Most people know that they need to wash their hands after using the bathroom, taking out the garbage, and even after touching the door handle. After all, these are some of the filthiest spots in our homes, with countless bacteria, viruses, and grime having set up camp. What you might not realize is that some of the dirtiest things we handle on a daily basis are some of the things we never give a second thought to putting our hands — or our mouths — all over.
The Filthiest Surfaces in Your Home That Aren’t Your Toilet
- Your Toothbrush
- All of Your TV Remote Controls
- Pretty Much Everything in Your Kitchen
If you take good care of your teeth, you likely put your toothbrush in your mouth between two and three times a day. Too many people assume that because their toothbrush is regularly slathered in toothpaste, something known to kill bacteria, that it’s as clean as a whistle. However, as the home cleaning service Clean My Space writes, our toothbrushes are some of the dirtiest things in our homes.
Consider, many bacteria that cause illness, from the common cold to the flu, aren’t affected by toothpaste, meaning they can make a permanent home on your bristles. Secondly, because people commonly leave the toilet cover open, spraying fecal bacteria and all sorts of other goodies into the air with every flush, toothbrushes are often laden with microscopic particles that can cause serious illness.
Many Americans have more TV remote controls than they know what to do with. There are television remote controls, DVD remote controls, stereo system controls — more controls than anybody knows what to do with. According to WebMD, every one of those remotes is likely covered in dried mucus, bacteria expelled when coughing, and much, much worse. You should look into replacement remotes every now in then to start with a clean slate, but washing your TV remote controls with isopropyl alcohol periodically will help keep you healthy and ward off the premature breakdown that leads to you needing replacement television remote controls.
Given that we prep all of our food there, you’d think our kitchens would be models of cleanliness and health. Unfortunately, as the online home design magazine Style at Home details, that’s simply not the case. Counters and stoves are often covered in dehydrated detritus from vegetables, dried liquid from raw meat, and a veritable menagerie of bugs and microbes that feed off of both. It’s nothing a little bleach won’t take care of, but you really should take a proactive approach to keep yourself and your family healthy.
What are some of the other surprisingly filthy home surfaces you can think of? Let us know in the comment section below. Find out more at this site.
