If you thought a clean house equals a sanitary one, think again! There are two reasons why this isn’t true; either you are merely cleaning and not disinfecting your home, or you are overlooking some crucial areas and objects in the house that are infested with germs. Even worse, you could be doing both of these things!

So, what are the many ways to make your home more sanitary? Well, you’ve come to the right place to find that out! Simply Maid is going to show you how to get rid of germs in the house, one room at a time, while also giving you tips on how to keep your home sanitary. 

Come take a trip with us around the average household and discover those things, places, and habits that are making your home a lot less sanitary than you think!

Bedrooms

Let’s start with the place you probably spend most of your time (8 hours every night, at least). While things may seem all clean and sanitary on the surface, what lies beneath tells a different story. Remember, germs aren’t visible to the naked eye so knowing where they may be hiding in your bedroom is crucial in keeping the space clean and hygienic.

How to Make Your Bedroom More Sanitary

1. 1. Replace your bed linens every two weeks. Wash dirty linen in hot water to kill bacteria.
   2. Avoid keeping used clothes lying around (especially on your bed). Use a coat rack to hang clothes worn outside if you intend on wearing the items one more time before washing them.
   3. Put your mattress out in the sun for a few hours (during the day or noon time) once every three months. Deep clean your mattress at least once a year.
   4. As far as possible, avoid walking into your room wearing shoes that have been worn outside.
   5. Clean underneath and behind your bed regularly as this is where dust bunnies often form.
   6. Avoid eating in your bedroom as spilling crumbs is inevitable; this attracts ants and vermin to the room which, in turn, causes bacteria.

Kitchen

It’s scary to think of how much bacteria can be found in a kitchen — left, right, and centre! Right from raw ingredients and dirty dishes left in the sink to rotting or expired foods in your fridge and mould growing in kitchen cabinets; bacteria in the kitchen is inevitable. 

How to Make Your Kitchen More Sanitary

1. 1. Sterilise kitchen scrubbers/sponges daily or every other day by soaking them in a disinfectant solution and then putting them in the microwave for two mins. Be sure to wring them thoroughly before placing them in the microwave.
   2. Clean the kitchen sink daily followed by a wipe down with a disinfectant. 
   3. Clean and disinfect kitchen counters after every use or meal preparation.
   4. Disinfect your poultry chopping board after every use.
   5. Deep clean your refrigerator once in six months. Make it a habit to inspect the fridge for expired products, rotten veggies in the vegetable drawer, spoilt leftovers in food containers.
   6. Check underneath your kitchen sink and surrounding areas for black mould.
   7. Clean out your kitchen cabinets and organise them once a year to keep mould at bay.
   8. Sterilise the kitchen floor with a disinfectant daily. 
   9. Keep your stovetop clean; wipe up spills or splatters as soon as they are cool to touch (this means allowing the stovetop to cool down as well).
   10. Replace your dish towels every week.

Bathrooms

Yet another room that’s often crawling with bacteria for more reasons than one. When it comes to cleaning your bathroom, it’s all about paying minute attention to detail. More importantly, you need to make sure that areas and components of your bathroom are properly sterilised and not just wiped clean.

How to Make Your Bathroom More Sanitary

1. 1. Cleaning and disinfecting the sink is obviously on the list, however, the surrounding space typically carries as many germs, if not more (because it is rarely deep cleaned and sanitised). This includes the “splash zone” when people wash their hands, brush their teeth, wash their faces, etc. Be sure to pay attention to these areas the next time you clean your bathroom sink.
   2. Clean the toilet bowl 1-2 times a week. Disinfect the toilet seat and lid daily.
   3. After you shower, rinse the area with hot water and squeegee it (the water) down the drain. This is also a great tip to keep your shower clean.
   4. Clean the window ledge where dirt and grime tend to accumulate, as well as shampoo spills that attract more dirt and bacteria.
   5. Clean out the medicine cabinet as and when needed; clean the mirror with a disinfectant once a week.
   6. Replace bath towels and hand towels every other week.
   7. Wipe down towel racks/holders with disinfectant wipes.
   8. Do routine checks for mould in your bathroom. 
   9. Deep clean every inch of your shower curtain/door with hot water and soap, followed by a wipe down with a disinfectant to sanitise the surface.
   10. Disinfect all bathroom fittings/fixtures 1-2 times a week.

Living Room

As a place where you sit down with the family, relax on the couch, watch TV, and entertain guests, the living room is definitely a busy area in the home. With a lot happening here including the consumption of food and drink, things can get pretty messy fast. While most homeowners pay attention to the overall cleanliness of their living room, there are some areas that harbour germs but, unfortunately, are overlooked.

How to Make Your Living Room More Sanitary

1. 1. Upholstered sofas and chairs absorb sweat and body oils, making them grimy and germy. A deep clean of the upholstery is critically important to kill bacteria and maintain a sanitary couch/sofa.
   2. Carpets require a thorough cleaning to remove dirt and allergens. If you have carpet beetles, or pets with fleas and ticks, there’s a good chance that these germ-carrying insects are contaminating your carpets. Have your carpets and rugs deep cleaned once every 3 months or as and when required. 
   3. Look for mould hiding behind furniture and wall ornaments. 
   4. Sticky spills or crumbs on the floor lead to the buildup of bacteria and therefore, should be wiped up immediately. 
   5. Washed windows look great but it’s the tracks that harbour the most germs. Be sure to vacuum these tight spaces and clean them with soap and water thereafter.

General Areas/Objects

Finally, we come to those things and surfaces that can be found in any room, yet all have one thing in common – germs! With that said, they are often overlooked because not everyone is aware of their unsanitary condition. So, the best way to kill germs in your house is to disinfect the following areas/objects:

• • • Doorknobs and handles (these include cabinet pulls, drawer handles/knobs, handles on appliances, etc.)
    • Switchboards and switches
    • Remote controls
    • Keyboards/keypads
    • Staircase railings
    • Chair backs
    • Toilet flush handle/button
    • Handheld gadgets

While the list above includes the most common areas/objects in a home that harbour germs, it’s important to note that every household is unique and therefore, will have its own list of frequently-touched items/surfaces that require disinfection. For example, if you workout at home, you should be sanitising your home gym equipment regularly.

With that, we come to the end of Simply Maid’s many ways to make you home more sanitary. Put in the extra effort to keep your home healthy, or simply hire a professional house cleaning service to do it for you!

• About
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Karen Saunders

Content Manager at Simply Maid

Karen Saunders is a full-time Content Manager at Simply Maid. Her 8+ years of writing experience spans the fields of copywriting, sales copy, blogging, editing and paraphrasing. Some of her areas of expertise include house cleaning, health and fitness, lifestyle topics, home décor and interior designing, travel tips, dog-related articles, and product descriptions and reviews.

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