12 Things at Home That Should Be Cleaned Immediately

Your house is your palace and you should treat it like one. It is important to keep things clean in order to keep everyone in your home healthy and your appliances working efficiently. Still, there are a whole bunch of items that people can forget to clean that can surprisingly become prone to bacteria.

Bright Side has made a list of some of the items you should clean at once, complete with tips on how to do it.

1. Remote controls

Think about it. Everyone in your household touches the remote control, often while eating or coughing. That’s not even mentioning how many times people use them as nifty backscratchers. Because of this, your remote control might be one of the germiest things in your home, especially prone to cold viruses. Regularly keep your remote clean by cleaning its surface with alcohol wipes.

2. Cell phones

Anything you put so close to your ear or mouth needs to be clean. Despite this, an average phone can have more germs than a toilet seat. Similar to your remote control, you can keep it clean with the help of handy alcohol wipes.

3. Computer keyboard

All kinds of nasty things can get stuck in your computer’s keyboard, especially if you eat food while using it. Keyboards can get especially dirty if they’re used by the entire household. To help get trapped things out of the keyboard, a compressed air spray can help start things off. If you have the time, you can also use Q-Tips dipped in rubbing alcohol. After that, there are many wipes or sprays that have been developed for use on electronics that can help.

4. Dishwashers

Just because something helps you clean doesn’t mean it is somehow magically protected from getting dirty. Bits of food and grease, not to mention soap scum, can get stuck in all sorts of places within your dishwasher. Cleaning your dishwasher can be easy. Empty it, cover the bottom with a cup of baking soda, let it sit overnight and do a rinse with vinegar. Not only will it be clean, this trick will also get rid of any odors. As seen above, you can also clean the individual parts.

5. Kitchen sink

So you probably make sure to get all the food residue down the drain, but the wet area can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria. In fact, bacteria can be attracted to the food residue that is down the drain. Regularly clean your kitchen sink using a disinfectant.

6. Makeup brushes

The first step to any nice look is a clean face, so you naturally need to start with clean tools. While it’s obvious that makeup residue can make a mess, it’s also important to remember that germs can build up in the brushes. Clean them once a week to ensure your face is germ-free.

7. Water bottles

A lot of people save water bottles, fill them up with tap water, and put them in the fridge in order to be frugal. Others just keep a harder plastic bottle already intended for regular use. That said, these bottles should be cleaned daily, if not per use, to keep them clean. Otherwise, they can develop more bacteria than toilet seats.

8. Door knobs

Door knobs are literally created to be touched, meaning that everyone in your household, plus the occasional visitor, is touching it on a regular basis. Because of this, they are a breeding ground for germs. Apply some white vinegar to a rag and wipe any door knobs you have around the house.

9. Bed pillows

You use one every night, but dead skin cells, drool stains, and dust mites can make your pillow perfectly disgusting. You might remember to clean the sheets, but not the pillows themselves. Most are machine-washable and should be cleaned at least twice a year. Remember to dry them before using them to prevent the growth of mold.

10. Sponges

Even your handy-dandy sponge can become unsanitary. Microwave them for about one minute a day to kill nearly all of their germs, while also changing out sponges around once every week.

11. Refrigerator coils

Not only is it sanitary, but cleaning your refrigerator coils twice a year can prevent most refrigerator malfunctions and extend its lifespan. Clogged coils prevent your fridge from working properly. Just use a vacuum to clean, but make sure your fridge is unplugged first.

12. Toothbrushes

It should be obvious that anything that goes in your mouth should be clean. Once a week, place your toothbrush in an alcohol-based mouthwash. In addition to that, replace your toothbrush every 3 months. It is also important to keep your brush away from other brushes and away from airborne bacteria, like in a cabinet.

Bonus: Tips for washing dishes

For those who hate to wash their dishes, there are a few tips that can help you clean them in an easier way:

• While you should generally use the hottest water you can for dishwashing, cold water can help remove dairy and starch stains. Baking soda can also help you remove grease stains.
• Giving your dishes a sanitizing rinse can save you from scrubbing. Just add around a teaspoon to a tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water to make your rinse. Afterward, the solution can be used to clean your sponge and even your sink.
• Letting cookware soak overnight in a solution made from salt and cold water, can actually help remove burn marks. Afterward, clean them with boiling water.
• It’s okay to use a dishwasher if you are lucky enough to have one. Generally, they use less water than washing by hand.

Do you know of any other items that should be cleaned right away? Do you have any cleaning tips? Let us know!