When to Clean Everything in Your House

Your home needs deep cleaning more often than just every spring. That's because they harbor bacteria, fungi, and mold— not always in the places you expect.

Spring cleaning gets a lot of hype every year, but living spaces need more than an occasional scrub to stay clean. Studies show that your home harbors more bacteria, fungi, and mold than you know — not always in the places you would expect. 

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Bathroom

Most families clean their toilets and bathroom sinks regularly, so bathrooms are some of the cleanest spots in the house. But bacteria build up in other areas.

One study found Staphylococcus bacteria (which causes staph infections) in 26 percent of bathroom tubs; another found Staphylococcus colonies on bathroom towels. Damp towels also breed mold and fungus, which can exacerbate allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

To keep your bathroom sanitary, scrub the whole space weekly, not just the toilet and sink, using bleach or vinegar to kill bacteria. You should wash towels at least once a week. If anyone in your home is sick or suffers from respiratory problems, the water in your washer should be at least 140 degrees to kill germs.

You can also keep your bathroom cleaner with one simple trick: closing the toilet lid before you flush. Flushing causes aerosols, containing fecal bacteria, to land on items near your toilet. If you close the lid, you keep bacteria in your toilet. 

Kitchen

Surprisingly, kitchens are much dirtier than bathrooms.

Salmonella and E. coli bacteria can linger on cutting boards, countertops, and kitchen sinks sponges. Your coffee maker, meanwhile, can harbor yeast and mold, as can blender gaskets.

To prevent bacteria and mold from growing in your kitchen, wash pots and cooking utensils after every use, using either soap and hot water or your dishwasher. Disassemble small appliances, such as your blender and coffee maker, to clean them. After preparing a meal, don’t just rinse your sink; scrub it with soap to remove any lingering bacteria.

Sponges filled with food particles breed bacteria and mold, and cleaning with a dirty sponge won’t do much good. Rinse and wring out your sponge thoroughly every time you use it. You can microwave your sponge for two minutes every day to kill bacteria, and it’s best to replace it every two weeks. Dishcloths are an even safer option because you can machine wash them. Rinse dishcloths with hot water after every use, and change them every two days. 

Bedroom

Washing your sheets every month isn’t enough, Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, of New York University's Langone Medical Center told The Wall Street Journal. That’s because human skin cells build up in sheets and become food for dust mites. Sheets also absorb sweat from your skin, which can grow mold and fungus. All of that debris is dangerous for your respiratory tract. Ideally, you should wash bedding every week in hot water.

Your mattress may also be full of dust mites and mold, which is especially dangerous if you have allergies or asthma. To keep your mattress clean, vacuum the top every six months, and use a synthetic mattress cover that you wash weekly. 

Pillows are a breeding ground for fungi; one study found that the average pillow has four to 16 types of fungi growing on it. To keep from breathing in those spores, wash your pillowcases every week in hot water. If you don’t have allergies to down, invest in feather pillows; they grow less mold than synthetic materials. 

Living room

The wall-to-wall carpets in your living room may be full of dust, mites, and fungi, so the National Center for Healthy Housing recommends avoiding carpets if anyone in your family has respiratory trouble. If you do have carpets, vacuum them every week using a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. 

TV and video game controllers are other dirty spots in your living room. One study found that more than 50 percent of controllers have yeast and mold growing on them, and 14 percent have Staphylococcus bacteria. To keep those surfaces clean, wipe them down weekly with a light cleaner and a damp cloth.

Finally, your computer desk is probably one of the dirtiest things you own. Most desktops have 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. You transfer bacteria to your desk and computer from your hands, usually after you touch your nose or mouth. To keep your computer and your workspace sanitary, clean your keyboard and desk with antibacterial wipes every week. 

You might also want to eat your meals at your table, rather than in front of your computer.

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