You might think your bathroom is clean, but you might also be surprised to learn what’s lurking around the bottom of the shower curtain, sink or underneath your feet. We take a look at what we’re all up against and show you some ways that we can win the war against bathroom germs.
In Sink
It seems reasonable that a bathroom sink would always be pretty clean since we use it to wash our hands and faces. In reality we may be putting our flannels or toothbrushes down on top of common germs that can cause problems if they get into our mouths or cuts on our skin. Regular cleaning with disinfectant, more powerful than a hot cloth, will ensure you’re doing all you can to keep your bathroom sink free of bacteria. Don’t forget the plug and overflow holes, too.
Fungus Fun
If you can, ventilate your bathroom by opening the window after you’ve used the bath or shower. Germs that cause athlete’s foot and other nasties lurk on warm, damp surfaces like mats and shower curtains. These germs can be carried on feet throughout your home, so make sure you mop up water splashes and allow damp cloths, towels and mats to air dry as much as possible.
Curtain Up
Shower curtains are a prime target for mould and mildew, and you’ll probably have seen the tell-tale signs on your own shower curtain at some point. If yours is already showing signs of mould, throw it out and get a new one. To prevent mould from building up wipe your shower curtain down after use so it’s as dry as possible and ventilate the room as much as you can. Mould can cause respiratory illnesses like asthma, so it’s worth buying a cleaning product designed to tackle the problem.
Love your Loo
We all know how important it is to keep toilets clean, but have you thought about how you use the flush handle? Being a fairly impractical matter, not many people wash their hands before flushing so toilet handles can harbour the kind of bacteria that cause stomach upsets. You can combat this problem by including the handle in your regular clean and remembering to wipe it over between times with an antibacterial wipe.
Little and Often
A great way to keep your bathroom fresh and clear of germs is to adopt a little and often cleaning routine, rather than saving the job for a once weekly going over. This way you won’t give germs such a good chance to build up and you’ll be able to address splashes and spills as they happen. It might seem like an arduous task but this way is more hygienic and might even save you some time.
Teach your family, particularly children, how to keep the bathroom clean and you’ll all be doing your bit to prevent the spread of germs and infection. After all, you don’t want to come out of your bathroom dirtier than when you went in.