Grime and dirt can lurk in unexpected areas throughout your home. You can easily overlook them, even after keeping them on top of regular cleaning. Yes, without proper attention, dirt in these spots can build up and become gross, leading to the growth of bacteria in your home.
And do you know that some bacteria can multiply every 20 minutes with the proper nutrients and temperature?
According to the study conducted by ‘Charles River Laboratories International,’ (Microbial Hotspots and Diversity on Common Household Surfaces), 340 different bacteria were found on every 30 different objects in the most contaminated places in the home.
Although not all bacteria are harmful, some are very dangerous and can make you sick. So, it is important for you to identify the dirtiest places in the house. You will have to concentrate mainly on nooks, corners, and other surfaces that are hard to reach to avoid turning your home into prime real estate for bacteria and fungi.
We have some good tips on how to clean a very dirty house. Below is a list of the common dirtiest places in the house that you should focus on when cleaning dirty houses.
1. Dirtiest Place In Bathroom
- Drains
- Shower Tub
- Toothbrushes
- Faucets
- Bath Towels
- Floor Area Around The Toilet
2. Dirtiest Place In The House-Behind the Radiator
3. Laundry
4. Grout
5. Skirting Boards
6. Makeup Bag
7. Dirtiest Place In The House-Air Vents
8. Dirtiest Place In The Kitchen
- Countertops And Kitchen Sinks
- Cutting Board
- Refrigerator
- Coffee Make
9. Handles, Switches, and Knobs
01. Dirtiest Places In Bathroom
It is in the bathroom where you scrub off grime and dirt. So, it’s no surprise that the bathroom is one of the dirtiest places in your house. Thus, it is also the perfect place for the growth of germs. The dirtiest spots in the bathroom that you should pay special attention to include the following:
- Drains
- Shower tub
- Toothbrushes
- Faucets
- Bath towels
- Floor area around the toilet
To keep the dirtiest place in the bathroom from being highlighted, make sure to disinfect the handles and surfaces daily and perform a thorough cleaning once a week. Cleaning handles regularly will prevent the spread of bacteria. In addition, an old toothbrush comes in handy for cleaning small areas like faucets and drains.
Also, ensure that you replace the toothbrushes every three months and wash the bath towels at least once a week. By now, you must have identified the dirtiest spot in the bathroom.
02. Dirtiest Place In The House-Behind the Radiator
Radiators are mostly hidden behind decorative objects or furniture, so you can easily forget to clean them up. Also, wiping the radiator’s exterior won’t be enough, as the grooves behind the radiators accumulate tightly packed dirt and dust that’s disgorged back into the air. The big challenge is how to clean radiators in the house and, moreover, how to clean behind radiators.
Therefore, before cleaning the dirtiest places in the house, like the radiator, switch it off. Then attach a hose or a canister to a vacuum cleaner and turn the device on. For thorough cleaning, consider purchasing special groove brushes. Concentrate mainly on the walls behind them, as they tend to darken due to the grime. If you are wondering how to clean behind radiators, the best way is to use a flexible brush. If you want to know in detail how to clean radiators in your house or how to keep your heating system in top condition, have a look at our blog.
03. Laundry
When the question of how to clean dirty places in the house bothers you, don’t forget the laundry in the machine. Leaving wet laundry in a machine for a long time can lead to the flourishing of germs and bacteria in your home. How to prevent the spread of bacteria is another matter of concern. If the clothes sit in the machine for more than 25 minutes, you must run them in a second cycle.
Besides, if you’re using a shared laundry facility, ensure that you use a disinfecting wipe to clean the washer drum. And before folding clean clothes, especially the ones you have worn to public places, wipe down the surfaces with a disinfectant.
Whenever possible, use hot water to wash the clothes you’ve worn in public. Warm water is more effective at killing viruses and bacteria than cold water.
04. Grout
Tiles are beautiful; however, they’ve got a dark side. If you carefully check, you’ll notice dust and grime sandwiched between the tiles. The grime and the dust eventually make walls or flooring disgustingly dark. In addition, due to its porous nature and light colour, grout is susceptible to staining, and cleaning grout would seem challenging. However, if you include grout cleaning in your ordinary cleaning routine, you will do away with mould build-up.
The best way to clean grout is to buy brushes specifically designed for cleaning grout; using a toothbrush can also go a long way. Another miracle worker when it comes to cleaning grout is vinegar. Spraying on dirty surfaces releases locked dust, rogue hairs, and dust.
Another best way to clean grout is to apply a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. It’s a miracle worker when washing dirt surfaces. Don’t forget to make a house cleaning schedule when you are really bothered by how to clean dirty places in the house.
05. Skirting Boards
How often do you think about skirting boards when cleaning up walls or thinking of how to clean a very dirty house? Since they’re not at eye level, you mostly miss the build-up and gunk on the tiny edges.
Cleaning the skirting board is cumbersome, as you have to kneel and clean arched over. But do you know that the walls are the primary visible exterior in your home? Yes, they are. And a sparkly clean wall goes a long way toward giving your home a pristine look.
So how should you clean your skirting board? Okay, worry less; here is how you do it: dust the skirting board first. Consider using cleaning tools such as a lengthy vacuum attachment or long feather duster to avoid bending over as you dust. Also, you can use warm water and soap to clean the surface. Going for a magic eraser would go a long way if you have a skirting board with hard scuff marks.
06. Makeup Bag
The crannies, bristles, and nooks of makeup applicators are significant real estate for germs. And do you know that the germs on the makeup applicator may cause eye and skin infections?
So, you must ensure that you keep your makeup in a clean, dry place at room temperature. The makeup brushes should be cleaned at least once a week with water and regular soap; spraying an alcohol spray on the brushes also does the trick. Never overlook your makeup bag while cleaning dirty a house.
Clean the makeup applicators before and after every use.
07. Dirtiest Place In The House- Air Vents
Hair, bug fragments, and all kinds of dirt get accumulated in the air vents. In addition, these things quickly circulate in the air inside the house that you usually breathe, leaving you susceptible to allergy or asthmatic symptoms.
However, the good news is that air duct cleaning is a simple task that does not require the services of a professional. Instead, a standard household vacuum, would suffice, and you’d be good to go. The vacuum is perfect for vent cleaning as it sucks up the dirt and dust from your air registers.
Also, a toilet brush or paintbrush would do the trick while cleaning an air vent. However, you should ensure that you wear a mask and gloves while cleaning the air vent.
08. The Kitchen
According to the study conducted by the National Sanitation Foundation (2011 NSF International Household Germ Study), the areas where food is prepared or stored have more faecal contamination and bacteria than any other place in the home. More than 75% of rags and sponges had E. coli and Salmonella, compared to 9% on handles in the bathroom. So, you can say the kitchen is the dirtiest place in the house.
The other kitchen areas that need regular cleaning are:
- Countertops And Kitchen Sinks
- Cutting Board
- Refrigerator, more so the areas in contact with unwashed and uncooked food.
- Coffee Maker
Here is how you can keep these areas clean:
- Always wash your hands before you handle food.
- Disinfect refrigerator surfaces, countertops, and faucets using disinfectant wipes.
- Change the dishtowels after a few days a week.
- Use your microwave to heat the damp sponges to kill bacteria.
- Soak the sponges in warm water with a concentrated bleach of half a teaspoon.
So, while cleaning the dirtiest places in the house, don’t forget to include the kitchen in your list of work.
09. Handles, Switches, and Knobs
Handles, light switches, and countertops are a few less-than-obvious areas for germs in your home. Although the bathroom doorknobs are known as the dirtiest place in the house, there are other spots that are ranked higher with bacteria by the NSF, like:
- Stove knobs
- Bathroom light switches
- Microwave handles
- Refrigerator handles
While cleaning the dirtiest places in the house, ensure that you are cleaning handles, switches and knobs with disinfecting wipes once a week to remove any SARS- CoV-2 that lingers mostly on steel or plastic surfaces. And also, use a new pin for each spot instead of reusing one pin. Cleaning handles, switches and knobs regularly cuts down on the spread of germs. For more tips and tricks to keep your home germ-free, have a look at our blog.
How To Prevent The Spread Of Bacteria In Your Home?
The best way you can keep bacteria and viruses out of your home is to keep things clean. However, cleaning a dirty house is not enough; there are other methods to stop bacteria from spreading.
This is your answer to how to prevent the spread of bacteria in your home.
- Wash your hands every 20 to 30 seconds before and after handling raw food and after visiting the bathroom.
- Take your shoes off before walking into the house.
- Wash the clothes you’d worn in public places in warm water.
- Wear a linen or cotton face mask in public to protect yourself from airborne viruses.
- Sneeze or cough into your elbow or tissue instead of your hand.
Although there are other dirty areas in your home not mentioned, the ones listed above are the dirtiest places in the house. Nonetheless, what you need to do is master the tricks of how to keep them clean to avoid bacteria in your home.
Now that you have identified the dirtiest place in the house and how to clean dirty places in the house, you must have a look at our blog on some house cleaning tips that will benefit every homeowner.
15 House Cleaning Tips that can be Beneficial to Every Homeowner!
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Author Bio
Fidelis Kinai – Fidelis Muti possess a bachelor’s in English and Journalism and have over four years of professional experienced writing and proofreading materials for print and online platforms, including newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, and social media accounts. He also have over three years of experience as a marketing assistant and social media manager.
He is versatile and diligent and will produce exemplary content within time to meet your deadline.
He can deliver most work within 2-3 days; rush orders are accepted whenever possible. He is based in the Kenya but travel often and work for clients all over the world.
