10 Household Items That Can Become Your Worst Enemies If You Don’t Take Good Care of Them

It’s normal to cling to certain household items, but doing so could be harmful to our health. This is all the more reason that we should always take proper care of them, or change them when necessary. When we ignore the replacement or maintenance of these items, they could either become useless to us, or cause health issues. Using a loofah for more than 3 weeks could be harmful to our skin, or using an old router, that is over 4 years old, could slow down our internet connection.

Bright Side loves you and wants you to know how to care for and use vital household items, which will help you in living a very healthy lifestyle.

1. Mugs

What’s a good coffee without our favorite mug. Mugs are what we use every day, and we can’t have a good coffee with a bacteria-filled mug.

After filling our mug with coffee and cream, we literally touch the mug with our hands and lips, and if our mug harbors bacteria, it could be harmful to our health. It’s important that we wash our mug immediately after we use it, because in as little as 45 minutes, environmental pathogens like mold can start to grow on it.

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2. Mattresses

Mites and dust can accumulate on our mattress over time, and this can be harmful for people, especially those with allergies or respiratory problems.

When our mattress isn’t in perfect condition, we might have problems sleeping and this can lead to heart or kidney disease. Generally it’s recommended that we change our mattress every 8 years, but it all depends on the type of mattress.

3. Pillows

It’s recommended for us to change our pillows every 1 — 2 years, because whenever we use them continually when sleeping, they can act as an absorbent for dead skin cells and hair, and they can also become the perfect environment for dust mites, which can be harmful to our skin.

It is a good idea to change our pillows every 6 months, and using a protective case between the pillow and the pillowcase is also recommended.

4. Towels

What’s a fresh bath without a clean towel? If your towel isn’t properly maintained, your skin might get irritated, or even infected with bacteria. Also, whenever your towel is damp, it becomes the perfect breeding ground for germs.

Your towel should be washed after every 3 uses to maintain the proper hygiene (this is the best way to prevent getting any kind of infection from your towel). Additionally, you should change your towels at least every 2 years, because they tend to lose their absorbency after that period of time.

5. Shower liners

Washing your shower curtain liner once a week is not something you should see as stressful. It’s necessary, as it gets rid of bacteria, mold, and dirt that accumulates on it over time.

6. Router

You should change your router every 3-4 years to avoid experiencing slow network connections. We upgrade our phones, sometimes yearly, and that’s a good thing, but forgetting to upgrade our router, shouldn’t be seen as optional. Our home routers need an upgrade too, in order to get improved internet speed.

7. Old clothes

Getting rid of old clothes, is something we should try to do every year. It’s a good way to keep your closet organized and ready for a fresh start.

Here are few ways you’ll know that it’s time to give up your old clothes:

• They’re beyond repair.
• You haven’t worn them for over a year.
• You dislike them.
• They’re always uncomfortable when you wear them.
• They’re too trendy.
• They no longer fit your lifestyle.

8. Sheets

Your bedsheets should be washed once a week to avoid harboring any kind of illness. When they’re not properly maintained they can breed fungi, bacteria, and dust mites, and this could be dangerous to your health, especially if you have asthma or allergies. Dirty bedsheets can also cause contact dermatitis. Your bedsheets should be washed thoroughly with hot water to kill any form of germs on them.

9. Loofah

Loofahs can harbor germs, dead skin cells, and remnants of oil and dirt that could be deposited back on our skin if we don’t change them often.

Your loofahs should be changed every 3 to 4 weeks, to maintain the proper hygiene and avoid dermatological problems.

10. Old appliances

Most appliances will only last you 10 — 15 years, even with proper maintenance. It’s advisable to change most of your appliances after 10 years of use, because they will most likely develop faults after this time. Even if you repair them, there’s a high probability that a fault might come up again so changing them every 10 years is advisable.

Do you have better maintenance tips for these household items we’ve talked about? Please share your tips with our community.