Spring Cleaning? Don't Miss the 10 Dirtiest Places in Your Home

Key TakeawaysDuring spring cleaning, you should target areas of the home that often get missed.Bacteria, mold, and fungi can thrive in corners of the home that don’t regularly get cleaned.These can eventually cause infections that can be especially harmful to people who are immunocompromised, experts said.With spring underway, you may be thinking of deep cleaning your home soon. As you do, consider areas where germs accumulate that are usually missed during routine cleans.“There are the obvious places—like the toilet, places people’s hands have touched, doorknobs, sinks—but there’s a lot of areas in the home people don’t think about,”Rachel Noble, PhD, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina, told Verywell.Bacteria,fungi, andmoldscan flourish in the hidden corners of our homes and are easily missed, experts said.When cleaning, it’s as important to use the right products—and use them safely—since experimenting with different chemicals can cause health issues, from irritated skin to lightheadedness.The Types of Germs That Thrive in Our HomesIn general, the germiest places in the home are those you would suspect: “The most common places are the kitchen and the bathroom because that’s where a lot of the organisms [that can make people sick] occur,”Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell.In the kitchen, people often get sick from contact withSalmonellaorE. colibacteria, while in the bathroom, common culprits are methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and bacteria that cause strep infections, Vyas said. These can spread through surface contact, and some bacteria can survive on household surfaces for weeks to months.“Molds and mildews also occur in damp and moist places,” Vyas said. These can cause reactions that have serious side effects, Noble explained. “Two common groups of household molds known to cause respiratory distress areStachybotrysspecies…andAspergillusspecies,” she said. The latter, she added, can cause lung conditions and allergic reactions.How Germs Are Transmitted—And How to Protect YourselfThe 10 Dirtiest Places in Your HomeWhen you’re doing a deep spring cleaning, it’s a good idea to hit the following areas that might get overlooked most of the time, experts said:The surface(s) above your stove: Boiling water or steaming foods on your stovetop can lead to moisture collection on the surface(s) overhead. This can be a breeding ground for molds that can trigger allergies or asthma attacks and can also lead to other health issues.The water and ice dispenser on your refrigerator: Moisture often collects here, too, which makes it an enticing environment for mold.Trash cans in the kitchen and bathroom: Household trash cans are exposed to many germs, and each should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out.Any fabrics in your living room: These surfaces can collect germs over time, especially if you wear your outside shoes indoors.The inside of your refrigerator: Refrigerator shelves are exposed to many foods that can carry bacteria—such as poultry, vegetables, and more—so you should clean the fridge regularly.High-touch surfaces: Light switches, doorknobs, appliance handles, toilet flushers, and any other surfaces that are touched often should be thoroughly cleaned.The thresholds of all entryways: The doorways in your foyer, mudroom, or other spaces in which people enter gather a lot of germs from outside the home.Kitchen and bathroom faucets: Moisture often collects here, making it an enticing mold environment.Drains: Whether in the kitchen sink or the shower, drains in your home are exposed to many bacteria.Air filters: These can collect dust and pollen, especially in the spring.Ideally, these areas should be cleaned monthly, though most people don’t address them frequently. Even if you don’t stick to that cadence, it’s still worth addressing them whenever you think to or whenever you have the time, experts said.Symptoms of Mold ExposureProducts to Stock Up On for Spring CleaningDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people started cleaning with strong products that weren’t necessary. Noble said, “People get confused about what to use where.”But you probably don’t need to stock up new cleaning products for your spring cleaning routine. “The good news is they’re still pretty simple: Most people don’t need to invest their money into expensive alcohol wipes or high-intensity bleach solutions,” Noble explained.Instead, you should make sure you have these four staples on hand for spring cleaning—and your routine cleanings, too, Noble said:Hydrogen peroxideAlcoholVinegar (distilled white vinegar works)BleachThese can all disinfect household surfaces, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind when using them, Vyas said. You should wear gloves when working with harsh chemicals, which can penetrate the skin and cause irritation.Likewise, it’s important not to mix bleach with other cleaning solutions, especially if they contain ammonia, as it can create atoxic gas.If you go over a surface with vinegar (or a similar cleaning product), and you want to go over it with bleach, it’s important to wipe it down with water in between, Noble said.Lastly, following certain safety protocols when cleaning your home is crucial, especially when removing mold from household surfaces. You shouldn’t activate rotating fans near the surfaces you’re cleaning, as these can mobilize germs that can spread to other areas of your home, Noble said.If any babies, immunocompromised people, or older adults live in your home, clean when they’re outside the house, as the bacteria and mold you’re getting rid of may be harmful if they’re ingested.How to Make Your Own Disinfectant Bleach SolutionWhat This Means For YouDuring spring cleaning, target areas of the home that are often missed during routine cleans. Bacteria, fungi, and molds can thrive in hard-to-reach corners of the home and eventually make you sick. Before you start cleaning, it’s important to ensure you’re using the appropriate products and avoid mixing cleaning products, as doing so can cause a harmful chemical reaction.

Key TakeawaysDuring spring cleaning, you should target areas of the home that often get missed.Bacteria, mold, and fungi can thrive in corners of the home that don’t regularly get cleaned.These can eventually cause infections that can be especially harmful to people who are immunocompromised, experts said.

Key Takeaways

During spring cleaning, you should target areas of the home that often get missed.Bacteria, mold, and fungi can thrive in corners of the home that don’t regularly get cleaned.These can eventually cause infections that can be especially harmful to people who are immunocompromised, experts said.

With spring underway, you may be thinking of deep cleaning your home soon. As you do, consider areas where germs accumulate that are usually missed during routine cleans.

“There are the obvious places—like the toilet, places people’s hands have touched, doorknobs, sinks—but there’s a lot of areas in the home people don’t think about,”Rachel Noble, PhD, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina, told Verywell.

Bacteria,fungi, andmoldscan flourish in the hidden corners of our homes and are easily missed, experts said.

When cleaning, it’s as important to use the right products—and use them safely—since experimenting with different chemicals can cause health issues, from irritated skin to lightheadedness.

The Types of Germs That Thrive in Our Homes

In general, the germiest places in the home are those you would suspect: “The most common places are the kitchen and the bathroom because that’s where a lot of the organisms [that can make people sick] occur,”Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell.

In the kitchen, people often get sick from contact withSalmonellaorE. colibacteria, while in the bathroom, common culprits are methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and bacteria that cause strep infections, Vyas said. These can spread through surface contact, and some bacteria can survive on household surfaces for weeks to months.

“Molds and mildews also occur in damp and moist places,” Vyas said. These can cause reactions that have serious side effects, Noble explained. “Two common groups of household molds known to cause respiratory distress areStachybotrysspecies…andAspergillusspecies,” she said. The latter, she added, can cause lung conditions and allergic reactions.

How Germs Are Transmitted—And How to Protect Yourself

The 10 Dirtiest Places in Your Home

When you’re doing a deep spring cleaning, it’s a good idea to hit the following areas that might get overlooked most of the time, experts said:

Ideally, these areas should be cleaned monthly, though most people don’t address them frequently. Even if you don’t stick to that cadence, it’s still worth addressing them whenever you think to or whenever you have the time, experts said.

Symptoms of Mold Exposure

Products to Stock Up On for Spring Cleaning

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people started cleaning with strong products that weren’t necessary. Noble said, “People get confused about what to use where.”

But you probably don’t need to stock up new cleaning products for your spring cleaning routine. “The good news is they’re still pretty simple: Most people don’t need to invest their money into expensive alcohol wipes or high-intensity bleach solutions,” Noble explained.

Instead, you should make sure you have these four staples on hand for spring cleaning—and your routine cleanings, too, Noble said:

These can all disinfect household surfaces, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind when using them, Vyas said. You should wear gloves when working with harsh chemicals, which can penetrate the skin and cause irritation.

Likewise, it’s important not to mix bleach with other cleaning solutions, especially if they contain ammonia, as it can create atoxic gas.

If you go over a surface with vinegar (or a similar cleaning product), and you want to go over it with bleach, it’s important to wipe it down with water in between, Noble said.

Lastly, following certain safety protocols when cleaning your home is crucial, especially when removing mold from household surfaces. You shouldn’t activate rotating fans near the surfaces you’re cleaning, as these can mobilize germs that can spread to other areas of your home, Noble said.

If any babies, immunocompromised people, or older adults live in your home, clean when they’re outside the house, as the bacteria and mold you’re getting rid of may be harmful if they’re ingested.

How to Make Your Own Disinfectant Bleach Solution

What This Means For YouDuring spring cleaning, target areas of the home that are often missed during routine cleans. Bacteria, fungi, and molds can thrive in hard-to-reach corners of the home and eventually make you sick. Before you start cleaning, it’s important to ensure you’re using the appropriate products and avoid mixing cleaning products, as doing so can cause a harmful chemical reaction.

What This Means For You

During spring cleaning, target areas of the home that are often missed during routine cleans. Bacteria, fungi, and molds can thrive in hard-to-reach corners of the home and eventually make you sick. Before you start cleaning, it’s important to ensure you’re using the appropriate products and avoid mixing cleaning products, as doing so can cause a harmful chemical reaction.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.Get the facts aboutSalmonella.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA): cleaning and disinfection.Ratnaseelan AM, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC.Effects of mycotoxins on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune processes.Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):903-917. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.05.004Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and sanitizing with bleach after an emergency.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.Get the facts aboutSalmonella.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA): cleaning and disinfection.Ratnaseelan AM, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC.Effects of mycotoxins on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune processes.Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):903-917. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.05.004Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and sanitizing with bleach after an emergency.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Food and Drug Administration.Get the facts aboutSalmonella.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA): cleaning and disinfection.Ratnaseelan AM, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC.Effects of mycotoxins on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune processes.Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):903-917. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.05.004Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and sanitizing with bleach after an emergency.

Food and Drug Administration.Get the facts aboutSalmonella.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA): cleaning and disinfection.

Ratnaseelan AM, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC.Effects of mycotoxins on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune processes.Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):903-917. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.05.004

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and sanitizing with bleach after an emergency.

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