Viruses, germs, and bacteria can cause illness and infection and some things in your home that you might not be cleaning can harbor these pathogens. Cleaning these items will make your home healthier.

Cell Phones

Most of us handle our phones all day and our hands are not always clean when we use our phone. Think about all the places you take you phone and what surfaces it may touch every day.

Use a soft cloth or disinfectant wipe to regularly clean your phone. Turn the phone off and remove the phone from the case, then clean both the phone and case being careful not to get the phone wet. A slightly damp cloth works well and then use another cloth to dry it.

Remote Controls

Remote controls are probably handled several times a day by multiple people. Germs, oil from our skin and food and drink residue can all accumulate on the remotes. Collect all the remotes and remove the batteries from each then use a damp cloth or a disinfectant wipe to clean the remotes. Clean garage door openers and game controllers as well. Replace the batteries when you are finished cleaning.

Keyboards and Mice

Clean these regularly, turn them off and if they are hardwired turn the computer off and disconnect the cable from the computer. Then use antibacterial wipes to thoroughly clean them. Be careful not to get them too wet. Dry them off before turning them on and plugging them back in.

Doorknobs, Hardware & Light Switches

Everyone living in the home touches these multiple times a day and our hands are not always clean when doing so. Wipe down all light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet hardware. Don’t forget the handles on the stove, refrigerator, dish washer, washer, and dryer.

The Kitchen Sink

The kitchen sink might be the dirtiest area of your home, use a disinfectant or bleach cleaner to thoroughly scrub the sink once a day. And don’t forget to disinfect the kitchen sponge as well. Sponges can be soaked in cleaner, or you can run the sponges through the dishwasher or microwave it for a few minutes to kill the germs.

Trash Cans

Wash trash cans with soapy water. These can get quite dirty over time.

Cutting Boards

Cutting boards can harbor dangerous pathogens, we use them for everything from meat to vegetables and they should be thoroughly cleaned after each use to prevent illness.

Toothbrushes

Wash toothbrushes regularly. They can be soaked in hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial mouthwash. Replace toothbrushes every 4 months or after illness.

Reusable Grocery Bags

Reusable grocery bags are exposed to many dirty areas from the grocery store to the floor in your car. Since we are carrying food in these bags they should be cleaned regularly. Try to purchase bags that can be thrown in the washing machine and wash them weekly. Use separate bags for meat, fruits and vegetables, other food items and household essentials to prevent cross contamination.

Keys

Most of us don’t think about cleaning our keys but they can get very dirty. They can be washed with a disinfectant cloth. Be careful not to get electronic keys wet and dry them completely after cleaning.

Cards in Your Wallet

All the plastic cards in your wallet should be cleaned, use a disinfectant cloth to clean them and dry them completely before returning them to your wallet.

Purses & Backpacks

Purses and backpacks can get extremely dirty, we lay these on almost every type of surface, and they go with us to the store, bathroom, work, and school. Some may be machine washable, if you cannot wash them in the washing machine use a disinfectant cloth to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the bag.