Most people make a point to regularly disinfect common areas like the kitchen and bathroom. After all, these rooms experience heavy foot traffic and can become dirty quite quickly. Yet, many people don’t even think to clean their phone, much less their remote control. These items collect dirt, oil, dust and germs over time, posing a health risk to anyone who comes into contact with them.
If you want to create a cleaner, safer home for you and your family, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and knock these items off your cleaning list.
1. TV Remote
Anything people touch a lot is going to collect germs, and your television remote is no exception. The thing falls on the floor, lodges itself between couch cushions and is on the receiving end of oily, germy fingers every day.
Yet, cleaning it is relatively simple. Just wipe it down with a sanitizing wipe and scrub between the buttons. Deep clean with a toothbrush if need be.
2. Ice Maker
You may clean both the inside and outside of your refrigerator often enough, but when was the last time you sanitized your ice maker? If ice is cloudy, tastes strange or smells weird, it may be time to clean the inside of the machine. Wash with soap and water and place an open box of baking soda in your freezer between cleanings. This trick will prevent your ice from tasting like the air inside your fridge.
3. Your Carpet
Given how much foot traffic carpet gets, it's probably never going to be squeaky clean. Yet your carpeting can become dirtier than you might expect, especially if you have pets, shoes and children tracking dirt into the home.
Most homeowners just need to spot-treat stains, which you can accomplish with a store-bought cleaner or with a combination of baking soda and vinegar. However, you can also invest in periodic steam cleaning — either by renting equipment or hiring professionals — for more peace of mind. Just keep in mind that extreme issues like wet dog odors or long-lasting stains might mean it's time to replace the carpet altogether.
4. Inside the Trash Can
It’s unlikely your trash can will ever smell like a bouquet of flowers, but there is a way to miniize odors — aside from tacking out the trash. Clean the inside. Scrub the interior with baking soda to remove any food particles, disinfect it with bleach and then add some cat litter to the bottom of the can to trap odors.
5. Bathroom Decor
When you flush with the lid up, water droplets and bits of fecal matter aerosolize, hanging in the air before finally settling on the surrounding environment.
Experts call this phenomena toilet plume. It often contains fecal matter and bodily fluids and is likely contaminating more than just your toilet seat, sink and mirror. Therefore, when you clean the bathroom, remember to also sanitize knickknacks, picture frames, candles, and all other decor, too.
6. Heater Vents
It may not be necessary to clean ductwork — at least not on a regular basis. However, if you have forced air heater vents on the walls or floors, you will want to clean them every so often. These vents tend to collect dirt, dust and debris and may become a fire hazard without regular cleaning. Remove dust by vaccumming vents as you notice buildup.
7. Light Bulbs
Light bulbs are another home dust collector you may be neglecting to clean. Before LEDs, bulbs would usually burn out before you would ever need to clean them. Now, they can last 25 years or longer and years worth of dust can be a fire hazard. To clean them, remove the bulbs from their sockets and gently wipe them with a dry cloth. Avoid using chemical cleaners or even water as it can seep into the bulb and damage it.
8. Pet Toys
When was the last time you rinsed the slobber off Fido’s favorite ball or brushed loose hair off your kitty’s toy mouse? Considering the fact they roll around the floor and backyard all day, you should probably clean them as often as you can.
Toss cloth toys in the washing machine with your laundry and wash plastic ones on the top rack of your dishwasher. Additionally, throw away any that have holes as they could easily harbor bacteria and mold.
8. Your Exercise Mat
Whether you use your exercise mat for yoga or bodyweight routines, your mat’s likely absorbed a fair amount of dirt and sweat during its lifetime. Without regular cleaning, it can quickly become a breeding ground for fungi, bacteria and viruses.
Clean and disinfect your mat as often as possible with a mixture of tea tree oil, water and white vinegar. Spritz the solution onto your mat and wipe with a clean cloth to eliminate odors, oils and bacteria.
Make a List of These Cleaning Tasks
Of course, the last thing you probably want to do is add more boxes to your cleaning list. However, regularly cleaning and disinfecting the common household items above is key to maintaining your home.
To make the job easier, make lists for things you plan to clean daily, weekly, monthly and so on. Then, block of a few hours or days on your calendar to clean. Once you have your lists and establish a routine, wiping down a few extra things won’t seem so overwhelming. Plus, you’ll feel a whole lot better knowing everything is germ-free.
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