At a time when we’re all being extremely cautious about sanitising our homes, it might surprise you to know that you’ve already touched 6 potentially contaminated items before your morning coffee.
You may not be including these items in your cleaning routine – you may want to add these to the list.
Most of them you may have already touched before 9am.
6 Contaminated Items to Start Cleaning Today
: Your Phone
Our phones go everywhere with us – some of us are even guilty of taking it to the bathroom. In some instances, your phone collects more germs than a toilet seat.
You usually pick it up first thing in the morning, whether it’s for an alarm, a check of work emails or a scroll through social media.
Clean it Up
Most cleaning advice recommends using minimal moisture and an alcohol wipe to gently wipe the hard surfaces. Don’t use bleach and try not to get any excess moisture into any of the openings.
Make sure you give it a clean on a daily basis
: The Towels
Time for a morning shower. While drying, your bath towel takes off skin cells which bacteria loves to feed on. Throw in the humid environment of your bathroom and you’ve got the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive.
Your hand towel is also home to a host of germs, especially if placed near a toilet or if being used after hands haven’t been washed properly.
Clean it Up
Replace your bath towels every few days, and hand towels more frequently. Try to place your hand towels opposite to your toilet if possible and make sure everyone at home is washing their hands properly.
If you’ve had guests over, make sure you replace the towels as well.
: Your Favourite Watch
You’re getting dressed and putting on your jewellery. It’s important to remember that materials such as leather can absorb sweat easily and create bacteria, which can cause skin infections.
Clean it Up
We recommend rubber or plastic material, as they are much easier to clean. If you’re using a fitness watch, it’s particularly important to give it a wipe regularly with a disinfectant wipe or even some soap water.
: The Remote Control
So, the daily battle of the morning news vs whatever children’s cartoon your kids want to watch has begun. Before you dive for the remote control, it’s worth noting that these devices can harbour a lot of bacteria due to the amount of hands that touch the remote on a daily basis.
Clean it Up
Some sites recommend using a plastic sleeve on your remote, but we think a gentle wipe down with a disinfectant wipe should suffice. You can also use a cotton tip with some sanitiser to get into the spaces around the buttons.
: Water Bottle
Whether you’re drinking h2O with your breakfast and grabbing a bottle of water to drink from while you’re out and about, saving the environment can come at a cost.
Your bottle may be crawling with germs, particularly if it’s one you take with you while exercising or don’t wash between uses.
Clean it Up
Purchase a water bottle with a wider neck to make it easier to clean with a brush or in the dishwasher.
A bottle brush is a great way to reach into all crevices with hot, soapy water.
Make sure you’re washing your water bottle after each use and air dry it completely.
: Handbag/Gym Bag
Usually your bag is the last thing you grab on your way out. Your handbag (and gym bag, more importantly) is a personal item that you may need to start thinking about cleaning more regularly.
Handbags get put down onto the ground in public places, collecting unknown bacteria and potentially bringing myriad germs along for the ride.
Clean it Up
Don’t place your handbag or gym bag down on public floors, public restrooms have hooks on the back of door to use.
When you get home, don’t place your bag on the kitchen bench to avoid transferring any germs that you may have picked up while out in public.
Disinfect your bag and its contents every couple of weeks; more regularly if it’s a gym bag.
Keeping your home sanitised is easy enough but keeping track of how you could be bringing germs in could be trickier.
Most diseases are transmitted via hands but if your personal hygiene is good, just make sure you always give your hands a thorough wash every time you return home after being out and about.
You can also hone your cleaning routine to maximise the bacteria-killing effectiveness and keep yourself healthy.
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