We like to think our homes are clean, but the truth is, they’re dirtier than we realize. In fact, certain unclean places in your home can actually make you feel sick. Headaches, upset stomachs and even breathing problems can be a sign that your home isn’t as clean as you think it is. To help you stay healthy and happy in your home, be sure to pay special attention when cleaning these 5 places that can make you sick.
Bathrooms
It’s ironic that the bathroom is where we go to get clean as it is easily one of the dirtiest places in a home. There are health hazards on every surface and even in the air. Being a shared space, there are multiple opportunities for sickness to spread. This can happen due to improper cleaning and hand washing that leaves bacteria and viruses behind. For example, things like e.coli and athlete’s foot can be spread from simply sharing towels.
Bathrooms are constantly going from cool and dry to hot and humid, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Spores can quickly grow and multiply to create a colony that can be hazardous to your health. This can range from mild surface mold like mildew up to dangerous black or green mold. Any form of mold can irritate your respiratory system, but for those living with compromised immune systems, mold is particularly bad.
To ensure your bathroom isn’t making you sick, be sure to always clean it thoroughly. Hiring a cleaning company to come out bi-weekly or once a month can make a huge impact on the cleanliness of your bathroom, improving your health and ensuring you’re actually clean when you leave.
Living Room
We use our living rooms for almost everything, from eating to lounging to entertaining, it’s really a multipurpose room. With so much activity going on in one room, it’s no surprise that it’s full of health hazards. One of the dirtiest things found in living rooms are remote controls. Just think of how many times a day you and everyone else in your household touches them. If one person doesn’t have clean hands and touches them, any bacteria and viruses on their hands will now be on the remotes and will be on your hands the next time you go to turn on the TV.
Another source that can make you sick in your living room is that wall to wall carpeting. While soft and comfortable on the feet, carpets are dirt and bacteria magnets. Outside contaminants like dust and dirt are brought into your home every time someone enters. Dirt and bacteria can get pushed deep within your carpet if people don’t remove their shoes when entering your home. In addition, day to day life will see dust, dust mites and pet dander also get into the fibres of your carpet.
A dirty carpet could be causing allergy-like symptoms or make symptoms worse for those already suffering. An easy way to combat this? Hire a carpet cleaning company to professionally clean your carpets so they’re fresh and you can breathe a little easier.
Bedroom
You may have thought at least your bedroom would be a safe space, but it’s actually full of hazards that can affect your health and sleep. Bedding that is not properly cleaned can become filled with skin particles and dust mites that feed on our skin particles. Even worse, these mites can produce a severe allergic reaction for many who come in contact with them. If you ignore washing your sheets for long enough, they can end up containing bacteria like salmonella and e.coli which can cause infections and spread illness.
To avoid sleeping in a bacteria breeding ground, be sure to wash your bedding regularly. If doing laundry is a nightmare for you, you can always have a cleaning company take care of this task for you while they tidy up the rest of your home. That way you can rest easy knowing your sheets are clean and your bedroom isn’t making you sick.
Kitchen
The kitchen is one room that should always be kept as clean as possible. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and while you make think it looks clean, bacteria can be hidden in plain sight. Key places that need to be cleaned regularly are countertops, sinks, drain openings and garbage disposals. If not cleaned regularly, they will become a breeding ground for bacteria, including e.coli.
While you may think a good scrubbing will take care of it, this is only partially true. Even the sponges and dishcloths you use to clean can contain salmonella and e.coli and using them to clean actually spreads the bacteria around. The best way to combat this is to have a professional cleaning company come in and take care of your kitchen. Hiring a cleaning company to come by on a semi-regular basis is actually more affordable than you may think and will ensure your kitchen is sparkling clean and free of bacteria.
Air Ducts
Any home that uses a central heating and cooling system are at risk for air-born irritants. While our air ducts help to heat and cool our homes, there’s more than just air being blown around. Often times the air inside our homes is more polluted than it is outside. This is because HVAC systems do not pull in fresh air from outside, instead, the air already inside our homes is recycled. This means that any toxins lurking in your air are constantly being cycled through your home. This can cause a number of issues for people with respiratory issues and even to those without.
To ensure you’re breathing easy, you need to be diligent about changing your air filters and keep up with duct cleaning. If you haven’t already this year, be sure to schedule a duct cleaning appointment. This will help ensure that the air that is being recycled throughout your home is actually clean and free of anything that could be making you feel sick.
No one wants to live in a dirty home that makes them feel sick. While our best efforts can help keep germs at bay, the best way to ensure a clean and healthy home is to bring in the professionals. Whether you need to schedule a routine visit from a cleaning company or a one time visit from a duct or carpet cleaning company, you can easily get quotes from pros on HomeStars. Simply click on the banner below, enter your project details and we’ll send your request out to verified companies in your area. A healthy and happy home is clicks away.
