5 Dirtiest Spots in Your House and How to Clean Them

With so much daily use, it’s not completely shocking that your kitchen sink might actually be dirtier and more bacteria-laden than your toilet. While most of us take the time to disinfect our toilets, we forget about the bacteria festering in the sink from food stuck to soaking plates (which can be a breeding ground for salmonella and E.Coli). Don’t just rinse the sink with water: Wash with bleach or a bleach-based cleanser once a day, and rinse. Don’t forget to replace kitchen sponges, brushes and rags regularly.

Everyone touches the remote. It falls on the floor. The dog sniffs it. It’s not surprising that half the remote controls tested by a study had cold germs on them. Wipe your remote regularly – daily if you can -- with an alcohol- or bleach-based wipe or a paper towel with bleach and water.

Just like your remote, the computer keyboard picks up germs easily. If you’re sneezing on the keyboard, eating at your desk, or sitting down to work without washing your hands, you’re potentially spreading germs and bacteria. Be sure to wash your hands – and try to get everyone else to do the same – before using your computer, and don’t eat over the keyboard. Shake out crumbs often, and gently wipe down the keyboard and mouse with an alcohol-based wipe on a regular basis.

Your tub can be a secret home for germs, with warm water making a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. To sanitize the place where you go to get yourself clean, spray down the tub with a daily cleanser after bathing. Regularly use a bleach-based cleanser to truly disinfect, and then rinse and wipe down any damp spots.

While we use toothbrushes to clean our mouths, they are accumulating germs and bacteria, not only from us, but also from the bathroom. Replace toothbrushes regularly and keep them in a place they can fully dry out between uses – as far away from the toilet as possible. And always flush with the lid closed, since each flush can spray bacteria.