10 Dirtiest Household Items That You Never Would Have Thought

You could be the most obsessive-compulsive individual when it comes to cleaning. You would have your
daily cleaning routine and then the periodic deep cleaning for every room at your house. All of those
you do in your effort to keep your home clean and bacteria-free.
But did you know that there are common household items that you might have missed cleaning just
because you think they don’t have germs or bacteria building up in them? True, at first glance, these
items are as clean as you thought they could be. Being inside the house you probably are thinking that
they are not exposed to the harsh elements or dirt and dust that are present outside.
Well, you could be wrong. We are listing below those household items that also need your attention in
cleaning:

1. Door knobs
   Just imagine how many hands have turned all the door knobs in your house to get in and out. Imagine
   further what these hands held on to before turning them. If you ignore cleaning them, they could easily
   become a nursery for germs and bacteria. Most especially since everyone has to use them to get in the
   house. Don’t ever overlook these knobs when cleaning. An anti-bacterial wipe will do.
2. Telephone or Cellphones
   There are studies that suggest that telephones or cellphones are among the dirtiest items you can own.
   They are thought of as a farmhouse of germs and bacteria. And, why is this so? Many parts of you are
   in contact with your phone – hands, ears, cheeks or face and mouth. Germ-carrying elements can also
   be deposited in them – contaminated saliva, sweat, oil from your skin, dead skin particles, dandruff.
   Name them your phone knows all of them! It is also worth noting that not only one may be in contact
   with your phone. It will be another set of all those germs and bacteria.
   Alcohol wipes, wet tissue or a special phone cleaning kit can help you get rid of all those germs and
   bacteria living off from your phones, especially the mouthpiece.
3. Kitchen appliance and cabinet door handles
   Same as door knobs, we don’t pay much attention to door handles of kitchen appliances. We are talking
   about the door handles of your fridge, microwave, oven, dishwasher, even your faucets. The fridge door
   handles could have been held by someone from outside rushing to get some water before washing his
   hands. You might have used a dirty, germ-laden rag to open these door handles, in your effort to not

contaminate them with your hands. Do the kitchen some real good cleaning service and include those
door handles. Soap and water will do with a clean rag too.

4. Washing Machine
   So you thought it could have been one of the cleanest spots in your home being used with detergent
   and water. These are cleaning agents that could of course in the washing machine’s process of washing
   your clothes also clean the machine itself. Well, you could be right in that aspect. But a question that
   you need to answer is this – where does mold and mildew develop? It has to be somewhere moist and
   warm, not exposed to sun. Isn’t that the perfect description for your washing machine when it’s not at
   work?
   Check the manual for the required cleaning process and you have to do it in the suggested frequency so
   as to ensure that the clothes being washed in your washer will come out clean and bacteria-free.
5. Computer Keyboard
   Everyone in your household may in a day hold on to the computer keyboard. One could use it for school
   work, another for office work, for research, games or just catching up with friends in the social media.
   Again, hands are the culprit. You are uncertain what the last thing those hands came in contact with
   before touching the keyboard. Worse if one’s eating while using the keyboard.
   See those grids between the keys? Food crumbs and other dust particles can fall into them and cleaning
   under the keys may not be too accessible. So when you wipe clean your keyboards, you might want to
   check out those tiny vacuums to use.
6. Toothbrush Holder
   You have every good intention why you keep your toothbrush in a holder. For sure, you want to protect
   your toothbrush from bacteria and germs that could be lurking in the air of your toilet. Reason why
   after every time you brush your teeth and wash your toothbrush, you immediately put it inside the
   holder.
   Since it is not exposed to the sun or is closed to air to dry, your wet toothbrush inside the dark and moist
   toothbrush holder can be a breeding ground of harmful bacteria. Wash your toothbrush holder
   regularly. It also is a good idea to regularly replace your toothbrush with a new one.
7. Coffee maker reservoir
   We have been going on about the perfect breeding ground of harmful bacteria and germs. Another
   damp and moist area is your coffee maker reservoir. It’s just water, you might think, but if it’s not dried
   up completely then you have just created another space for bacteria to develop. If you’re using your

coffee maker everyday then it would be nearly impossible to make it dry. Read the instruction manual
for the required cleaning technique and you’ll do fine. There are home cleaning remedies such as using
vinegar, letting it sit for 30 minutes or so then brew it. Run a brewing cycle of water until the smell is
gone.

8. Dish sponge
   Our cleaning partner is yes, one of the dirtiest items in our homes. Ironic isn’t it? But, of course, when
   we wipe dirty areas clean with a sponge, you can expect some residues and germs to remain even if you
   clean your sponges after. A tip that we found effective is to microwave wet sponges once a day and
   replace them every two weeks.
9. Pillows
   You only use it when sleeping, yes, but they hold more bacteria and germs that you can think of. They
   can be home to micro bugs or dust mites. Also, they serve as a receptacle for dead skin, sweat from
   your head and neck, drool, tears, eye goop, mucus and all other skin discharges. They make your pillow
   a bio-hazard. So it is best to throw them in the washer and dry them completely. You wouldn’t want to
   be sleeping on filth!
10. Kitchen Sink
    Anything but the kitchen sink! Sadly, it is one of the dirtiest items in our home. What you clean in them
    such as knives, cutting boards, plates, raw ingredients when you’re cooking, cutlery and utensils may
    have been freed from food scraps that can contaminate if left unwashed. The kitchen sink however,
    becomes the landfill of all of these food scraps, morsels, enzymes and can contaminate food and water
11. if not cleaned. Deep clean it weekly in the manner as you would your toilet bowl.