Our home is our domain, our castle, our solitude. We keep it clean, tidy, and free from invaders – right? As it turns out, maybe not. There are many hidden spots you need to clean in the home, and you might be surprised by just how much bacteria they’re concealing.

Here are the top four places you’ll want to clean:

Ceiling fans

Here in Northwest Ohio, some of us turn our ceiling fans on in June and don’t turn them off until September. During this time, dust and lint build up on the blades. And let’s be real for a second: how often do we look up at our living room ceiling? Probably not too often.

But we should since the dust and lint can contribute to allergies and should be cleaned off every other month. To do so, grab an old pillowcase and spray some water or cleaner inside. Place it over the blades and then pull the case towards you. This way, all of that debris doesn’t come falling to the ground.

Remote control

It’s likely that from the youngest to the oldest to the family dog, everyone who lives under your roof has touched the remote in the past week. Yet, when is the last time you cleaned it?

Some studies have suggested that the remote control is the dirtiest object in the house – period. Whether true or not, it’s a fact that the remote control can be a bastion of germs. Wiping it down with a damp cloth on a regular basis will help to thwart the growth of harmful bacteria. (Just be sure to turn it off and remove the batteries before cleaning it.)

Coffee pot

Of all of the locations on our list, this might be the worst at contributing to poor health. When you think about it, a coffee pot is a perfect place for mold to grow: it’s warm, damp, and the perfect climate for dangerous bacteria. This bacteria can lead to headaches, gastrointestinal issues, allergies and more.

So what’s the solution? As with any part of our kitchen, clean your coffee pot regularly. Run white vinegar through it on a monthly basis. Also, if your carafe is in need of a good cleaning, use warm, soapy water with a little bit of rice added to scrub the glass.

Cell phone screen

If the coffee pot is the worst than this is the most intimate. We’re all connected to our phones: we watch television on them, take them to our son’s soccer game, and (if you’re daring) you may actually talk on them. With the advent of touch screens, all of that texting, social media checking, and gaming means we are constantly in physical contact with our phones. Germs and bacteria get transferred from our hands to our screens…and then we get a phone call and put it all over our face.

Cell phones have been found to be dirtier than a toilet seat. It’s a breeding ground for contamination and should be cleaned often. Turn off your phone, get a slightly damp, lint-free cloth and wipe it down. Don’t get any moisture into the openings, and definitely, don’t spray it with water.

And of course, whenever there is water damage from a leaky pipe or flooded basement, the proper cleanup is necessary to prevent widespread damage to the house, as well as to prevent sickness. If you find yourself in need of professional remediation services, contact us and we’ll have someone reach out to you within 24 hours!