Are you a germaphobe? Whether you realize it or not, germs, bacteria, and grime are lurking on many of the objects you touch each day. Even when things look clean and tidy, they may be dirtier than you believe. The real issue that many items that are heavily-used and exposed to dirt are seldom cleaned or disinfected. So, what are some of the dirtiest things you touch every day?
Your toothbrush
For something designed to clean your teeth, a toothbrush is surprisingly dirty. The average toothbrush contains around 10 million bacteria, including illness-causing culprits such as E. coli and staphylococcus. This is an even more serious issue for toothbrushes that are stored in the restroom where toilet flushes can spread germs through the air. The best way to limit the number of germs you put into your mouth is to replace your toothbrush every three months, use a toothpaste containing triclosan and stash your toothbrush in a drawer or medicine cabinet.
Carpet
Whether your home or office floors are covered with plush rugs or wall-to-wall carpets, they are a magnet for dirt and grime. Our shoes track in dirt and all the nasty things from city sidewalks. Plus, carpet fibers pull in dropped food crumbs, spilled liquids, and anything else that gets dropped. But, https://gdi.com/halifax/ suggests that it is possible to revive dirty carpets with a professional carpet cleaning service. A hot water extraction system can pull contaminants and dirt out of carpet fibers.
Your cell phone
From checking your email to scrolling through your social media feeds, your cell phone is in your hands for the bulk of the day. Along the way, it picks up ample amounts of bacteria and grime. Plus, when you make phone calls, your phone is pressed to your face where it collects dead skin cells, body oils, and makeup. To clean and disinfect your phone, you should remove the case, wipe it with a lens-cleaning cloth, and then use a disinfectant wipe while avoiding the ports.
Hand towels
You wash your hands before drying them on a hand towel, so the hand towel should remain fairly clean. Right? Sadly, no. As mentioned previously, there are often germs swirling in the air in bathrooms. Plus, after you dry your hands the damp towel becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Since at-home hand towels are used several times throughout the day, they should be switched out and washed in hot water every one to two days. In office or public restrooms, cloth hand towels should be single-use and then washed. Or, opt for biodegradable disposable towels.
Computer keyboard
Whether you use a laptop or a PC, your keyboard can get pretty grimy. Each time to type an email or create a spreadsheet, your fingers leave behind oils which then collect dust and dirt. Besides looking bad and spreading germs, an uncleaned keyboard may not function as well. To properly clean a disconnected keyboard, first, tip it over and gently shake out the crumbs from all the lunches you have eaten at your desk. Then, damped a cotton swap in alcohol and swipe between and over the keys.