News Taffy

While I don’t consider myself to be a germaphobe, I do like a spotlessly clean, clutter free house. That job is made more difficult because people live in my house along with 3 house cats and one dog. (Think how much cleaner your house would be if no one lived in it!) There are a few places in your home that are probably harboring more germs than you’d like to think and they can make you pretty ill. You can reduce the chances of anyone getting sick if you clean clean out the crud.

The kitchen is one place I clean at least once a day, if not several times. I’m pretty anal about it since my husband, son and I have had a nasty bout of food poisoning, caught elsewhere for the record. Wipe down the counter tops, the table, the stove, the inside and touch pad of the microwave, refrigerator handle and faucet handles at least once a day with hot soapy water with a bit of bleach. You may not think about it, but any surface touched constantly by dirty hands can easily pick up quite a few germs, like a soap dispenser. Make sure to wipe down appliances like the blender and clean the coffee maker.

Surely you know this but it bears repeating, a sponge is not great for cleaning unless you sterilize it after each use. Much better to buy some small bar towels to use for wiping up and cleaning, just wash them after each use.

The ice maker in your home can get pretty nasty and the ice can even taste bad so clean it regularly according to the owner’s manual. Wash the ice trays, bin or scoop, whatever your ice maker has, on a regular basis.

Two other often neglected areas in the kitchen are the can opener and the sink itself. Clean the can opener after each use before gunk builds up behind the blade. Surprisingly, many people forget to clean the sink, (think of raw meat sitting in there!) so give it a thorough washing with some bleach and hot soapy water each day.

Don’t neglect your pet’s food and water bowls either; they don’t want to eat from a dirty dish. If you have indoor cats, hopefully you empty their litter box daily but you should also wash them out with soapy water and bleach once in a while. Vacuum pet beds to remove excess hair, then wash and dry them to cut down on allergens and dirt.

Let’s move on to that other bastion of germs in the home, the bathroom. I’m sure you clean the toilets, sinks, showers or bathtubs but do you launder the shower curtain as well? Mold and mildew can grow quickly in the damp, humid shower.

A Sonicare toothbrush does a great job cleaning plaque and food from your teeth but do you do a good job cleaning your toothbrush? At least once a week, remove the brush head and clean the handle with hot water and a mild soap, using a Q-tip to get inside the handle where mold and germs can thrive. Allow to air dry. Rinse the brush head thoroughly after each use and soak it in hydrogen peroxide once a week to kill bacteria, rinsing well afterwards.

Use a Clorox wipe to clean your cell phone, remote control and even your keyboard, especially if someone is sick. A little prevention can go a long way to keeping the doctor away.