How often should you wash and launder everything at home from a scientific point of view?

Everyone’s idea of cleanliness is different, and the need for cleaning is often determined by eye. Most recommendations on how to keep a house tidy are based on the experience of past generations rather than on scientific evidence.

In this case, we clean not only for the sake of beauty, but also to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms. And different areas of an apartment or home are home to different microbes with different life cycles, which is important to consider in order to maintain cleanliness.

Microbiologist Jason Tetrault and tidying expert Becky Rapinchuk tell us how often you should clean and why.

Bedding

Germs that accumulate on bedding get on it with dust and are considered relatively harmless.

But sweat, saliva and other human body secretions left on sheets and pillowcases are excellent breeding grounds for bacteria, dust mites and other critters.

Therefore the bedclothes should be changed once a week, at most once every two weeks. It is preferable to wash bed sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases at high temperatures of 60°C or more, unless otherwise indicated on the labels.

Sinks

Wash and disinfect sinks every day. Even if they look clean, they are a breeding ground for germs, including pathogens. Moisture, food scraps, dirt that we wash off our hands after being outdoors or using the toilet, all create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella.

So at least once a day, kitchen and bathroom sinks should be cleaned with a cleaning agent and treated with a suitable household disinfectant.

Carpets and Floors

Vacuum or brush carpets once a week or more often if there are pets in the house. This will help keep dirt and dust under control and keep them from spreading all over the house.

Floors should be cleaned at least once every two weeks, or better, more often, especially in the kitchen where crumbs, grease drips and other food fragments end up on the floor.

Bathroom Plumbing

The bathroom is an ideal habitat for microorganisms. And they can even spread up to two meters away from the toilet bowl. So it should be cleaned and disinfected at least once a week, and a bathtub or shower stall at least once every two weeks.

Also do not forget about curtains: mold appears very quickly on them, so they need to be washed and treated with disinfectant at least once a week.

Towels

Bath towels collect a lot of microorganisms, including staphylococcus, various fungi and E. coli. So experts recommend changing them daily.

Kitchen towels should be sent to the wash at least once a week. If you’ve worked with raw meat and then wiped your hands on a towel, you should put it in the washing machine right away.

Kitchen sponges

Experts advise boiling them on the stove or keeping them in the microwave for two minutes once every two days. And at least twice a month, replace them with new ones.

It is important to understand that washing or washing the sponge with water and soap does not help get rid of the microorganisms that accumulate in it. That is why sterilization or replacement is exactly what is needed.

Doorknobs

You should clean them at least once a week, especially for bathroom and kitchen doors, because they collect the most dirt.