Flu and cold season is a great time to ramp up your house cleaning!

Germs hide in every nook and cranny of your home. Some of the germiest places in your house are some of the easiest to be kept clean. You may be surprised where germs are lurking!

Here are some simple ideas for your bathroom?

• Flush toilets with the lid down! Nasty fecal matter and germs can fly all over your bathroom. If you don’t put the lid down, they could be landing on your toothbrushes!
• Toothbrushes should be kept at least one inch from each other; and changed out every 6 months or every time someone gets sick.
• Bathroom counters should be washed daily with hot soapy water, bleach water or vinegar mix.
• Remember to wipe down faucets, light switches, doorknobs, bathtubs and of course toilet /bidet seats weekly; more often if there are sick people in the home.
• Bath towels should be washed weekly in hot water by themselves; never with the kitchen towels.

Easy tips for the Dirtiest place in the house – your Kitchen:

• The kitchen sink and kitchen sponge are two of the most germ ridden places in the home;
  make sure to wipe down kitchen sinks with disinfectant daily. Pay special attention to the drains, running warm water and baking soda down them every week
• Kitchen sponges are the worst offenders and should be cleaned and microwaved or dish washed daily if possible to eliminate germs; the CDC talks about 30 seconds of microwaving sponges daily being sufficient.
• Scrubbing brushes may be a preferable dish washing tool then sponges for cutting bacteria.
• Counter tops should be wiped off with hot soapy water and then a solution of bleach water allowing them to air dry before you work on them again.
• Paper towels are the best germ defending agents for countertop cleaning, provided that you throw them away after you clean once.
• Remember to properly wash your hands while cooking before, during and after. A proper hand washing means washing for 20 seconds with warm soapy water or an alcohol based hand sanitizer applied. Hands are often the conduit for germs /bacteria being introduced to people!
• Watch cutting boards! They should be washed with hot soapy water every time they’re used. It’s best to have different cutting boards for different types of food; for instance one for raw meats, one for fruits and vegetables and one for fish.
• A surprising place for germs to hide is on the salt and pepper shakers! A University of Virginia study showed that of all the things people surveyed who had colds had commonly touched in their homes, the cold virus tested positive on all of the peoples’ salt and pepper shakers!
• Pay special attention to the kitchen floor right in front of the kitchen sink, it should be mopped frequently
• That coffee cup you are always nursing…there’s often fecal matter found on coffee cups! Make sure to throw it in the dishwasher a couple times a week.
• Always air dry kitchen rags and towels before using them again. Most germs cannot live long on dry surfaces.

For all other areas of your home:

• Don’t forget to wipe down remotes, light switches, telephones, door knobs, stair railings and keyboards.
• Using a bleach or vinegar mix or disinfectant wipes will ensure that your house will not only LOOK clean, but be a lot less of a haven for some of those winter maladies we all face.
• Watch what comes INTO your home via your shoes or boots, purse or laptop. Setting your computer or purse down on the kitchen counter or table can undo all the good your cleaning has done!

Having a home cleaning service come in on a regular schedule can help you keep one step ahead of the bugs that are trying to get into your home.