Do you know that your kitchen sink can be just as dirty as your toilet bowl? Given the amount of use, high traffic of organic matter, and humidity with relatively warm temperatures, the kitchen sink is a perfect breeding ground for many germs. Most people forget to sanitize the kitchen sink and don’t appreciate the potential bacterial source it is for contaminating food, utensils, and hands. Many areas of the home with high traffic and frequently touched surfaces by family members can be potential sources of germs and contaminants. Most of these high-traffic areas are taken for granted or only occasionally cleaned, but rarely disinfected.
The kitchen is not the only source, but it is still the biggest reservoir of germs in the house. This is the area that receives a lot of traffic from adults, children, animals, dirty and spoiled food. Being such an intimate area of our daily lives, it’s easy to see how we can contaminate ourselves with germs in this room. The kitchen sink and drain have been found to be one of the dirtiest places in the house. It has bacterial counts as high as a toilet bowl. The organic matter and moisture make it a perfect incubator for both bacteria and viruses. Kitchen towels and sponges are also highly contaminated items that easily transfer contaminants to hands and other surfaces. A dirty or moldy sponge is used on most surfaces without thinking about how it is likely to carry and spread germs. The towel used on hands or countertops to wipe up spills also harbors germs. Don’t let dirty dishes sit in the sink overnight breeding germs. If your kitchen is as busy as most, your sink and countertops should be sanitized once a week or more often. Commercially available products may be suitable for this purpose. Inexpensive solutions of ¾ cup bleach per gallon of water can be used on a cloth or in an inexpensive spray bottle on most counters or sinks. It is important to remove any food particles or organic material before doing so. Then let air dry. Care the cutting boards also with a sanitizing solution, then rinse and air dry. Towels should be cleaned and rotated frequently. They could be completely replaced with a paper towel. A sponge can be sanitized in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. A well used sponge should also be replaced every 2 weeks. Handwashing remains an important part of good hygiene during food preparation. Plastic trash can liners can help control spills and leaks from garbage collection. One last place in the kitchen/dining area that is often overlooked is the salt and pepper shakers. Frequently handled by many people and never cleaned, they can harbor disease-causing bacteria and viruses.
The bathroom is another culprit when it comes to germs. However, the locations of germs are often overlooked. Toothbrushes easily harbor germs due to moisture and use. They should be located where they are not near the toilet and where they will air dry after each use. A single toilet flush can send a fine mist spray several feet contaminating other areas of the bathroom. Since most toilets are quite compact, closing the lid before flushing will help. It’s wise to store personal hygiene products, towels, and toothbrushes away from the toilet. A new toothbrush should be used every 2-3 months. If you’ve been sick recently, you may want to switch to a new toothbrush sooner. Toothbrushes can only be rinsed well with water and allowed to air dry completely. Caulking areas between sinks and counters or tubs and enclosures commonly accumulate high bacteria and mold counts due to their intrinsic traffic, chronic moisture, and difficulty in cleaning. It is necessary to apply the same cleaning techniques as in the kitchen with a focus on problem areas.
Other areas of the house that can be a problem are doorknobs, computer keyboards, and remote controls. They all get a lot of traffic from contaminated hands. Actually, the number of germs here is less than in some of the areas mentioned above. However, regular cleaning with a disinfectant such as alcohol, a bleach solution, or one of the commercially available disinfectant cleaning products is very smart. Change bedding and rotate towels weekly. Still, the most important and basic technique is to cover your cough or sneeze and wash your hands regularly. Washing hands after using the bathroom or cleaning these areas, before preparing food or eating, remains the gold standard for prevention. Hand sanitizers can be useful in areas of the house where water is not available. However, 15-20 seconds of simply giving your hands a good scrub with soap and water is something germs can’t beat.
