No matter what time of year it is, your bathroom contains some of the germiest spots in your home. Some of these places include the toilet, faucet handles, and--prepare yourself--your toothbrush holder! While it’s essential to keep a clean bathroom year-round to avoid illness, “cold and flu season” presents some extra challenges, along with the current pandemic.
Use the tips below from health and cleaning experts to minimize and prevent germs from spreading in your bathroom.
1. Know the difference between “cleaning” and “disinfecting.”
Often on a cleaning product, you’ll see directions for “how to clean” and a set below that for “how to disinfect.” According to the CDC, cleaning is when you use a detergent or soap and water to get rid of dirt, germs, and impurities from a surface. Disinfecting is when you use a disinfectant to kill germs on the surface after you clean it. Cleaning helps lower the risk of spreading infection, and disinfecting afterward reduces that risk even more.
2. Make sure your family’s toothbrushes don’t touch.
To decrease the chance that you’ll spread illness, make sure your family’s toothbrush holder does not allow the brushes to come into contact with each other. Also, don’t forget to wash the holder weekly in soapy water to get rid of the germs it accumulates. If someone in your family gets sick, replace their toothbrush.
3. Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily.
People typically get sick when they touch their nose, mouth, or eyes after touching an infected surface. The surfaces that are most likely to get infected are the ones we come into contact with frequently. In the bathroom, those would be faucet handles, drawer pulls, doorknobs, the shower door handle, light switches, hair styling tools, and the countertop.
4. Don’t flush wipes or facial tissue.
Never flush facial tissue or disinfectant wipes--this can cause a clog! To prevent the spread of germs if someone gets sick, make sure they throw their tissues away in a plastic-lined trash can. When you’re ready to take out the trash, wear disposable gloves.
Don’t let a plumbing emergency get you down! Call The Rooter Works Plumbing and Drains today at (614) 412-3324 for same-day service.
