10 Things You’re NOT Cleaning That You Should Be

1. The comb hanging in your shower.

{source}

You know, that one? Yeah, it’s probably been hanging in there, collecting dried conditioner and mildew for months. Solution: throw it in the dishwasher or give it a good scrub with some dish soap!

 

2. Your keyboard and trackpad. And your screen while you’re at it.

{source}

Think about how often your germified hands are touching your keyboard and trackpad. And those nasty smudges on your screen? Yuck. Solution: grab a disinfecting wipe (or make your own!) and a Windex wipe and scrub ‘er down.

 

3. Light switches and doorknobs.

 

 

 

 

 

{source, source}

Think about the number of times you touch both light switches and door knobs on a daily basis. Now, multiply that times the number of germs on your hands. Don’t freak out. Solution: Grab some disinfecting wipes and go to town.

 

4. Your mattress.

{source}

Think of all the dead skin cells, dust mites, and general nastiness living (sleeping?) on your mattress. No can do. Solution: sprinkle some baking soda on your mattress, let it sit for an hour or so, and use the hose attachment of the vacuum to remove it. For a light, fresh scent, mix some lavender essential oil with the baking soda. (Calli over on Make It Do outlines the entire process here.)

 

5. Athletic hair bands.

{source}

Guess what’s living on your hair bands? Sweat, dirt, and tears. Well, at least two of the three. Solution: simply throw your hair bands into the wash with a load of laundry. Make sure to pull them out before you throw the load into the dryer so they don’t get ruined!

 

6. The toilet flusher.

{source}

I don’t feel the need to go into detail, but just imagine what lives on this thing. Need a hint? What are you doing every time before you touch the flusher? Grossed out? Solution: disinfect that thing like no other. Use bleach if you want. Nothing is too extreme.

 

7. Your Camelbak water bottle.

{source}

I know, I know. Water bottles can be a pain to clean. But you. Must. Clean. Them. They can carry loads of germs, mildew and other nasty stuff. Solution: remove the straw, the rubber bite, and the lid, and put all of the parts in the dishwasher. At least once or twice a week! For more Camelbak cleaning information, check out the cleaning page on the company’s website.

 

8. Your kitchen sponge.

{source}

My childhood home was never perfect, but our kitchen was always disinfected and clean. And our sponge never had that nasty smell. Ever. Solution: always have two sponges on hand. When one is in use, the other goes in the dishwasher…just rotate them! That way, your sponge never goes more than a day without getting cleaned. After you unload the dishwasher, stick the cleaned sponge in the microwave for ten seconds–this’ll kill any bacteria and germs that the dishwasher didn’t.

 

9. Your earrings. (Or other body jewelry!)

{source}

Just ponder it for a second…your earrings sit in your ears. In your ears. That’s nasty if you don’t clean ’em. Solution: put hot water in a small bowl, add a pump or two of antibacterial soap (yellow Dial is the best), and let your earrings soak for a few minutes. Then take them out of their bath, dry them off, and rest assured that your earrings are clean and disinfected.

 

10. Your backpack. 

{source}

Because of my scoliosis, I have to use a backpack instead of a tote or bag for my textbooks and notebooks during the week. My-oh-my does my backpack get dirty. Think about it–sitting on the floor all day, picking up nastiness constantly. Solution: use Shout or OxyClean to spray the particularly dirty parts of your backpack, then throw the bag in the washing machine on the “Delicate” cycle with hot water. Let it air dry.

So there you have it, folks! Get to cleanin’! Anyone have another item I should add to my list of things that should be getting cleaned? Did anything I mentioned surprise you?

reposted from the archives