Keeping the house clean is second nature for most of us. But what about the extra things you can do to ensure that your home is hygienically clean? This means not just keeping your environment fresh but reducing the risk of spreading infection around your home.
If you’re wondering how to keep your house hygienic, then read on. We’re going to offer some simple tips for a hygienically clean home that won’t take a lot of effort.
The end result? A clean, fresh home that’s safe and comfortable for all the family to enjoy.
Set up a deep cleaning schedule
While you carry out surface cleaning every day, deep cleaning needs to happen every now and then to reach all those nooks and crannies.
Here’s our checklist for a deep cleaning schedule you can use in your home every three months:
Throughout the house
- Clear away any clutter.
- Dust down ceilings and fixtures like lightshades and fan blades with a long-handled tool.
- Dust round architrave and skirting boards.
- Clean windows and sills.
- Vacuum blinds and curtains with the brush tool on your vacuum cleaner.
- Dust all other surfaces.
- Deep clean floors by moving furniture out of the way. Have carpets and rugs professionally cleaned. Use a disinfectant solution on hard floors.
- Clean door handles, light switches and keyboards with disinfectant wipes to get rid of any lingering germs.
Bedrooms
- Remove all bedding and machine wash it or have it professionally cleaned.
- Remove dirt and odours from your mattress by sprinkling baking soda over it, leaving it for an hour, then vacuuming it up.
- Take all clothes out of wardrobes and drawers and get rid of items you no longer wear. Clean the interior of wardrobes and drawers.
Kitchens
- Take out all items from cabinets and wipe down shelves and the front and back of doors before replacing them.
- Do the same for your fridge and freezer.
- With help, pull heavy appliances like your cooker and fridge away from the wall and clean underneath and at the back.
Bathrooms
- Get rid of soap residue on your shower cabinet surfaces with a specially designed cleaning agent.
- Remove all items from vanity units and cabinets, discard anything that’s out of date and clean down surfaces.
Lounge
- Wash all your sofa and cushion covers and throws.
- Vacuum all surfaces of sofas and chairs to get rid of hidden debris.
- Dust around any pictures, ornaments and electronic devices.
Observe food hygiene practices
Following good food hygiene practices in the kitchen is important to prevent food poisoning and spreading infection.
Here are the essential food hygiene rules you should be following:
- Check your fridge temperature – it should be below 5°C.
- Store food correctly. Don’t overfill your fridge. Store raw meat in a container with a lid and keep it on the bottom shelf so it doesn’t drip onto other foods.
- Use different chopping boards for different types of foods.
- Cool food down within two hours of cooking before refrigerating it.
- Don’t guess cooking times. This is especially important for cooking meat, which should be cooked until juices run clear and it reaches the recommended temperature for each variety. Invest in a food thermometer to help you know when food is properly cooked.
You can find out more information on food hygiene on the Department of Health website.
Keep hands super clean
The cornerstone of keeping a hygienic home is ensuring that the whole family keeps their hands clean.
Encourage all family members to wash their hands with soap and water regularly. Make sure you wash for at least 20 seconds and wash the backs of the hands and fingers and under the nails. Rinse with fresh water.
Hands should be washed:
- Before preparing food
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After caring for sick people
- After changing nappies
- After coughing or sneezing
- After handling pets
A great way to keep your hands hygienic in between washing with soap and water is to use hand sanitiser gel. It’s a quick and easy way to kill almost all germs and minimise the spread of infection.
You can also use hand sanitiser spray to freshen up between handwashing. Keep a hand sanitiser dispenser for your home somewhere central like the kitchen so that everyone remembers to use it.
Keeping hygienically clean is easy
Keeping your house extra clean is easy with our home hygiene tips. All it takes is a little commitment to establish some simple routines, and before long, you should see and feel the difference in your home.
For a helping hand, browse our collection of health and wellness items. They’re all about keeping your home and family clean and healthy with minimum effort.