Someone fights for perfect cleanliness, every day rubbing all surfaces in the house to a shine: after all, where there is dirt, there is infection! Someone, on the contrary, is skeptical about shining shells and polished handles: you can’t expel all microbes, but you don’t want to spend every free minute on it. We offer an optimal cleaning calendar - what, how and how often to wash, so as not to jeopardize the he alth of loved ones.
Daily cleaning plan
Every home has problem areas that need to be cleaned every day. This will take no more than 5 minutes, but will greatly reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
Cutting Board
The most practical option is a plastic or glass cutting board. You need to wash it every day - it should become the same familiar procedure as brushing your teeth in the morning. It is enough to wash the board with a sponge and soap, and then rinse thoroughly with water. After that, it can be doused with boiling water. If you use a dishwasher, put your cutting board in it every time you start the machine. Also, use a separate cutting board for raw meat and poultry.
Cookware for pets
You are unlikely to forget to feed a cat or a dog, but far from everyone wash the plates after dry food. Even if the dishes look completely clean on the outside, e.coli bacteria and staphylococcus aureus can multiply on it, which cause poisoning for both the animal and its owners. Wash your pet's dishes every day the same way you wash yours.
Sink in the kitchen
The kitchen sink is a real breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria. E. coli feeds on food leftovers, and the humid environment creates ideal conditions for bacteria, mold, and fungus to thrive. How to keep clean? First, thoroughly clean the sink and remove food residue after each dishwashing. Secondly, pour boiling water over the sink every two or three days. It is very important to include the sink in your daily cleaning routine.
Dishtowels
If you use the same towel to dry your hands, utensils and work surfaces in the kitchen, bacteria (such as salmonella and E. coli) can get from the cloth onto plates or washed vegetables and fruits. In addition, moisture is an ideal environment for germs, and wet towels attract various microorganisms. All this leads to poisoning. To minimize the risk, use different towels for your hands, utensils, and work surfaces. Change your dish towel every day, as it is the first place where harmful bacteria accumulate. Wash all kitchen towels at the highest temperature allowed, then iron or tumble dry them.
Cleaning once a week
Tell me, when was the last time you washed your home phone or disinfected the TV remote control? And you need to do this regularly!
Door handles
Each of the household touches them dozens of times a day, bacteria multiply and are carried throughout the house. To catch an infection, it is enough to take a dirty pen, and then touch your eyes or mouth. Wash your hands with soap and water every week. If someone is sick at home, wipe your hands more often, you can use a disinfectant solution.
Bathroom faucets
First you touch them to open the water, and then close them with clean hands. Wash faucets thoroughly with a sponge and soap - at least once a week. If someone in the house is sick, you should do it more often. The same rules apply to toilet flush buttons.
Sofa
Main rule: don't let your family eat in the living room! Vacuum all upholstered furniture once a week with a special nozzle. If sofas and armchairs have removable covers, wash or clean them every two to three months.
Bed linen
Dust mites are the most common cause of household allergies, and bedding is one of the favorite habitats. With the constant presence of the allergen, the reaction can develop even in adulthood. Wash bedding weekly at the highest temperature. Do the same with bedspreads, throws and pillow covers.
Control panel
According to research, the biggest breeding ground for infection in hotel rooms is remote controls. Of course, only family members use the remote control at home, but nevertheless, harmful microorganisms can also live on it. Wipe the remote with wet wipes once a week if everyone at home is he althy. If there are colds in the family, take it every day.
Switches
We touch them as often as doorknobs. Clean the light switches once a week with warm soapy water, and pay special attention to the light switch in the hallway that you use when you enter the house before washing your hands.
Phone
The phone gets dirty when it comes into contact with the skin, and if you actively use cosmetics, the bacteria on the surface of the handset multiply even faster, especially in the button area. Wipe the handset with special tech wipes at least once a week.
Toilet seat
The toilet seat (and especially under it) accumulates a huge amount of germs - it's obvious. Washing the toilet once a week is a must.
Monthly cleaning schedule
Maybe these surfaces don't get dirty as quickly as sinks or carpets, but don't forget them either! Use this apartment cleaning schedule for a month.
Desktop
Wipe the surface of the table to wash away dirt and dust. At home, a damp sponge is enough; at work, you can use disinfectant wipes for office equipment. Be sure to clean your mouse and keyboard. Please note that if you frequently eat in front of the computer, food particles may become lodged in the keyboard. In this case, you need to clean it more often (once a week or as it gets dirty) and more thoroughly.
Cutlery drawer
No wonder if you never thought to wash it, because we put clean knives and forks in it, right? In fact, if wet utensils get into the drawer, it creates an ideal environment for the reproduction of microbes, fungi and mold. You don’t want all this to be on the spoons that adults and children eat, do you? Once a month, remove all appliances, rinse thoroughly with warm water, clean the holes and grates with a brush.
Ice and beverage containers in the fridge
If the refrigerator has a compartment for drinks, it must be washed, even when you fill in clean drinking water. The same applies to the ice compartment. Plaque gradually forms on the internal surfaces, mold and fungus may even appear. Read the manufacturer's instructions for the best disinfection method. Unless otherwise directed, mix vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio, dip your toothbrush into the solution, and scrub all surfaces you can reach. And then pass 3-4 glasses through the ice and beverage compartments.
Fridge vegetable drawer
The same number of microorganisms can live on fresh vegetables and fruits as on raw meat: bacteria from the soil even get on garden vegetables and fruits, which are considered to be almost sterile and eat from the garden without even rinsing with water. To remove bacteria, wash all compartments of the refrigerator once a month with a sponge, warm water and soap.
Cleaning once a year
Let's not hide it: some housewives rarely reach these household items. Put them on your annual cleaning schedule!
Carpets
Of course you vacuum them once or twice a week, but carpets need a thorough cleaning every year. If your carpets can be washed or steamed, and the vacuum cleaner has the appropriate features, it's simple: clean all the carpets properly with a special shampoo. Of course, you can wash the carpets by hand, but if the area is large enough, consider calling in a cleaning company once a year. In any case, after wet cleaning, the carpets must be thoroughly dried, because mold immediately develops under wet coatings. For such drying, many cleaning companies have professional hair dryers.
Blinds and curtains
It is usually enough to clean curtains and blinds once a year, but if you live in a big city and dust accumulates faster, it is worth doing it as it gets dirty. Do not forget that dust can exacerbate allergies and respiratory diseases. Wash the curtains in the machine using the delicate cycle without drying, or take them to the dry cleaner. Vacuum blinds with special attachments.
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