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There are lots out there that we find dirty and disgusting. But we’d never think these things could be dirtier than our toilets.
I guarantee you’ve touched at least one of these items today and more than likely you’ve touched several of them.They’ve got more germs on them than the average toilet seat. How nasty is that?
Table of Contents
8 Items Dirtier Than Your Toilet
Dish Towels
Dish towels can get pretty nasty. I know. I’ve seen my share as a professional cleaner. Some so bad you could smell the dirtiness.
I had a client for years that NEVER cleaned her dish towels. Come to think of it – I had way more than one of those customers. They used the towels over and over again until they finally threw them away and bought a new dish towel. Un-freak-in-believable.
But this is easy folks. Throw your dish towels in the laundry every day. After you finish cleaning up the kitchen, toss the dish towel straight into the laundry basket. Grab a fresh new towel for the next day. Problem solved, and the chance of spreading germs greatly reduced.
Read: Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen the Easy, Professional Way
Sponges
The same clients than never washed their dish towels are the same people who keep their sponges way to long.
When I cleaned for a living, I would buy sponges by the case. When I went to a home that had a nasty sponge in the sink, I would throw it away and replace it with a fresh sponge. In my opinion, most sponges are kept far too long.
Wash your sponge when you run your dishwasher and replace it approximately every 1-2 weeks.
The Inside of the Washing Machine
I have to be honest here and say this one surprised me. Who would even think that the inside of your washing machine would be a breeding ground for so much bacteria? But when I investigated the cause it made perfect sense.
A load of dirty underwear can transfer over 100 million E.Coli bacteria to the washing machine which in turn can be transferred to your other clothing. EWWW!
The solution: Run a load of whites with bleach and zap all that nasty bacteria away.
Read: 10 Tasks To A Clean and Clutter Free Morning
Smartphones and Tablets
Did you know more than more than 75% of Americans admit using their mobile devices on the toilet to text, talk, and email?
If this isn’t another EWWW, I don’t know what is! One thing for sure, I’m NEVER borrowing someone else’s phone EVER again!
To clean, try leaving them out of the bathroom all together but if you must use them in the can, wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe.
Read: Step-by-Step Guide To Weekly House Cleaning
Carpeting
There are 700 times more bacteria per square inch of carpeting than on your toilet seat. Makes you rethink sprawling out on the carpet, doesn’t it?
Your vacuum is only going to clean so much and so deeply. Hire a professional to clean and sanitize your carpets once a year (personally, I do them twice a year).
Read: Small and Simple Daily Tasks To Keep Your Bathroom Clean
Faucet Handles
I for one hate to touch faucet handles in public places but even in your home, you’re exposing yourself to 21 times the bacteria of your toilet sink in the bathroom and 44 times more in the kitchen.
I keep a container of wipes in all of my bathrooms and the kitchen so that the handles can be wiped down every day. It’s easy and inexpensive, and if you watch for deals, you can get them for close to nothing.
Handbags/Pocketbooks
This grossed me out when I read the statistics.
Most pocketbooks are three times dirtier than an office toilet seat. The OFFICE toilet seat! OMG!
The dirtiest part of the bag? The handles, but when items inside were tested, they showed signs of bacteria as well.
Ok gals – stop, STOP putting your pocketbook on the floor. This will ensure you don’t get nasty bacteria all over the outside of your bag.
If you carry a cloth handbag, throw it in the wash regularly. If your purse is non-leather, you could try a disinfecting wipe. Leather bags – you’re probably out of luck.
Read: The Best Way To Clean Your Refrigerator
Cutting Boards
University of Arizona researchers found that an average cutting board had 200 times more fecal bacteria than an average toilet seat.
When I read this, I went to the kitchen and threw away all my wooden cutting boards. I prefer the thick plastic type because I can just throw it into the dishwasher on the sanitizing cycle and know it’s coming out squeaky clean. No more wooden boards for me.
Better yet read my recent article on the Best Kitchen Gadgets and check out the cutting boards I recommend.
With flu season around the corner, it’s good to know we can keep our families healthy by following these simple methods to cut down on bacteria left on many surfaces in our homes. Don’t forget to stock up on wipes – you’ll need them.
