Clean the Dirtiest Places in Your Home

Each and every day there is a long list of things to do and get done. Before you know it you got the kids up, brought them to school, worked a 9 hour day, went grocery shopping, and then made dinner. All in time to sit down to your favorite show.. Nope! You still need to clean. On top of your busy schedule the chore list seems to never end. Here are 15 tips to help you make the most of your time while cleaning some of the dirtiest areas of your home.

The kitchen sink sees a lot of different foods and substances. Everything from spaghetti leftovers to raw ground beef to tuna fish juice. Your kitchen sink sees it all, including bacteria. Clean those germs by giving it a scrub with some baking soda followed by some white vinegar. To do this add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to warm water and allow the mixture to saturate in the sink for 15 minutes.

Toothbrushes are often a very overlooked personal hygiene tool that needs to be cleaned regularly. Water by itself won't do the trick when it comes to cleaning the several months of use and accumulated bacteria. An easy way to clean your toothbrush is by putting it in the dishwasher. Another way is by using a UV cleaner for about 10 minutes.

Although kitchens are cleaned regularly, there are areas that get forgotten. One of these areas include the refrigerator handle. Bacteria can live on these handles for two or more days. To clean this area of your kitchen use a little bit of dish soap and scrub with a microfiber cloth, rinse, and wipe away.

The remote control is used by everyone in the house. This is one item that can easily collect many germs often through snacking and clicking through channels. To clean the remote use a dampened cotton swab with rubbing alcohol and start wiping away. An extra tip whileaway for travel to avoid transferring other's germs is to use a disinfectant wipe on the hotel's remote control.

Another very dirty, yet over look part of a house during chores is the kitchen or bathroom faucet spout screens. This screen; called the aerator, is loaded with bacteria. To disinfect this part of the faucet, remove the screen and soak it in white vinegar. Do this once every few months to be sure your sinks are free of any germs or lime buildup.

Everyone uses the light switches and they are installed throughout the whole home. They are probably one of the dirtiest, it not the dirtiest items in the home. Their frequent use turns them into a landing zone for a large abundance of bacteria. To clean your light switches, use all-purpose cleaner and spray a cloth or for a more natural approach use 1:1 mixture of water and vinegar. Then wipe the switch and face plate clean.

It is rather hard to think about or imagine, but when the toilet is flushed while the lid open, surfaces in the proximity get contaminated. Walls usually become one of the last places someone thinks to clean. To tackle this bacteria strewn surface use hydrogen peroxide or an all-purpose cleaner to wash away leftover germs.

Once you get done cleaning the bathroom walls, why not go ahead and wash all the other walls in your house? First wipe any dust with a dust collector or soft cloth. Next use a gentle sponge and your choice of cleaner to get rid of any hand prints, dirt, or grease. Make sure you test an inconspicuous part of the wall first to be sure is won't fade the paint or paper.

Cutting boards can harbor an abundance of germs due to any left over food that either soaks in or gets left in the crevices. Many wooded cutting boards can get worn down with the use of soap, so using baking soda, salt, and water to make a paste can give your boards a thorough cleaning.

Everyone is familiar with the stench of an old sponge. Once your can smell your sponge, you know it is trapping a multitude of bacteria. In order to clean and sanitize your sponge, put it into the microwave wet and run it for a minute and a half to kill any germs harboring in the sponge. Do remember to replace it after it starts to fall apart.

If you happen to be a proud owner of a garbage disposal, don't forget that this is also in an important part of the kitchen to clean. If not cleaned regularly it can trap many germs and give off a foul smell. To freshen up your garbage disposal, pour about a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down the drain. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple minutes, then pour hot water down to rinse it thoroughly. Use a cut up lemon to give off a fresh scent.

Oven knobs are used many times throughout the day. Without much thought they are touched over and over while handling food and are not usually washed after each use. They become a popular breading ground for bacteria, but how would you go about cleaning them? Pull them off the oven and give them a good scrub with 1:1 vinegar and water. For tougher stains and residue, use vinegar to soak them for about 10 minutes.

You wash your own dishes everyday. Why would you not wash your dog's bowl everyday as well? Although we consider us loving caretakers for our animals, their dishes sometimes become one of the last duties when watching over them. Clean their bowls with vinegar to get rid of lime build up and run them through the dishwasher or use dish soap to clean them thoroughly.

Over and over keyboards become a grimy part of the office without much thought of actually cleaning them. Think about what happens when you stop typing or scrolling on your computer for a few seconds. You touch your face or you take a bite to eat, etc., then you go back to typing or scrolling. All those germs get transferred back and forth. Kill the bacteria and dirt build up with a 1:1 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol.

Do you ever notice how after a few washes in the shower your clear curtain starts to accumulate build up and turn and orange-brown color? Mold is usually the culprit and your curtains should be washed regularly. Use your 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water to spray your clear curtain down and throw your fabric one in the wash. Do this at least once a month.

For anymore advice or information on how to clean these areas of your home, please see: www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/clean-the-dirtiest-places-in-your-home-pictures