Are you completely allergic to housework? Do you tend to let the dust build up on your shelves? Or are you as lazy as sin when it comes to taking the toilet brush out and starting the dreaded task? We can well understand it, household chores are not our favourite thing to do either! However, apart from getting in a cleaner, unfortunately there is nothing else for it. To ensure you stay in good health, to limit allergies and microbes, you need to regularly clean your home. But only using natural products, or you risk making things worse… Here are a few tips and recommendations to get you going.
Rugs, lamps, ornaments, curtains -all your decorative objects gather dust, even if you don’t notice it. As well as making you sneeze or making your asthma worse, these objects build up millions of bacteria if they are not cleaned regularly. Without becoming too obsessive about cleaning, if there are certain objects that constantly surround you, it is important to know how often you need to wash them or disinfect them.
1/ Bath towels
Towels and face cloths are used on a daily basis, and carry a multitude of bacteria. This is why it is important to wash them after every 3 or 4 uses maximum, and to allow them to dry out well.
2/ Tea towels and sponges
Your tea towels house on average one million bacteria per 2 cm², which is 200,000 times more than a toilet seat! It is therefore recommended that you wash your tea towels 2 to 3 times a week. In terms of sponges, these contain around 10 million bacteria. Ideally, you should wash them every day or every second day at a high temperature (over 40°C). You can also soak your sponge in white vinegar and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes to kill germs.
3/ Bath mats
Because of the almost permanent humidity your bath mat is exposed to, it is recommended that you wash it at least once a week.
4/ Sheets and quilts
It is recommended that you wash your sheets, duvet covers and pillow slips in the washing machine (+40°C) around twice a month. The actual pillows and quilts can be cleaned twice a year.
5/ Curtains
Much like rugs, curtains are veritable nests for bacteria, and quickly become impregnated with dust. It is recommended that you wash them around twice a year or slightly more often if you are allergic to dust or mites.
6/ Chopping boards
A food chopping board contains around 200% more germs than a toilet seat! Wash it with soap and hot water after every use.
