Ah spring, flowers blooming, sun shining and homes that need cleaning…oh joy! While most of us clean out our closets and kitchen cabinets during spring cleaning, there are some often-overlooked places that need a thorough scrub-down, too. The germs lurking in these sneaky places at home, at the gym and in the office can truly threaten your health. Check out the places you don’t want to forget to spring clean.
Water Bottles
As fantastic as we think reusable water bottles are, they aren’t invincible to bacteria and fungi. The damp enclosed space is a perfect breeding ground for germs, so it’s a good idea to wash your bottle every day. Hot water and soap are strong enough to do the trick, but for tall bottles or ones with slimmer openings, consider trying a bottle brush.
Reusable Grocery Bags
A 2010 study found that more than half of eco-friendly reusable totes are contaminated with bacteria, possibly even E. coli, not something we want getting cozy with our groceries. The reason? A whopping 97 percent of shoppers interviewed said they never wash the bags.
Gym Bags
You probably put your gym bag down in some pretty germy places. Not to mention, you put damp, warm gym clothes inside the bag, and might not take them out in a timely manner. Instead, regularly empty your entire bag and air it out, wash it in hot water every week, or at the very least give it a rub down with disinfecting wipes. Also, take those sweaty clothes out as soon as you get home. Even if you can’t wash them right away, at least let them dry out so germs won’t take root.
Contact Lens Cases
Around 34 percent of contact cases are crawling with germs that could lead to eye disease. Rinse the case every day in hot water, replace your solution every two months and replace the case every two to three months.
Cell Phones
Last year, a study that found fecal matter on one in six cell phones grossed out readers worldwide. You don’t want to spray anything directly on your gadgets, for fear of damaging them. Instead, wipe down your phone with a disinfecting wipe or solution on a paper towel. While you’re at it, give your desk phone or home landline a swipe as well.
I never thought about it before, but those grocery bags do need to be washed regularly.
Omg, I didn’t know about the germs in the Contact Lens Cases. I’ve never washed mine 🙁 Now I feel bad for my eyes!