Zoom down in any area in your home, and you will find that it is teeming with millions of microscopic bacteria. In fact, it is these germs and the objects and surfaces that they inhabit that can cause your family to fall foul of illness and disease! That is why it is so important to minimize the number of germs your family comes into contact with on a day to day basis. Something you can discover effective tactics for doing, in the post below.

Toys

Most family homes contain at least some toys, whether they are the kids’ or they belong to pets. Sadly, these can often be a breeding ground for all sort of germ and nasties, with one out of every four tested showing remains of feces on them!

Luckily, it easy enough to wipe down sold items made from plastic or wood with an antibacterial wipe or a cloth and spray. Of course, soft and plush toys are more challenging to manage, especially when they belong to particularly young children who are likely to put them in their mouths often.

To that end, making an effort to wash these on a regular basis is always a fantastic idea. To do this successfully, it can help to put the toy inside of a pillowcase to protect any details that are fixed on with glue from being lost inside the washer. Also, remember that it’s best to use a cold wash as some types of soft toys tend to be quite delicate, and not really built for frequency washing. Although, you can ensure that this is process remains as sanitary as possible by adding antibacterial gel to the wash.

Lastly, while you know you are doing the best thing for your child health, they may not see Teddy going around and around in the wash in quite the same way. With that in mind, it can be a good idea to wash their plush toys once they have gone to bed, to save them from becoming upset.

Remember to give Teddy, or Kermit a bath after the kids have gone to bed, so they don’t worry about him doing around in the washing machine!

Oh, and don’t forget that all the advice on keeping children toys’ germ-free also applies to any pet toys that need a good wash as well!

Countertops

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Your countertops in the kitchen are clean right? They don’t have anything nasty like Listeria, E-Coli, or Botulinum on them, do they? Well don’t be so sure, because these are three of the most common type of bacteria that are found on such surfaces, that is why and that is why it is so important to clean them properly, and on a regular basis! Especially as the kitchen is where raw food is handled and prepared in the same space as cooked food. Something that means cross-contamination can be a real problem.

Of course, wiping with antibacterial spray, the food-safe kind, is crucial here, as is using different color-coded cutting boards and knives for raw-cooked foods.

However, the real foundation of safety in the kitchen area is the countertops you have. This because some, like the ones made from stone such as quartz, are particularly resistant to bacterial infestation, and hardy enough to be cleaned on a frequent basis, while still looking fantastic.

Traditionally though, customers have been put off by the cost of using such materials in the kitchen. Although,  my research into current quartz pricing shows that countertops made from this can be much more affordable than you think, especially as it will last for a much longer time that some of the plastic alternatives.  

Lastly, when it comes to countertops it’s not just the materials that they are made from that is essential but also the way they are fitted and sealed as well.

In fact, if there are significant gaps between to counter and the wall, it will provide the perfect breeding ground for germs, especially in places that are exposed to damp. In the worst case scenario, water can even begin to run in between unsealed counters, and into the cupboards below if they aren’t installed properly, and so cause rot and mold as well. Something that creates all sort of problem not only on the countertops but in the dark sealed cupboards where you keep your store your food as well.

Drains and sinks

Drains are often regarded as one of the dirtiest places in the home. This is for a good reason too, because studies have shown that there are less E. coli in a toilet after you flush it than in the typical kitchen sink!

Luckily, there are some tactics you can use to keep the drain in your home as clean as possible. One is to regularly flush them out with a cup or two of very hot water. The trick for success here is first to identify the problem that they are creating such as a smell, or being blocked and apply the correct remedy before the flush.

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For example, a cup of baking soda first will get rid of any smell, and a cup of vinegar will remove small blockages and keep things flowing in the right direction, making sure that the majority of waste and so germs are flowing away from the sink.

Of course, more severe blockages will need to be dealt with by using a plunger, or even a drain snake. The latter being a long flexible device that is designed to pass around bend in the pipe and collect any hair that is clogging it up.  

Oh, and don’t forget if you want to the most sanitary sink around, be sure not to throw hot fat down the drain! The reason being that not only does it provide great food and housing for germs, but that it will block your pipes as well. Instead, dispose of hot fat into an old tin, and let it cool until solid when it can be thrown away in the garbage.

The dreaded toilet!

If I were to ask you what place was the most susceptible to an infestation of germs in your house, would you pick the toilet? Well, with bacterias that can cause serious illness such as  Salmonella, Shigella, and Staphylococcus making it their home it’s not hard to see why!

Of course, to keep you loo as clean and hygienic as possible, you need to break out the big guns, including bleach, and cleaning tablets that can help clear debris and bacteria every time you flush.

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Also, don’t scrimp in this area when it comes to cleaning, even if the thought of it is somewhat distasteful! Instead, strap on those rubber gloves and make sure that you clean under the seat as well as on top! Don’t forget the bit where the lid meets the bowl either, and giving the bowl itself, and the floor around the toilet a wipe over is always a good idea as well. After all, this what your family’s clothes will come into contact with it when they are using it. Something that means if any nasties are living down there they can easily get transferred and then transported around the rest of the house if it’s not kept clean.  

Floors

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Flooring tends to get a lot of use in the home whether it’s wood, tile, or carpet. Of course, it’s a lot easier to wipe down wood and tile regular and it can even be disinfected quickly with steam.

Sadly carpet isn’t so sanitary unless it is woven from specially constructed fibers. In fact, many of the problems that a plush toy will have can be applied to carpets in the home, with the added issue that people can tread germs and dirt from one room to another easily if they don’t take their shoes off when they come inside!

Don’t despair though, because even if your whole home is carpeted, you can still make great strides to keep it as hygienic as possible. Firstly, be sure to choose a foam carpet cleaner that kills germs. Secondly, invest in regular professional carpet cleaning where they use water under high pressure to penetrate the fibers. Something that should help to ensure any germs lurking even in the deepest pile will be removed.

Air quality

Lastly, one of the dirtiest things in your home that could be affecting your family’s health is, surprisingly, the actual air they are breathing! In fact, the very air they breathe could be causing problems in term of allergies to dust mites, pollen, and mold spores. Alternatively, it could be thick with airborne illnesses such as the flu virus or common cold, something that is much more likely if another member of the family has got sick recently.

Happily, you don’t all have to sit there with surgical masks on as you watch TV every evening because you can choose to use air filtration products instead. These suck in the air and remove many of the allergies and germs, so the concentration is not as high.

You can even get HEPA filter bags for your vacuum cleaner, so when you clean your know, you will be locking away more of the nasties that could cause disease. Something that can really help preserve your family’s health!

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