4 things you may not clean in your house (and why maybe you should start doing it)
Each home is different, but cleaning the house is usually one of the priorities for each of its inhabitants.
Some do it every day, others every week; Others, in addition to routine cleaning, undertake semi-annual or annual deep home sanitation processes.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by the US National Cleaning Institute, a 70% of homes carry out at least one annual cleaning within the space they inhabit.
For many the most important thing is the kitchen, for others the bathrooms. And what usually concentrates our efforts is the oven, the toilet, the mats, where we suspect – not without reason – that germs, fungi, bacteria and mites accumulate.
However, there are specific objects and spaces to which we may not pay the same attention, but which accumulate dirt, even to a greater extent than other more obvious ones.
At BBC Mundo we show you 4 objects in the house that maybe you don’t clean… but you should.
1. Coffee maker
An investigation carried out by the Organization of Health and Public Safety of the USA. (NSF, for its acronym in English) indicates that one of the elements in the kitchen with the highest number of germs is the coffee maker.
The researchers found up to 67 different types of germs inside the coffee pots they examined.
The truth is that there are two problems that add up in the process of making coffee: hot water cannot remove all germs and caffeine is a perfect place for bacteria to grow.
In addition, during the process there is an accumulation of minerals that end up causing scale that can hinder the operation of the machine.
For this reason, experts recommend cleaning the coffee maker at least every 3 months.
In the case of devices that work with capsules, cleaning is recommended after the use of 100 units.
2. Mattress
It is true that cleaning a mattress is not easy at all.
But let’s start with a fact: the human body produces 1.5 grams of dead skin every day, which invariably ends up on your mattress.
A study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal in 2018 showed the cleanliness of the mattresses where a human being slept compared to that of a chimpanzee.
The result indicated that human beings dirty the mattress almost 30% more than a primate.
That dirt is the accumulation of dead skin, dust and sweat that are fertile ground for mites and bacteria.
Experts point out that in recent years there have been developments new methods for cleaning mattresses.
It is also recommended to place it in the sun to reduce humidity and vacuuming to control the presence of mold.
3. Recyclable shopping bags
The urgency of climate change has paid special attention to single-use plastics, which have begun to be replaced by other more environmentally friendly products.
In many homes, reusable bags were adopted to avoid the consumption of plastic bags.
But they never get out of the car or cart that we take to the supermarket.
“Those bags have more traces of fecal material and bacteria like E.Coli than our underwearUniversity of Arizona microbiologist Charles P. Gerba told AARP news portal.
“If you use the same bags to carry raw meat products and raw vegetables, you could make a salmonella salad very easily,” he added.
Staff from the US National Cleaning Institute recommends that these bags be washed by hand – the washing machine could destroy them – at least once a week.
4. Dishwashing sponge
The sponge for washing in the kitchen serves us precisely to remove the toughest dirt on pots and dishes.
And we assume that because it contains soap, or even for its function of cleaning and degreasing, it does not need attention in that field.
Well, a study from the University of Furtwangen, in Germany, points out that there may be a greater number of germs and bacteria dangerous to humans in the dishwashing sponge than in the sink or sink itself.
The study found in the kitchen sponges analyzed about 362 different types of bacteria. Many more than were found in the bathroom.
This is due to the constant humidity and the fact that the sponge is full of nooks and crannies, making it an ideal place for the growth of bacteria and germs.
The recommendation of the experts is that the sponges be washed at least once a week with chlorine or bleach to avoid this dangerous accumulation of bacteria.
It may interest you:
* What are the risks of reusing kitchen towels and other tips to maintain food hygiene
* Tips to keep germs at bay in your kitchen and avoid illness
* 4 hygiene measures that must be taken in the kitchen
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