A clean and tidy home has always been important, but there’s more to a truly clean house than dusting and sweeping. A sanitary home is clean beyond its surface level, with dangerous pathogens and bacteria kept to a minimum. We’ll never be able to achieve a completely germ-free home, but there are five easy steps you can put into practice today to keep your living space as clean and sanitary as possible.
Read Your Disinfectant’s Instructions
Hard surfaces can be easily disinfected with a variety of cleaning products. No matter what kind of disinfectant you use, if you spray it on and immediately wipe it off you’re not letting the product do its job. For maximum bacteria-killing power, allow the disinfectant to remain on the surface for the amount of time recommended in the instructions before you wipe it away.
Close the Lid When You Flush
When you flush a toilet, microdroplets of water become aerosolized. Fecal matter, urine, and tons of bacteria spray into your bathroom along with it. You can’t prevent all of it, but closing the lid before you flush will reduce the amount of droplets that spray out by 30%-60%.
Clean the Air You Breathe
If the air inside your home is dirty, there’s no visible sign that reminds you it needs to be cleaned. Pollen, molds, viruses, and other invisible contaminants can dramatically affect your health. Filter the air inside your home with an air purifier or a residential air ionization unit to reduce these types of contaminants as much as possible.
Take Off Your Shoes
Preventing dirt and bacteria from entering your home is easier than cleaning it up once it’s there. Remove your shoes at the doorway to keep dirt and bacteria picked up outside from being tracked all over your floors.
Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink
Leaving dishes to soak might make them seem easier to clean, but the particles of food lingering on them will go through the same process as food left out on your counter. Bacteria start to grow rapidly in room-temperature food after a couple of hours. Clean dishes as soon as you can after eating to cut down on the potentially harmful bacteria multiplying in your kitchen sink.
If you make these steps part of your daily habits, your home will automatically be cleaner and more sanitary without adding a single extra chore to your cleaning schedule.