Tag: Germs

How Long Does Corona Virus Stay Around On things And In The Air?

We all know by now that coronavirus is incredibly contagious. And you’ve certainly heard the very important guidelines on how best to avoid the spread of COVID-19: 1) Wash your hands, 2) Avoid touching your face, 2) Maintain social distance, and 4) Keep your home surfaces clean and disinfect frequently. But which surfaces are most conducive for COVID-19, and therefore, most important to disinfect? If you’ve been wondering how long coronavirus can stay on plastic water bottles, cardboard boxes, and other household items you’re encountering every day, a brand-new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has the answers.

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UCLA, and Princeton University attempted to mimic the coronavirus being deposited from an infected person onto everyday surfaces (like through coughing or touching objects). Then they investigated how long the virus remained infectious on those surfaces. Here’s what they found.

1Plastic: Up to 3 days

chopping onions on a plastic cutting board things you should clean every day
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Plastic surfaces are one of the most conducive for coronavirus. The study shows that the virus can live for up to 72 hours on plastic.

So any plastic surfaces you have in your home—cutting boards, shampoo bottles, kitchen utensils, etc.—should be your highest priority to keep clean.

2Stainless Steel: Up to 3 days

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What kitchen isn’t complete without stainless steel appliances? Unfortunately though, stainless steel surfaces are also very conducive to coronavirus, as the study shows that it can live for up to 72 hours on your refrigerator and dishwasher handles and stainless steel cookware as well.

3Cardboard: Up to 24 hours

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Those Amazon boxes laying around your garage and front door? Turns out they present a furtive place for coronavirus to exist. According to the study, coronavirus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours. That also means your paper towel and toilet paper rolls can contain the virus for the same amount of time.

4Copper: Up to 4 hours

A Dining Room with a Copper Red Accent Wall Worst Paint Colors
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Copper is not the most common surface in one’s home, and fortunately, pennies are now mostly made from zinc. But how conducive is copper for coronavirus? Not very. The study shows that the virus can live on copper for up to four hours.

5The air: Up to 3 hours

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Of course, air is not a surface. But “aerosol” transmission of coronavirus has been something of a controversy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has claimed that “COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.” But liquid particulates of COVID-19 do continue to live in the air for up to three hours, according to this study.

Hygiene, Yes Please! Keeping Hygenic During Covid19

Take off your shoes before entering your home.

There may be no dirtier item in your wardrobe than the soles of your shoes. And while odds are still long that you would literally track the COVID-19 virus into your home that way, when you think of people who sneeze on sidewalks, the chances suddenly don’t seem so slim.

“The sole of the shoe is the breeding ground of more bacteria and fungi and viruses than the upper part of a shoe,” emergency physician Cwanza Pinckney, MD, told HuffPost. So just to be safe, don’t wear your shoes inside.

Slide 2 of 9: There may be no dirtier item in your wardrobe than the soles of your shoes. And while odds are still fairly long that you would literally track the COVID-19 virus into your home that way, when you think of people who sneeze on sidewalks, the chances suddenly don't seem so slim."The sole of the shoe is the breeding ground of more bacteria and fungi and viruses than the upper part of a shoe," emergency physician Cwanza Pinckney, MD, told HuffPost. So just to be safe, don't wear your shoes inside.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/8-essential-hygiene-tips-to-follow-right-now/ss-BB128Xze?ocid=msedgdhp#image=2

Change your clothes every time you go outside.

After you’ve taken off your shoes, it’s never a bad idea to also change your clothes. If you have an essential job and work in a public space, you may even want to change clothes in your garage or foyer to be safe. Most of you, however, should simply change in your bedroom, tossing your dirty clothes in a hamper away from others. After all, Daniel Kuritzkes, MD, an infectious disease expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told NPR that “flat surfaces and hard surfaces are more friendly to viruses than cloth or rough surfaces.”

If you want to play it extra safe, immediately throw your clothes in the washing machine. And for more on how long coronavirus stays in certain places, check out Here’s How Long Coronavirus Stays on Plastic, Cardboard, and More Surfaces.

Slide 3 of 9: After you've taken off your shoes, it's never a bad idea to also change your clothes. If you have an essential job and work in a public space, you may even want to change clothes in your garage or foyer to be safe. Most of you, however, should simply change in your bedroom, tossing your dirty clothes in a hamper away from others. After all, Daniel Kuritzkes, MD, an infectious disease expert at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told NPR that "flat surfaces and hard surfaces are more friendly to viruses than cloth or rough surfaces."If you want to play it extra safe, immediately throw your clothes in the washing machine. And for more on how long coronavirus stays in certain places, check out Here's How Long Coronavirus Stays on Plastic, Cardboard, and More Surfaces.

 Take a shower as soon as you get home.

After you take off your clothes, hop in the shower. Anytime you go outside, “the safest course of action is to shower right when you get home,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York-based dermatologist, told PopSugar.

Of course, avoid sitting on the furniture and other surfaces, and touching any household items before washing up. Use hot water and scrub portions of your body that have been exposed extra well. The same 20-second hand-washing rule applies.

Slide 4 of 9: After you take off your clothes, hop in the shower. Anytime you go outside, "the safest course of action is to shower right when you get home," Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York-based dermatologist, told PopSugar.Of course, avoid sitting on furniture and other surfaces, and touching any household items before washing up. Use hot water and scrub portions of your body that have been exposed extra well. The same 20-second hand-washing rule applies.

Clean under your nails often.

Plenty of dirt, grime, and germs can live under your fingernails. In fact, the CDC recommends that hospital workers don’t keep their nails long or wear artificial nails, because germs can remain under your nails even after you wash your hands.

“It’s harder to get that area truly clean when washing your hands,” Elizabeth Ransom, MD, chief physician executive at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, told HuffPost. “You have to be pretty diligent cleaning these areas.”

Slide 5 of 9: Plenty of dirt, grime, and germs can live under your finger nails. In fact, the CDC recommends that hospital workers don't keep their nails long or wear artificial nails, because germs can remain under your nails even after you wash your hands."It's harder to get that area truly clean when washing your hands," Elizabeth Ransom, MD, chief physician executive at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, told HuffPost. "You have to be pretty diligent cleaning these areas."

Don’t wear your jewelry outside.

Regularly clean your hand jewelry if you’re wearing it outdoors or, better yet, don’t wear it outside at all. “Removing your rings may lead to better hand hygiene,” Ramon Tallaj, MD, a board-certified physician and chairman of the board of SOMOS Community Care, previously told Best Life. “If the rings are contaminated and you put them back on after washing your hands, you’ve just re-contaminated your hands.” And for more on this, check out Should I Ditch My Jewelry During Coronavirus? Experts Weigh In.

Slide 6 of 9: Regularly clean your hand jewelry if you're wearing it outdoors or, better yet, don't wear it outside at all. "Removing your rings may lead to better hand hygiene," Ramon Tallaj, MD, a board-certified physician and chairman of the board of SOMOS Community Care, previously told Best Life. "If the rings are contaminated and you put them back on after washing your hands, you've just re-contaminated your hands." And for more on this, check out Should I Ditch My Jewelry During Coronavirus? Experts Weigh In.

Wipe down your glasses regularly.

If you wear glasses every day, chances are high you’re often touching your face. “When adjusting your glasses, you often inadvertently touch your face and may be tempted to rub your eyes without washing your hands first,” Lucky Sekhon, MD, of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, previously told Best Life. Plus, “droplets from a person’s sneeze or cough could land on your glasses,” so it’s important to clean them frequently. And for more on what to clean in your home, here are 25 Things You Should Clean Every Day and How to Do It.

Slide 7 of 9: If you wear glasses every day, chances are high you're often touching your face. "When adjusting your glasses, you often inadvertently touch your face and may be tempted to rub your eyes without washing your hands first," Lucky Sekhon, MD, of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, previously told Best Life. Plus, "droplets from a person's sneeze or cough could land on your glasses," so it's important to clean them frequently. And for more on what to clean in your home, here are 25 Things You Should Clean Every Day and How to Do It.

Cover your mouth with your elbow.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) notes, it’s imperative to make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Slide 8 of 9: As the World Health Organization (WHO) notes, it's imperative to make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

And of course, wash your hands for 20 seconds!

Hot water. Lots of soap. At least 20 seconds. Yes, we know you’ve heard it before. But it’s critical in helping lessen the public health risk from the coronavirus outbreak.

Kill Germs! Coronavirus, etc.

What kills coronavirus?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a list of products that while not specifically tested on the brand-new version of the virus that causes COVID-19 just yet, have been proven effective on similar or harder-to-kill viruses, such as the rhinovirus that causes the common cold; they expect them to work on the coronavirus, too. These products use a variety of different ingredients and formulations, so be sure to use them exactly as the label directs. These products include:

  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
  • Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach
  • Lysol Disinfectant Spray
  • Lysol Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Bleach
  • Lysol Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Purell Multi Surface Disinfectant Spray
  • Microban 24 Hour Multi-Purpose Cleaner

How to use cleaning products to kill coronavirus

Before using any disinfecting product, start by reading the label to make sure it is registered with the EPA and to see what strains of bacteria and viruses it kills. The EPA registration number can usually be found in small type on the bottom of the front or back label, and the bacteria and viruses the product is effective against are also usually listed.

EPA registration is required by law for any cleaner that claims to kill germs. It’s what we rely on in the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab when we evaluate sanitizing and disinfecting products and it assures you that if you follow the directions, the product will work as claimed.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

A few more points:

  • Know that sanitizing is not the same as disinfecting. Sanitizing (reducing the number of germs) usually takes less time — sometimes just 30 or 60 seconds — while disinfecting (killing those germs) can take anywhere up to 10 minutes, depending on the product.
  • Check the label for how long hard, non-porous surfaces must stay wet for the most effective germ killing. Because liquids evaporate, this may require you to apply the product multiple times.
  • No product can adequately sanitize or disinfect a dirty surface, so make sure you clean — even with plain soap and water — before you disinfect.

What DIY household cleaner kills coronavirus?

According the the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), an easy way to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces with a product you likely have at home is to combine 1/3 cup of regular chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) bleach per gallon of water. (Clorox recommends using 1/2 cup bleach per 1/2 gallon.) For small batches, use 4 teaspoons of regular chlorine bleach and 1 quart of water.

To use: Wearing gloves, dip a cloth into the mixture, wipe the surface, allowing the solution to contact the surface for five minutes and air dry. For food contact surfaces, like countertops and high chair trays, rinse with warm water and air dry after disinfecting. Be careful not to splash the bleach solution on your clothes or in your eyes and use it sparingly on stainless steel sinks and surfaces. It’s also important to note that the bleach and water solution needs to be made fresh each day you use it.

Does hydrogen peroxide kill viruses and bacteria?

According to the CDC, hydrogen peroxide is a stable and effective disinfectant against a wide variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, when used on hard, non-porous surfaces. Typically sold in 3% solutions, hydrogen peroxide can be used as is, directly from the bottle. It’s best to keep it away from fabrics when cleaning and to wear gloves to protect your hands.

To use: Spray or wipe it on the surface, allowing it to remain wet for at least one minute before wiping.

Will alcohol disinfect surfaces?

Isopropyl alcohol is an effective disinfectant against many pathogens, including coronavirus, as long as the concentration is 70%. Most rubbing alcohols are 70% isopropyl alcohol, but concentrations can range from 60-99%. For killing coronavirus quickly on surfaces, 70% is best — pure (100%) alcohol evaporates too quickly to be effective.

To use: Wipe or spray the surface with the alcohol and make sure it remains wet for at least 30 seconds.

Can vinegar kill germs?

No. According to the CDC and NSF (a public health and safety organization), vinegar (or vinegar-based alternative cleaning products) should not be used to disinfect or sanitize. Vinegar-containing cleaning products can be a good in some instances, but vinegar is not registered with the EPA as a disinfectant and is ineffective against most bacteria and viruses – it does not kill the flu or coronavirus. Undiluted white vinegar may work on some limited types of bacteria, but it’s not the best way to get surfaces germ-free. (Besides, coronavirus is a virus, not a bacteria.)

What else you should know about cleaning your home right now

  • Regular soap and water cleans germs away and cuts down the quantity of germs, which also reduces the chance of infection. But to actually kill germs, you also must sanitize or disinfect surfaces after cleaning them.
  • Never combine disinfecting or any cleaning products and open the window or ventilate a room if fumes become bothersome.
  • Soft surfaces are porous and will never fully reach the level of germ kill required to be fully disinfected. Some antibacterial sprays can sanitize soft surfaces, like pillows and plush toys.
  • Test surfaces for safety in a hidden spot before using alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or any disinfectant on a surface, especially a delicate one. On food contact surfaces, rinse with clear water and dry after disinfecting, unless the product label specifically says it’s not necessary.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a31402790/what-kills-germs/

Clean this!!!

The idea of cleaning every high-touch surface can be overwhelming, though, so we’ve compiled a list of the most essential spots to clean and disinfect, just in case there are any you’ve forgotten. Think about your average day around the house, in your car, and at the office, and clean everything you touch frequently. This list can help you get started.

  • Light switches
  • Doorknobs (on the inside and outside and also the locks on the doors)
  • House keys and car keys
  • Cellphone and landline
  • Earbuds, headphones, and AirPods
  • Refrigerator handle
  • Oven knobs
  • Small kitchen appliances
  • Drawer pulls
  • Sink knobs
  • Bathtub knobs
  • Toilet flusher
  • Toothbrush
  • Hairbrush
  • Makeup and brushes
  • Any bottles of hair care or skin care
  • Desk
  • Computer screen
  • Computer mouse or laptop touchpad
  • Computer keyboard
  • Windows
  • Mirrors
  • TV remote
  • Car door handles
  • Steering wheel of your car
  • Dashboard of your car (including the radio and air vents)
  • Gear shift of your car
  • Rearview mirror of your car

Don’t Drink Directly From Can!!!

The Real Reason You Should Never Drink Directly From the Can

We’ve all been there: You crack open a nice frosty beverage in an aluminum can and then pull back the tab only to see a nice layer of grime wedged all along the lip. Disgusted, you toss the beverage into the recycling bin.

When you think about it, it’s not surprising to find filthy cans of soda. They go from the production line in a factory to a warehouse to a shelf at your grocery. Although cans are usually boxed up in cardboard, they are exposed to a multitude of environments while being handled by multiple hands and carted around greasy industrial machines. Read on to discover just how gross cans can be and the real reason you should never drink directly from a can. And then check out The Most Popular Sodas Ranked by How Toxic They Are.1

E. coli, Anyone?

Soda cans

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Medical experts of the popular TV show The Doctors tested the tops of aluminum beverage cans in 2017 gathered from gas stations, vending machines, and grocery stores. Though most came up clean, some from the groceries were positive for E. coli, which can cause diarrhea, respiratory illness, and pneumonia.2

BPA Blues

Energy drinks

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A chemical called BPA (bisphenol A) used to be a common ingredient in plastic bottles, but most manufacturers have phased it out after it was found to possibly cause hormonal imbalances. The compound is still found in the epoxy lining of some aluminum cans, though, and a study from 2014 showed that BPA leaching from cans can increase blood pressure, raising the risk of heart disease. 3

Metallic Tongue

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For those with a sensitive palate, the act of putting your lips on the edge of an aluminum can could cause an adverse reaction to the metallic taste. On the other hand, glass has no metals, so you get clean and unadulterated flavor with every swig.4

Rodent Showers

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Though a long-distributed chain email scare about someone dying from drinking out of a contaminated can from a diseased rodent was false, there is still a chance that your can has seen some rat activity. Be cautious with cans you think may have been exposed, like those from vending machines.

5

Pathogen Party

Spindrift

Courtesy of Spindrift

In 2013, a CBS TV station in Texas took swabs of the top of cans in gas stations, restaurants, colleges, and vending machines and found that they were infected with stenotrophomonas maltophilia, pseudomonas luteola, and enterobacter cloacae. These harmful pathogens can cause illness and infections in immune-compromised folks. Talk about another reason you should never drink directly from a can.6

Environmental Toll

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While aluminum is a sustainable resource and is 100 percent recyclable, the process to get aluminum from the mineral bauxite means ripping it out of the Earth. Making a virgin aluminum can is estimated to exhaust about twice as much energy as creating a glass bottle so if you’re concerned about the environment, a bottle may be the better buy.7

Stinging Surprise

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When quaffing a cold beer or sweet soda from an aluminum can, the sugars in both beverages can attract flies, or worse, bees and wasps. Leaving a can out on your picnic table while tending to the flaming BBQ grill may attract the stinging insects to the sweet beverage.7

Clean Your Can

La Croix lemon seltzer

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There are many disadvantages to drinking from an aluminum can, but the good news is that they are 100 percent recyclable and offer a light and convenient way to enjoy your favorite beverages. To protect yourself from the most immediate health concerns, make sure to simply rinse your can with a bit of water to eliminate most of the bad bugs.

© 2008-2019 GALVANIZED MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

You’ll want to clean this…

Your Keyboard

You probably type on your computer every day, so it’s no wonder that the thing is crawling with bacteria. According to a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, it may even be teeming with staphylococcus aureus, which can cause potentially-serious infections in humans.

So, make sure to get out any grime lurking between your keys with a computer duster, and give your keyboard a daily cleaning with an electronics-safe cleaner or rubbing alcohol, making sure not to saturate the cloth you’re applying it with.

Your Bed

While washing your bedsheets and pillowcases every day may be overkill, it’s important to clean up your bed on a daily basis for both your mental and physical wellbeing. A 2016 study by Amerisleep found that your pillowcase alone has three million bacteria per square inch by the end of a single week, with that number jumping to 11.96 million by the end of a month.

On top of that, traditional detritus, from dead skin to hair to crumbs, can make it less comfortable to sleep, leaving you tossing and turning at night. So, at the very least, you should wash your bedsheets once every seven days. And to really keep your sleeping space in top shape, This Is Why You Need to Change Your Pillow Immediately.

Your Water Bottle

Any attempts to improve your health by carrying a reusable water bottle might just backfire if you’re not cleaning it on a daily basis. Research published in the Annals of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2017 revealed that the average amount of bacteria in adults’ reusable water bottles was 75,000 per milliliter. If left uncleaned, that number had the potential to reach up to two million per milliliter within a single day.

If you want to keep your bottle clean, just make sure to empty the water bottle at the end of every day and wash it with a mixture of antibacterial dish soap and hot water. Or, if you have one, just pop it in the dishwasher. And if you want to reduce the growth of bacteria in the first place, try copper bottles, which have a naturally antimicrobial effect.

Your Rings

Your wedding ring’s primary purpose is to serve as a symbol of your commitment to your spouse. But it’s also apparently a breeding ground for some seriously gross bacteria.

In 2009, researchers at the University of Oslo discovered that wearing rings increased the total number of bacteria on healthcare workers’ hands. In fact, individuals wearing rings were twice as likely to have Enterobacteriaceae (a group that includes E. coli and salmonella) on their hands than those who didn’t wear jewelry. Fortunately, simply putting those rings in a mixture of hot water and antibacterial dish soap or jewelry cleaner can help reduce the bacterial load. And for more surprising sources of germs, you’ve been warned that These Places in Your Home Are Dirtier Than Your Toilet.

Your Phone

Hundreds of times each day, you touch your phone—or hold it to your face. Needless to say, the thing could certainly use a regular cleaning. So, just how dirty is your device? According to a 2017 study of healthcare workers’ phones published in the Iranian Journal of Micobiology, 46 percent of participants had six different types of bacterial growth on their phones. Acinetobacter baumannii, a major source of infection in hospitals, and antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus aureus were among the most common.

However, a simple wipe down with a cloth dampened (not drenched) with rubbing alcohol can quickly kill much of the unwanted bacteria on your phone. And if you need help putting down your device,

Your Steering Wheel

Before going out for a drive, you might want to consider wiping down your steering wheel first. A recent study from CarRentals.com revealed that the average steering wheel harbors 629 colony-forming bacterial units per centimeter—four times the amount found on an average public toilet seat! The solution? Give your wheel a wipe-down with an antibacterial cleanser, change your filters regularly, wipe down your vents, and vacuum your car often.

Your Coffee Cup

Microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba told Time that approximately 20 percent of coffee mugs harbor fecal bacteria, and it gets worse: The amount they carry can grow significantly if you’re only rinsing them out instead of giving them a thorough cleaning.

To keep the growth of bacteria at bay, put your cup in the dishwasher or wash it with hot water with antibacterial dish soap using a dish brush that’s been recently sanitized. And about those dish brushes and sponges…

Sponges

Sponges aren’t exactly spotless—actually, far from it. You may use them to clean your dishes and wipe down your countertops, but if you’re not cleaning your dish sponge on a daily basis, all you’re doing is spreading germs around your house. According to research published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology in 2003, kitchen sponges are frequently contaminated by pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. And you can easily transfer these potentially harmful bacteria onto other surfaces when you use them to clean.

Fortunately, killing the bacteria on your sponge is relatively simple: Just pop it in the dishwasher for a full wash and dry cycle and you’ll have killed about as many pathogens as any cleaning method can. According to Good Housekeeping, you can also disinfect your sponge in the microwave. Simply saturate the sponge in the microwave with water, then heat it on high for one minute to two minutes. And for more ways to clean up your act in the kitchen,

Your Remote Control

If you want to keep your home a whole lot cleaner, make a point of wiping down your remote controls at the end of every day. Research presented at the 2012 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology revealed that remote controls are the most germ-laden items in hotel rooms, with fecal bacteria appearing on 81 percent of remotes studied. Luckily, all it takes is a little rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth—or even just an antibacterial wipe—to kill most of those icky germs.

Your Kids’ Bath Toys

Just because they spend their time sitting in suds doesn’t mean bath toys are clean as a whistle. Think of it this way: Bath toys actually spend a good portion of their day soaking in bacteria-laden water. Research published in Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2018 revealed that 58 percent of bath toys contained fungi, while one-third of bath toys had both listeria and L. pneumophila bacteria, the latter being a primary cause of Legionnaires’ disease.

Doorknobs

If you think those people using their elbows or paper towels to open doors are being paranoid, think again. According to a 2012 study published in the Continental Journal of Medical Research, among 180 door handles and knobs swabbed by researchers, nearly 87 percent had bacterial contamination, with 30 percent testing positive for staphylococcus aureus, 16 percent testing positive for E. coli, and 26 percent harboring Klebsiella pneumoniae, bacteria associated with the development of pneumonia and bronchitis.

To get them clean, make sure you’re running them through a sanitizing cycle in your washing machine and thoroughly drying them.24/26 SLIDES© Provided by Best Life

Your Shower Head

If you think that your shower head is a self-cleaning entity, you’re sadly mistaken. In fact, to keep everyone in your household healthy, it’s well worth it to wipe your shower head down with an antibacterial cleaner or bleach solution on a daily basis. So, what do you risk if you choose not to? Well, research published in 2018 by the American Society for Microbiology links the bacteria commonly found on shower heads to an increased risk of respiratory illnesses.

Bath Towels

Just because your bath towels dry off your supposedly-clean body doesn’t mean they’re clean themselves. Dr. Gerba’s research indicated a 90 percent rate of coliform bacteria contamination on bath towels, with approximately 14 percent of the towels harboring E. coli.

That’s because the warm, moist air in your bathroom is the perfect environment for such bacteria to multiply, and, if you’re sharing towels, you can also pass along conditions like ringworm and impetigo. To ensure your towels are clean and ready for use, wash and thoroughly dry them on high heat to beat any lingering germs.

Loofahs

Exfoliate with a loofah and you could be adding more bacteria to your skin’s surface than you’re sloughing off. An oft-referenced 1994 study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology revealed that loofahs carry—deep breath—pseudomonas, xanthomonas, klebsiella, enterococcus, and group B streptococcus bacteria. And since loofahs are made of natural material, rendering them difficult to disinfect, you’re better off with a regularly-laundered washcloth or exfoliating silicone mitt (which can be sterilized with boiling water).

Your Bathroom Sink and Counter

You use your bathroom sink to wash your face and brush your teeth, but if you’re not cleaning it or its surrounding counters on a daily basis, you could be doing yourself a disservice.

According to recent research conducted by TravelMath, bathroom counters in hotel rooms harbored an average of 1,288,817 colony-forming bacterial units—and they’re cleaned professionally on a regular basis. That means your home sink could have even more bacteria. Still, there’s no huge need to fret: A daily wipe down with a bleach-and-water solution can kill off those bad bacteria in an instant.

Those germs you’re washing off your hands aren’t necessarily going straight down the drain; many stick around your sink trap. According to research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology in 2018, the source of an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria at an Israeli hospital was traced back to the facility’s sink traps. Running water caused the bacteria harbored therein to become airborne.

To keep this from happening at your home, clean your sink with antibacterial cleansers on a daily basis, or make your own bleach-and-water solution to pour down the drain.

A “clean shave” may not be as clean as you think. A 2019 study found that beards contain “significantly higher” amounts of bacteria than dogs, including potentially-harmful varieties, like staphylococcus aureus. When you shave, some of those bacteria are transferred onto your razor, and your bathroom’s frequently-damp environment creates the perfect atmosphere for them to multiply.

So, how do you take care of this potentially-infectious problem? Replace those blades regularly and give your razor a soak in a solution of half white vinegar, half water to kill off any lingering bacteria.

Your Toothbrush

You use your toothbrush to clean food particles, plaque, and other grime off your teeth, so it should come as little surprise that it’s a hotbed of bacterial activity. A review of research published in Nursing Research and Practice in 2012 suggested that toothbrushes are routinely contaminated with things like staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and pseudomonas. On top of that, traditional storage techniques, like putting a toothbrush on a bathroom counter or covering it with a cap, increase bacterial growth.

However, there’s a simple fix right in your bathroom: Soaking your toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash can significantly decrease its bacterial load.

Your Kitchen Counters

To put it simply, chances are high your kitchen countertops are disgusting. According to 2011 research from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), kitchen counters are among the dirtiest parts of a house, with more than 30 percent of counters harboring potentially-harmful coliform bacteria.

However, a little soap and water, followed up with a diluted bleach solution, can ditch those germs once and for all

Dishes

If you want to keep your whole house cleaner, it’s important to not let dishes languish in your sink for days at a time. The combination of food particles and warm water in your sink create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. In fact, the NSF found that kitchen sinks had the second highest bacterial concentrations in the whole home.

So, whenever possible, scrape your plates and load them directly into the dishwasher or wash them by hand immediately after use. Then, make sure to wipe down your sink with an antibacterial cleaner or a mixture of bleach and water when you’re done.

Cutting Boards

Leaving those just-used cutting boards out on the counter without washing them is a recipe for bacterial growth. According to a 1997 study at France’s National Center for Veterinary and Food Studies, there’s a wealth of bacteria clinging to your cutting board—especially if it’s a wooden one. Worse yet, common means of removing food from cutting boards, like scraping, only gets the bacteria to burrow deeper. So, be sure to hand-wash your cutting boards on the daily!2

Dish Towels

If you’re not washing your dish towels every day, you could be putting yourself at risk for illness. Since they’re regularly used to dry hands, clean up countertop spills, and wipe down surfaces, dish towels pick up huge amounts of bacteria on a daily basis. The NSF even listed them as the most germ-laden item in a typical home, sharing the top spot with kitchen sponges.

To get them clean, make sure you’re running them through a sanitizing cycle in your washing machine and thoroughly drying them.

Your Windowsills

Anyone who enjoys keeping their windows open on a temperate spring day would be wise to give their windowsills a daily wipe down. Open windows can contribute to higher-than-average indoor pollen levels. Considering that ragweed pollen season is increasing in duration across the U.S. and that there’s been a potentially-related uptick in environmental allergies and asthma, it’s important to keep any surfaces that could harbor high pollen counts clean.

Your Cat’s Litter Box

Keeping your pet comfortable and healthy means more than supplying treats and belly rubs. If you have a feline friend in your house, it’s important that you keep their litter box clean by scooping it on a daily basis. If you don’t, you’re not only potentially creating a source of stress for your cat, you may be inadvertently encouraging them to treat anywhere else in your house—from carpets to cardboard boxes—as their de facto litter box instead. We needn’t explain how gross—and unhealthy—that could get.

Your Coffee Maker

If you’re using your coffee maker every day, you should be cleaning it every day, too—just like you would any other food preparation tool. The reservoir in coffee makers takes the fifth spot on the NSF’s household germs list; its dark, damp environment is a perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

To keep it clean, run a vinegar and water solution through it. And then use the same solution to wipe it down when you’re done using it for the day. And for more ways to get your home seriously spotless,

Your Bathroom Sink and Counter You use your bathroom sink to wash your face and brush your teeth, but if you’re not cleaning it or its surrounding counters on a daily basis, you could be doing yourself a disservice.

Continue reading You’ll want to clean this…

Things That Are Germy~That You Should Be Cleaning

Kitchen Sponges and Dish Towels 

Yes, it’s true, the germiest room in your home is likely your kitchen. And it gets even worse—studies have shown that your dish sponge is the germiest, most bacteria-filled item in your home. It’s a breeding ground for bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. However, since microwaving sponges has proven ineffective at disinfecting sponges, the safest bet is to simply replace your sponge every week. And if your sponge hangs out in a holder all day long, don’t forget to disinfect that, too. 

When it comes to disinfecting, dish towels are better than sponges, because they can be sanitized frequently using bleach or the sanitizing cycle on your washing machine. To keep germs in check, swap out cloth kitchen towels for a fresh set every other day. 

Toothbrush Holder

After the kitchen, the second most germ-ridden room in your home is easily the bathroom, and surprisingly, the toothbrush holder is proven to be one of the germiest items. All types of microorganisms can be found on this container (we’re talking strep, listeria, and E. coli) that are easily transferred from your toothbrush to the holder. If you have a holder that is dishwasher-safe, clean it once a week on the sanitizing cycle. If your toothbrush holder isn’t designed to survive the dishwasher, give it a thorough hand wash with soap and hot water. It’s also a good practice to wipe down your toothbrush holder once a week with a disinfecting wipe. If you’re wondering about that toothbrush of yours, you need to replace it every three to four months, even sooner if you’ve been sick.

Pet Bowls

If you’re washing your pet’s feeding bowl just once a week, that’s six days too late according to experts. Dogs and cats have lots of unsanitary habits, and their water and feeding bowls are a breeding ground for uninvited and unwanted microorganisms. Just as you eat your daily meals off of a clean dish and drink from a clean cup, so should your furry friend. That’s right, food and water bowls should be thoroughly washed and sanitized (not just rinsed with water), every single day. You can either sanitize these items in the dishwasher, or wash them by hand with hot sudsy water. Once a week, these items should also be soaked for 10-15 minutes in a mixture of water and bleach (a gallon of water to each capful of bleach), then air-dried.

Kitchen Sink

Remember all those nasty germs and microbes lurking on your kitchen dish sponge? Well, chances are they’re living in your sink as well. All of the germs from raw meat and other foods pass through this neglected area of your kitchen. Put this area on your radar and create a regular routine of washing and disinfecting the bottom and sides of the sink once or twice a week.

At least once a month you should also clean your kitchen sink drain and disposal by creating a solution of one quart of water to one teaspoon of bleach and pouring it down the drain.

Bathroom Faucet Handle

You know those touch-less, motion-activated bathroom faucets that have popped up in bathrooms across the country? They’re actually not a bad idea if you want to avoid picking up unwanted germs and bacteria from the faucet. When you think about it, it’s no surprise your bathroom faucet is dirty: you go to the bathroom, and now your hands are dirty. You turn on the faucet with dirty hands, and once you’re done washing, you turn off the faucet with clean hands. See the conundrum here?

Your best bet is to invest in a motion-activated faucet, but if your faucet is “old school” you need to clean it, and often. To keep the bacteria at bay, disinfect your faucet with a spray or wipes every single day. Try keeping a pack of wipes right in your bathroom cabinet to make this daily chore even easier.  

Remotes and Electronics 

Because we touch them so often, remotes and electronics are covered in germs and bacteria. It’s a good practice to sanitize and disinfect these items with wipes (be sure to wring the liquid out first so you don’t damage the electronics) on a weekly basis. Cover your bases by wiping down remote controls, computer keyboards, video game controllers, touchscreen surfaces, computer mouses, smartphone covers, and tablet cases, using specialty wipes for electronics if necessary.

Handles, Light Switches, and Doorknobs 

It’s easy to neglect these small surfaces when conducting your routine
household cleaning, but they’re the perfect spot for germs to get passed around your household as each person opens the door or turns on the light. Use disinfecting wipes to clean and sanitize these areas weekly. We all slip up sometimes, but the best way to keep you and your family from falling prey to germs is to have a thorough cleaning routine and stick to it.

https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/things-should-disinfect