For people like me, mama bear meets clean freak. I do more than a quick cleaning of my home, especially with little ones. When you have kids, they are sticky finger monsters and touch everything!
How clean is your house mama? I am willing to bet your windows have those cute adorable fingerprints just like mine. Evidence that our children are present and they are growing and learning every day.
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Runny noses and sticky fingers
It’s inevitable that if you have little ones under the age of 5. Someone is always going to have a runny nose. In fact, a study found that “A child under 5 has a virus in the nose for half the year.”
It’s just a part of childhood. Our immune systems build as children. Plus, children are learning and exploring every day.
From the constant toys in their mouths, crawling, walking, climbing. They are touching surfaces all the time.
Children learn and explore their world through touch and using their other senses. But, the more children you have, the more susceptible, the more germs running around your house.
Now, this post isn’t about just kids and their sticky fingers. But I felt it was important to add some background on why the areas in your home will have more germs laying around the house than lets a single, married couple or person.
We love our sticky finger monsters. But it’s our job to help stop the spread of those germs.
Keeping a clean house
A huge part of my home management system is my daily cleaning routine.
My system helps me clean quickly and save my sanity.
It’s important to remember what, when, and why you are wiping down, cleaning, and disinfecting things in your home.
You see, cross-contamination of germs is what you need to keep at bay.
There are areas in your home that are lurking with germs and are often touched but ignored by many.
This post is your ultimate list of areas that you need to be wiping down, cleaning, and disinfecting.
What Should You Be Wiping Down, Cleaning And Disinfecting
Your cleaning list
- Broom/dust panhandle – I can bet you have never wiped this bad boy down. But yet this handle is touched multiple times.
- Fire Starter – Do you use a quickfire starter to light a birthday cake or candles in your home?
- Stove nobs – you may have your days where you clean your stove, but those knobs are touched every time you cook.
- Grocery items – you might be thinking no way – but yes way, let’s think about this. That item came from a factory. Then shipped as a package, to a truck, off the truck, to a store shelf. How many people have touched it before you brought it home? We have no idea. So yes, while many of us don’t do it all the time. In these uncertain times, we need to be thinking about it and doing it.
- Kitchen butcher block/knife storage – did you know that it might have bacteria in it.
- Cabinets doors – they open and close every day
- Door knobs – we touch those all the time daily
- Chairs – we push and pull these guys out all the time
- Your walls – you know those dark spots or areas on your walls. They are from finger grease and dirt.
- Vacuum handle and bottom base – I use the vacuum for more than carpet if you are like me. I clean off toddler crumbs, crumbs off the floor, and counters. Remember that the bottom of your vacuum and the attachments accumulate dust and dirt. So these need to be wiped.
- Scissors – do you have kitchen scissors, craft scissors, or scissors that the kids use.
- Chargers – we use our chargers daily for electronics.
- Light switches
- Cellphone – your kids touch it, and so do you. But what is on the surface is what is scary check this post out.
- Computer and all its accessories – wipe down everything thing, mouse, keyboard and touch screen.
- Remote controls – which now and days not only push buttons on our remotes, but we have voice command options.
- Blow dryer – handle and buttons.
- Brushes/Combs – you should periodically clean the bristles of the brush. But wiping the handle because you do use it daily.
- Toothbrushes – have you read about how toilet germs are airborne and get on your toothbrush.
- Electric Shavers -tiny hair, skin particles all get stuck in there. Follow your manufacturer’s cleaning guide. But I love to clean it with some alcohol and Q-tips to get in the tiny spaces.
- Buttons on – microwave, fridge, washer, and dryer – these time-saving gadgets are the best, but we need to wipe them down from time to time.
- Sliding glass door handle
- Fridge Door – This one is so obvious. Do your kids stand in front of the fridge too?
- Stair rails/handles – Your hand should be able to glide across the rail, if not more than likely; it needs a good wipe down.
- Key Fobs/Keys – Beep Beep
- Floor washer – I love my floor washer. But the dirt that comes up from the floor is pure evidence that with kids, floors don’t stand a chance. So I use it often. Wipe down the handle, attachments and clean out the water containers in hot water.
- Steamer handle – same as above
- Sunglasses – speaking of these, you should check out my favorite ones we use for our kids.
- Toaster buttons – just like any other buttons in your house.
- Coffee maker buttons
- Tea Kettle handle/buttons
- Seasoning containers – I tackle this. When I grab one to use, I wipe it before I put it back.
- Yoga Mat – they sell cleaner for this.
- Workout tools/weights – all that sweat and gunk needs to be wiped away.
So if you are reading this list in a panic thinking oh my I need to go rush and clean all this right this minute.
And if you need recommendations on what to clean your house with. Check out my favorites below.
Let’s take a breather here mama.
The way I tackle these areas isn’t daily. Because let’s be honest, this is not humanly possible. But what I do is keep a constant clean train going. When I use an item before I put it back, I wipe it quickly—quick cleaning tips from a busy mom.😉
When it comes to areas like my cleaning tools, I pick certain times every couple of months to take them apart and deep clean them.
Clean doorknobs and frequently touched areas are easy, quick chores. You can give the kiddos the task of wiping them down. These are simple chores that kids can tackle and offer an opportunity to learn about chores.
Keep cleaning wipes handy all the time, which allows you a quick way to clean, disinfect, wipe down the most commonly touched areas in your home.
Ashley
Saturday 25th of April 2020
WOW! I never even though about so many of these that I should be wiping down. Thank you for sharing this.
yourmomvillagelvg
Sunday 26th of April 2020
You are very welcome! I keep wondering if there is more. When you start looking around your house or paying attention to what you are touching it surprises you.
Grace
Friday 24th of April 2020
Great blog tips especially wiping down the grocery items.
Caitlin
Friday 24th of April 2020
So many great reminders of places to clean that we so commonly touch!! From one mama to another, thanks for the comprehensive list.
Laura
Friday 24th of April 2020
I've definitely been wiping down knobs and handles a lot more often lately. Light switches and remote controls are big ones for me. I don't have kids so there's not as much of a worry about spreading germs. But whatever I'm bringing into the house each day is definitely going to linger on the things I touch frequently. So, it only makes sense to wipe them down. I didn't think about the broom handle, though. Thanks!