14 DAY TRIAL // Germs are everywhere and there’s nothing we can do about it. However, that’s not to say that we’re to let them just take over our life, especially since knowing where to look – and scrub more fervently – can also mean a smaller risk of infection. In light of The Hygiene Council’s annual home hygiene study, FitSugar sums up the germiest places around the house.
While many of us might be tempted to believe the bathroom is the one place in our house where the most germs are, this is not necessarily so. For instance, studies indicate that light switches are also very dangerous from this perspective, for which reason we should make sure we clean them properly at least a few times a week, the aforementioned publication says. More attention to cleaning the light switches around the house should be paid if someone is ill.
Still, that’s not to say the bathroom is free of germs, no matter how much we scrub and sanitize and like to believe that it is so. “If you thought the light switch was bad, hold onto your hats. A typical shower area has 100 times more bacteria than a trash can. Clean the bathtub a few times a week to get rid of bacteria and dead skin cells.” FitSugar says. As we also noted a while back, while on the topic of germs in the bathroom, a good idea would also be to put the lid on when flushing the toilet to avoid the bacteria there from getting on your toothbrush.
The remote control is also extremely germy and perhaps more dangerous than the two other places listed above. Because we’re all in the habit of snacking in front of the TV, we often flip through the channels, then use the same hand to eat, for which reason we should clean the remote properly, experts say. Nevertheless, the TV remote pales completely in comparison to the kitchen sink, which is apparently dirtier than most bathrooms.
“There are germs and bacteria hanging out in your drain, faucet, and sponges. Think about it – most people use their sponges to clean up dirty dishes and will reuse the same sponge on the faucet, sink, or counter. Clean kitchen surfaces with an antibacterial agent, and sanitize sponges by running them through the dishwasher or zapping them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.” FitSugar writes. While at the microwave, it’s best to clean it more thoroughly on the outside too, since the touchscreen is also featured among the germiest places around the house.