The 6 Places Dirt is Hiding in your Home

If you’re like me, you pride yourself on keeping a clean, healthy home. Your weekly cleaning routine has been fine-tuned over the years, ensuring that every nook and cranny is shining clean by the time you’re done. But I’ve got some bad news for you. You’ve missed a spot. Several of them, actually.

Public Health and Safety Organisation, NSF International conducted a swab analysis for bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli and made some pretty disturbing findings.

We thought we’d present some of the more surprising discoveries.

1. Cutting Boards

It’s common sense; don’t use the same chopping board for raw meats and vegetables. In the busyness of life, it’s far too easy to mix them up and risk getting yourself – and your family – potentially very unwell.

We recommend: Wash your boards regularly and invest in some coloured boards so that you’re only using a certain colour for each food group. You can naturally clean and sanitise your boards using a little lemon and salt.

2. Toothbrush holder

Of all the places in your bathroom where germs could be hiding, the toothbrush holder rated highly on the list. It’s disturbing when you think about it – we’re pulling our toothbrushes out of the germ-ridden holders and straight into our mouths!

We recommend: Make sure you have a holder that is dishwasher safe and give it a wash at least once a week. Replace toothbrushes regularly, particularly if you or someone in the family has been sick. Keep your holder somewhere that’s far away from the toilet as well – I know I moved my holder to a different place on our vanity after researching this article!

3. Knife Block

This was another one that surprised me but it makes total sense. Food remnants left on knives get caught in small crevices, creating the perfect conditions for bacteria to grow. Throwing freshly-washed knives into the block without drying them doesn’t help things either!

We recommend: Shake the block out regularly and wipe it down with warm water and dishwashing detergent while you’re at it. Spray a 1:1 mix of vinegar and water into the knife crevices, turning it upside down to drain. Vinegar’s antibacterial properties will tackle those hidden germs in a jiffy. Give your knives a thorough dry before putting them back in, too.

4. Pet Bowls

Most of us aren’t cleaning our best friend’s food bowl as often as we should be. I know I’m guilty of leaving food in there for hours, sometimes for even a day!

5. Dish Sponges

This was a frontrunner on the NSF Study germ scale. Salmonella and E. coli (which indicates potential faecal contamination) were discovered on 75% of sponges and dish rags in the findings.

We recommend: Try using re-usable dish rags – they’re better for the environment and can be put through the washing machine. It’ll save you some cash, too! If you are still using sponges, replace them regularly and rinse and dry them out thoroughly. It’s a great idea to dry them out in the sunshine; the UV light will sanitise them for you.

6. Kitchen Sinks

In the study, bacteria and mould were found in 45% of kitchen sinks swotted. While we wash our crockery and cutlery regularly in the sink, we often forget to clean the sink itself, it seems.

We recommend: Wipe your sink down regularly with an effective cleaner and give your kitchen sink strainer a good clean through the dishwasher.