This is how often you should clean your home, according to science

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1 This is how often you should clean your home, according to science Sophie Miura For most of us, the thought of steaming our carpets or cleaning out the crisper section of the refrigerator makes us want to crawl under the covers. Almost. Since we all can use some extra motivation to get our rubber gloves on, we ve rounded up the leading expert advice about how often you should clean everything and, more important, why. Turns out, your home is harbouring more bacteria than a public garbage bin. Motivated yet? Take a deep breath and read on to see how frequently you should be cleaning your house. Truth time: It s more than once a year. MICROWAVE Frequency: Every week For years, the conventional wisdom was that cooking food in a microwave oven was a great way to kill bacteria and make it safe to eat. If you re guilty of zapping days-old takeaway in the microwave, we ve got some worrying news: New research suggests that may be a myth, so keeping your microwave splash-free is crucial. We recommend wiping it down once a week, then doing a deep cleaning twice a month. Try this handy concoction: Mix half a cup of water with half a cup of white vinegar in a heat-safe dish. Microwave it on high until the window steams up, then wipe the interior with a sponge. Easy. BATHTUB Frequency: Every week The toilet has a reputation as one of the dirtiest areas of a bathroom, but according to new research, it s got nothing on your bathtub. Elizabeth Scoot, co-director of the Centre for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons College in Boston, compared the bacteria she found on baths to garbage bins. You ll want to read these

2 findings before you take a bath. Scoot found skin infection-causing bacteria in 26 per cent of baths tested, compared with just 6 per cent of garbage bins. Yes, your bathtub is officially grubbier than the trash. The verdict: Clean your bathtub as often as your toilet ideally every week. BED LINENS Frequency: Every one to two weeks Surprisingly, fresh findings suggest your bed linen isn t as dirty as you may think. We ve done research that showed that you don t get as much exposure to dust mites (when) in bed as we once thought, Euan Tovey, head of the Allergen Research Group at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research says. He says you re subjected to dust mites whenever you re moving, not just when you re confined in your bed. But before you forego washing your sheets, take note: Results vary depending on your sleeping routine. If you don t shower after work or snooze in the buff, opt to wash bed linens every one to two weeks in hot water. REFRIGERATOR Frequency: Every month Brace yourselves: Scientists say salad drawers contain 750 times the safe level of bacteria, making them one of the main places to clean regularly. Don t wait for a spring-cleaning reminder; this part of your home deserves monthly attention. COMPUTER Frequency: Every week A massive 70 per cent of Americans eat lunch at their desk, making computer keyboards a hotbed for bacteria. One study found that keyboards harbour five times the bacteria found on a toilet seat, but 10 per cent of people never clean them (eek!). Set aside time every Friday to give your desk a once-over with disinfectant spray. Pay attention to the mouse, too, and use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean between keys.

3 PILLOWS Frequency: Every three months Pillowcase protectors can help shield your bed from dust mites and daily grime, but don t forget to wash the pillow itself; Wilson tells Huffington Post every three months is ideal. Depending on your allergies, pillows should be replaced as often as every six months, although he admits most people are fine to keep them for three years. CARPET Frequency: Every six to 12 months We hate to break it to you, but vacuuming doesn t count as carpet cleaning. If you don t regularly steam your floors, research suggests it could be harming your health. Indoor air quality can be eight to 10 times worse than outdoor air quality. If you don t clean your flooring, clean your drapes and let air inside regularly, says Robin Wilson, an interior designer who specializes in allergyfree homes. That s not all. Another study suggests that 200,000 bacteria could inhabit every 2.5 centimetres of your carpet. Have we convinced you yet? Opt for a professional steam cleaning every six to 12 months, or more frequently if you have a pet. MATTRESS Frequency: Every two months You may regularly wash your linens, but what about your mattress? Carolyn Forte of the Good Housekeeping Institute says mattress pads need to be washed every two months, and that you get bonus points for cleaning your mattress while the protector is in the wash. Her cleaning hack: Sprinkle the mattress with baking soda to absorb odour, vacuum it then spray the mattress with Dettol to kill bacteria.

4 KITCHEN COUNTERTOP Frequency: Every day BATH TOWELS Frequency: After every three uses How often do you clean your bath towels? If your answer is every one to two weeks, science suggests that s not enough. Researchers have found that washing your towel after only three uses removes millions of dead skin cells (yes, you read that right). Wash hand towels every three days to avoid that musty smell. If you re a regular cook, chances are you already wipe down kitchen surfaces daily. That s a great start, but there are a few key zones to focus on. According to experts, countertops are dirtiest near the sink area because people tend to use sponges contaminated with food. Be sure to wipe surfaces daily and swap out your kitchen sponges and washcloths every week! Miura, Sophia. This is how often you should clean your home, according to science. n.d. Domain. 9 January

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