our digestive tracts. However, we are also becoming more aware how disease is spread and one of the prime sources of disease transmission is through human touch. When we touch a dirty surface and then bring our hands in contact with our mouth, nose or eyes we can transfer bacteria and viruses into our bodies. Thus, besides keeping a clean house, the best bet for preventing disease is to promote frequent hand washing.

What dirtiest place did we miss? What’s the dirtiest spot in your home? Why not share in the comments below?

We hope you enjoyed today’s Home Project Tip. To find a complete list of all our project tips, click here.

By Bob Anderson
© 2011 Javabird LLC. All rights reserved.

Source reference material: Do I Dust Or Vacuum First, By Don Aslett