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Many people take a great amount of fulfillment in their homes and their cleanliness of them. Naturally, no one wants to live in a dirty home, and the consequences of doing so are unbearable to most.
However, when most people think of cleanliness it is what they can see and measure that gets judged. Shiny faucets, sparkling kitchen sinks, and cookers that look like they have never been used. Being able to wipe a finger along with a picture frame without so much as a speck of dust. These are the normal visible ways cleaning is judged.
Yet, there are many things that the naked eye cannot take in. Houses and apartments make homes for humans, but they are also often extremely welcoming to pests and invisible bacteria. Do you genuinely understand how clean your home is?
Are you placing your family’s health at stake by not cleaning properly?
Over the last two years and more, the world has had a relentless bombardment about the need to sanitize. Covid showed how quickly a virus could spread just by touching contaminated services.
Because of this, businesses are much more thorough with their cleaning standards now. A professional cleaning company will not just clean the home or office but will sanitize it afterward. Health and safety standards have become stricter today.
Whether the same can be said for people cleaning their own homes is a matter of opinion. It can take a significant amount of time to thoroughly clean a home. The truth is, that many areas will be missed or neglected.
What areas of a home get neglected the most during cleaning?
A two or three-bedroom home is a large area to clean. Typically, a homeowner may tackle one or two rooms at a time due to time limitations. It can be tough to keep a home organized and clean during the work week.
Professional cleaning services obviously come into a home with a team. They are therefore able to get to areas that are often missed. And it is these experts that can point out some areas that generally get neglected during cleaning.
These include:
- Mattresses
- Underneath appliances
- Inside the fridge
- Shower curtains or screens
- Mattresses
- Door handles
- Ceiling fans
- Skirting boards
- Blinds
Some are easy to ignore but are very important to clean. Door handles are touched constantly by different people and are an easy way to transfer germs. Refrigerators are one of the most neglected areas, and yet it is where people store the food they eat.
Some areas such as ceiling fans simply collect dust, but others such as mattresses can end up harboring thousands of dust mites if not cleaned.
What problems can occur if cleaning is neglected?
Computers, remote controls, gaming machines, and mobile devices, may be shared between people. And yet, they are rarely cleaned. Think how much bacteria could be on your laptop keyboard.
Ignoring areas in the home can lead to different problems. Some of these will affect people’s physical health, and some can even impair mental wellness too. Ignoring certain areas may even lead to damage through dampness or mold.
Here are some areas that get neglected, and the results of the lack of cleaning.
Health issues from ignoring areas during cleaning
Drain flies and bacteria
Anyone who has had drain flies will understand the importance of drain cleaning. Gunk, grime, debris, and dirt, all accumulate in drains unless they are cleaned. This can lead to mold on occasion and certain bacteria.
Allergens
The most common types of allergen in the home are pollen, dander, and dust. Pests and insects can cause problems too. Carpet is often home to allergens such as these, as are soft furniture and mattresses.
Dust mites
Another problem with not cleaning carpets and mattresses is dust mites. These are known to cause health problems from minor irritation to serious allergic reactions.
Mold and mildew
Not only can mold cause sickness, but it can also cause damage to a home and its contents. Mold can destroy carpeting, and damage insulation and walls.
Mildew is less damaging to property than mold, but can still affect a person’s health. Mold can easily be missed because it can occur in places that are neglected such as basements and attics.
Areas that should be given special attention
Kitchen counters
According to the National Library of Medicine, microbes and bacteria colonize kitchen counters. Cutting boards are rife with bacteria and are said to sometimes be worse than toilet seats.
When you consider that this is where the family’s food is prepared, it is a critical area for cleaning.
Bed sheets
It may sound surprising, but bed sheets can give you the flu or even food poisoning. If sheets aren’t changed often enough they can make a person sick. They are capable of harboring thousands of types of bacteria.
Upholstery
Cleaning upholstery properly will help to extend the life of the furniture. Ignore it and you are likely to be sitting on something quite disgusting. Sofas and armchairs play home to all manner of crumbs and bits of food and debris that hides under the cushions. Fortunately, it is also easy to vacuum and keep these items clean.
Carpets
As mentioned above, carpets can harbor all manner of unpleasant allergens. They can end up with grime and dirt clinging to the fibers which cause damage over time too.
But worse, carpets can carry some serious bacteria that cause disease and illness. The effects of salmonella on humans are listed by the CDC, and this can be caught from dirty carpets. If you have pets there may be a higher risk of this and can be a risk to any child playing on an unclean carpet. Vacuuming alone won’t clean a carpet properly.
Summary
While it may seem terrifying to imagine all these hidden dangers in a home, most people needn’t worry. Regular cleaning will keep a home to a good standard that will see no health concerns.
However, a professional cleaning service can be beneficial once in a while to eradicate further unseen issues and keep a home in tip-top condition.
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