Hidden Germs in Your Kitchen and Bathroom and How To Clean Them

Even clean-looking homes can be havens for bacteria and germs. It’s easy to see the obvious dirty spots in your home such as spilled food on kitchen counters, soap scum in the shower, or a pile of dirty laundry on your child’s bedroom floor, but what about those places that may not look particularly dirty but are the ones that can affect your families health? The National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF) – a public health and safety organization, conducted a study revealing the truth about the cleanliness of most homes and some of the dirtiest spots in them might actually surprise you. The kitchen is the dirtiest room in a house, but germs also collect in the bathroom, particularly in toothbrush holders.   

In this article, we are going to zero in on the places in your kitchen and bathroom that tend to be the germiest and how to keep those pesky buggers at bay:

The germiest places in your kitchen  

Contrary to what most people believe, the germiest spots in your home are not located in the bathroom—they are actually the kitchen, where all of the elements that encourage bacterial growth (heat, moisture, and food) are readily available. Add items to the mix such as raw meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and the germs from purses, backpacks, and reusable grocery bags, and the kitchen becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Keys areas of concern in the kitchen include sponges, tea towels, sinks, countertops, refrigerators, cutting boards, coffee makers, bet bowls, and stove knobs.

Sponge

Public health and safety organization NSF swabbed 30 items in 22 families’ homes and found that 86% of kitchen sponges had mold and yeast, 77% contained coliform bacteria and 18% were filled with staph bacteria. “Number one is the household sponge – almost all have E. coli growing in them, and in our studies, 15% had Salmonella,” says   Gerba – “That sponge stays wet and moist with plenty of food for bacteria to eat.”  You can reduce germs by microwaving that wet sponge. The best way to decontaminate a sponge is to microwave it at full power for two minutes, which will kill 99 percent of germs and spores.  Researchers also recommend replacing your sponge every week to avoid spreading germs.

Dishtowel

If you rush through washing your hands, some germs may still be hanging out on them and you’ll transfer those germs to the dish towel. A recent study found that 89 percent of kitchen rags were contaminated with coliform bacteria, and 25 percent carried E. coli. Experts recommend washing kitchen towels after every use and using paper towels to dry your hands. Change dish towels a few times a week, and wash them with hot water when you do the laundry.

Sink

According to Dr. Gerba,  the kitchen contains even more germs than the bathroom, and the kitchen sink places second on the list of germiest places in your home. When you consider that it’s where you wash dirt and germs off of raw food and rinse your plates and utensils before placing them in the dishwasher, it’s not so hard to see why. The NSF study found that 45% of the sinks contained coliform bacteria and 27% contained mold. Clean and sanitize your sink every other day by scrubbing off deposits, then filling it up with water and adding a little bleach for a five-minute soak. Be sure to rinse afterward. Drains and disposals should also be disinfected at least a couple of times per month.

Cutting board

Whether you’re chopping meat or fruits and veggies, your cutting board could be ground zero for foodborne illness. “The cutting board usually has 200 times more bacteria than a toilet seat,” says Gerba. He recommends using two cutting boards: one for meats and one for veggies to prevent cross-contamination. Always wash your cutting board right after using it, especially if you were using it for cutting raw meat. Researchers at UC Davis also recommend plastic cutting boards over wood, because they are easier to sanitize and can go into the dishwasher. Clean a wooden cutting board with soap and warm water, dry it quickly.

Countertop

If the kitchen is the hub of the home, the countertop is the kitchen’s hub. Packages and bags of groceries (which were previously on the floor of your car) are placed on it, in addition to handbags and backpacks. And yet, this is also where you prepare food – some of it raw. It comes as no surprise that 32% of countertops contained coliform bacteria and 18% contained mold. Keep non-food items off of countertops to give crumbs and germs fewer places to hide and disinfect them before and after preparing food. Then wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth after every meal. Since countertops are made of a variety of materials, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that you don’t damage them.

Refrigerator shelves and drawers

Your refrigerator is home to both raw and cooked foods, and if it is disorganized, they will probably come in contact now and then. Store raw meat in a plastic bag to serve as an extra barrier and throw expired and spoiled food away as soon as you notice it. Empty and wipe down the shelves and drawers before putting food items away whenever you do a big grocery haul. How often do you disinfect the area behind your refrigerator door handle? If this isn’t part of your regular cleaning regimen, it should be.

Gerba and his colleagues measured fecal coliform bacteria in the kitchen and bathroom. The items he listed in his study contained the highest densities of coliform, fecal coliform, and HPC bacteria. On that list were refrigerator door handles. “They tend to get fecal bacteria on them probably because of opening by children and removing and placing raw meat products in the refrigerator,” says Gerba. Clean refrigerator door handles (and the area behind the handle) regularly with a disinfectant spray or disinfecting wipes.

Coffee maker

Most people never think about their coffee maker until they need caffeine. But this continual neglect makes a coffee maker one of the dirtiest places in a home. The dark, damp recesses of its reservoir are a perfect breeding ground for germs.  In the NSF study, half of the reservoirs contained yeast and mold and 9% contained coliform bacteria.

At least once a month, you should run your coffeepot and filter basket through the dishwasher for sanitizing. To clean the coffee reservoir, pour four cups of vinegar into the reservoir, wait 30 minutes, then brew the vinegar as you would brew a pot of coffee. Afterward, brew 3 cycles of just water to rinse the vinegar out.

Stove knobs

How often do you clean your stove knobs? Probably not often enough: In the NSF study, 27% knobs contained mold and yeast, while 14% contained coliform bacteria. On a weekly basis, remove stove knobs and wash them in soapy water. Also, be sure to clean the area behind where the knobs attach.

Pet bowls  

We often forget that our pet’s bowls sitting on the kitchen floor need to be cleaned, just like the dishes we eat off of. But, these dishes often get missed when we’ve finished our daily meals and should be cleaned on a regular basis. Not only do dirty pet dishes look gross, but they can also be hazardous to your pet’s health. Both water and food bowls can become breeding grounds for bacteria and germs that can make your furry family member sick.

That slimy surface on your pet’s bowl is a biofilm, which is a term for “germy coating.” In addition to colonies of innocuous germs, biofilm can harbor dangerous organisms like E. coli, listeria, salmonella, and legionella. Be sure to wipe off any slime or film that may be on their bowl. Give it a thorough wash daily with hot water and soap (rinse well so there is no soap residue left behind), or run it through a cycle in the dishwasher. According to The Honest Kitchen, most bacteria that collect on pet bowls need scalding hot water (140° F) to fully remove and kill it. 

The germiest places in your bathroom 

A lot goes on in your bathroom, so it’s important to keep it as germ-free as possible. Unfortunately, some bacteria linger in the bathroom after every use. To ensure that all types of coliform bacteria are controlled, pay particular attention to spots like toothbrush holders, light switches, doorknobs, and faucet/flusher handles. Keep some disposable disinfecting wipes handy for easy daily cleaning. Bathroom sinks should really be wiped down daily with disinfecting wipes. When cleaning the obviously dirty areas like the bathtub, shower doors, and toilet, take time to wipe down flat surfaces like walls near toilets with disinfectant products.

Toothbrush holder

Contrary to what you might think, the toilet is not the germiest place in your bathroom, but your toothbrush holder is. Because the toilet seat gets cleaned more regularly than other places, Gerba believes it might be the least germy place in your bathroom. However, an alarming 64% of toothbrush holders contained mold and yeast, 27% contained coliform, and 14% contained staph. Also keep in mind that If your toothbrush holder is located close to the toilet, it may be subject to an airborne dispersal of microscopic particles created with each flush of the toilet.

Always be sure to close the lid whenever you flush and try to keep your toothbrush holder as far away from the toilet as possible. On a weekly basis, put the toothbrush holder in the dishwasher’s sanitizing cycle (assuming it’s dishwasher safe). Your toothbrush can contain at least 200,000 bacteria per square inch – that’s more than a toilet seat. You can disinfect your toothbrush by soaking it in antibacterial mouthwash and rinsing thoroughly before using it again. Also, consider replacing toothbrushes every couple of months

Faucet handles

Unless you have a touchless faucet in your bathroom, faucet handles are some of the germiest places in your home. It makes sense as turning on the faucet is the step between using the bathroom and washing your hands. The NSF study found that 27% of faucet handles contained staph and 9% contained coliform bacteria. On a daily basis, clean your faucet handles with a disinfectant spray or disinfecting wipes.

Toilet bowl

This should surprise no one. Your toilet bowl teems with germs—about 3.2 million bacteria per square inch. And when you flush, the turbulence spews tiny particles of water-borne feces into the air in a noxious blast called an aerosol plume.  Modern low-flow toilets have reduced this effect somewhat. Soft-close toilet seats can be closed with only a nudge, which means less handling.

Toilet flusher

A flush handle can be home to as much as 83 bacteria per square inch, so it’s important to always wash your hands after touching it. Also, be sure to regularly wipe down your flush handle with a disinfectant.

Floor around the toilet

It gets splashed, plain and simple. For starters, make sure to put the lid down every time you flush. Clean up noticeable spots right away and scrub with bathroom cleaner at least once a week.

Bathroom door handle  

Bathroom door handles get touched by everyone in the home, making them the Grand Central Station of bacteria. Even though they might seem dry and innocuous, door handles can support live bacteria for up to 24 hours. You can disinfect door handles with antibacterial wipes, but an even easier way to reduce contagion is to use handles made from copper or its alloys, bronze, and brass, which are naturally antimicrobial and can kill pathogens quickly, often within two hours.

Bathroom light switch

Your bathroom’s light switch is one of the dirtiest places in your home. It’s frequently touched by everyone in the family, easily collecting and transferring germs. Disinfecting light switches—in the bathroom and around the house—will help prevent contagion when a family member comes down with the flu.

Bathtub and shower

Because it gets moist in the bathroom, it’s easy for mold, mildew, and other germs to thrive in that type of environment. So, what happens when you don’t scrub your bathtub and shower?  “Germs can line the walls (of the tub) and you can easily touch the surface and then touch your mouth,” said Paul Horowitz, MD, in an interview with WebMD. E.coli, streptococcus, and staph love to thrive in warm, wet bathtubs, especially since tubs don’t dry entirely.

Make sure you give your tub and shower walls a proper scrub with vinegar or bathroom cleaners every time you clean your bathroom. The shower stall, bathtub, or glass shower door may also develop a white buildup of minerals and soap scum, which can breed Serratia marcescens (or that pink bacteria you sometimes see in the shower). Pretreat these areas by spraying with straight white vinegar in a squirt bottle, which helps break down minerals as well as kill bacteria. Wipe down the area with a damp microfiber cloth or sponge.

Shower curtain

Mildew and mold can grow on your shower curtain and why the shower curtain, particularly the liner, is one of your home’s dirtiest places. Nobody is a fan of mold and mildew, but if you’re not cleaning your shower every week, you can surely find these guys hanging out in your tub. “Mold spores are microscopic — so if you can actually see the black color, you literally have millions or billions of spores present,” germ expert Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D. said in an interview with BuzzFeed.

Mildew you’ll recognize right away as the black crud creeping into caulk and grout and starting to take over the bottom of your shower curtain. Fabric liners and shower curtains can be machine washed with a little color-safe bleach to kill mold and germs. (Just don’t put them in the dryer.) Or, since liners are fairly inexpensive, you could just toss yours if the contaminants are out of control. When you replace it, look for a liner that’s antibacterial and mildew-resistant.

Bathmat

Your bathroom floors are the dirtiest ones in your house, which puts your bathmats at ground zero for germs. When neglected, they can accumulate bacteria, mildew, viruses, and fungi, which are all bad news if you happen to have a small wound on your foot. Make sure the bathmats you choose for your home are washable (no rubber backing), then run them through a sanitizing cycle every couple of weeks. Your bathroom floor will feel a lot cozier when it’s warm.

Towels

Like dish towels, they pick up any germs left after a shower. Plus, if your bathroom has poor air circulation, towels may get musty if they stay damp too long. Wash them in hot water at least once a week.

The takeaway

Dr. Gerba warns against panicking. “You do not have to keep your home germ-free – just keep the numbers down.” When it comes to keeping the germs at bay, routine cleaning and disinfecting along with good hygiene habits like frequent hand washing are your best defense!

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