Home experts have carried out an experiment across UK houses to find out which areas were full of germs - and two places were the clear standouts.
Keeping up with the house chores can be difficult, especially if you live with a big family and work takes up most of your time.
Although you might think a quick once-over your surfaces with a damp cloth might be doing the trick, it turns out there's a whole array of harmful bacteria that could be lurking all over - especially on door handles.
Experts at IronmongeryDirect went round people's homes swabbing door and cabinet handles, as well as the toilet seat to find out which of these carried the most germs.
They discovered that the handles were up to eight times dirtier than the average toilet seat, with 63 per cent of people admitting they often forget about these areas.
Internal bathroom door handles were found to be the filthiest, with an average of 93 bacteria colonies per cm2 of surface (CFU/cm2).
And the kitchen was also a hotspot for germs, with food and cutlery cabinets hosting four times as many bacteria colonies as a toilet (54 vs 12 CFU/cm2).
Experts recommend door handles they are cleaned at least once a week, but almost two-thirds (63%) of adults surveyed admitted that they don't wipe them this regularly. In fact, one in seven (14%) Brits say that they never clean their handles at all.
Caroline Rowney, Director at Bacteria Busters, explains the consequences of not keeping these surfaces clean.
"Door handles are an excellent place for bacterial transference and harbour germs for far longer than other surfaces. Bacteria and germs such as Salmonella, Covid-19 and MRSA can survive on handles for hours, days and even weeks."
This can increase the likelihood of you or others catching an illness, so Caroline has shared expert advice on how to properly clean the handles in your home.
- Isopropyl alcohol spray – If you are in a hurry, a quick spray of this will kill most germs.
- Warm soapy water - For the best finish and a more thorough clean, soak a cloth in a bowl of warm water and dish soap, and, after wringing it out, use that to clean the handles.
- Clean cloth and wax - Wipe away the moisture with a clean, dry cloth and then use another to smooth a little wax over the handle, leaving it shiny and fresh.
- Flour, salt and vinegar - If your handles are made of copper, brass or pewter, the technique is slightly different. Create a paste using a tablespoon of flour, salt and vinegar, then rub that into your handles, allowing it to sit for a couple of minutes before removing it with hot, soapy water. Use a very soft cloth to then gently buff the handle to a shiny finish.
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