Human & Health Tips: Healthy Home (Regular and Routine Cleaning_Overlooked areas) || By @xkool24 || 17th July 2022

Hi friends, welcome to my blog as I present to you one of your favorites in Human and Health Tips for this week. We will explicitly be taking again on the healthy home series. I hope we get the best of this series.

Introduction

We all know the importance of a regular house cleaning as this guarantees a good health condition. No doubts that keeping the house clean pays big rewards in terms of one's health. This is simply because infectious diseases (viral and bacterial) can be found in homes where one is ill and if proper hygiene isn't put in place, this can spread the infectious disease and probably lead to outbreaks.

Dangers from dander and allergens at home are potential traitors to one's respiratory system with the feeling of being miserable if unchecked. Most importantly, some spots in the home are active germ breeders and hence the frequency of cleaning up the home should be maintained for a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, we have to be systematic in our approach while cleaning as routine cleaning and replacement of used items at home.

Remember the essence of this article is to show us some of the overlooked areas in our homes that needed both routine and conventional cleaning so as to allow for fresh air and healthy living.

Key Routine Home Cleaning

1. Discarding/Replacement of Toothbrush Every three (3) Months:

Most of us are victims of this overused scenario whereby we continue to prolong the use of Toothbrushes because of economic conditions or lack of knowledge required on brush usage. A three-month-old toothbrush may look fine to us but when checked using the microscopic lens, they are unhealthy to continue its usage.

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According to American Dental Association (ADA) noted that since the mouth contains hundreds of microorganisms, the easiest way to proliferate germs is through the brush with the potential to worm their way into the human system via the brush. Brushes should be rinsed thoroughly with tap water upright to allow for quick dryness and less infestation.

Sometimes, we notice that the brush bristles get frayed even before the stipulated three months duration. In this case, it is usually difficult to effectively wash off leftovers in the teeth and this now becomes a gradual breading ground as well. Therefore, the frayed brush bristles should be replaced immediately.

2. Cleaning and Washing up the Pillows every Four to Six (4 - 6) months:

Though most part of the pillow is protected from pathogens by their cases leaving these cases over the allowed period brings infestation or spread of bacteria. A safe approach should be taken whereby they should be thrown into a washer every 4 - 6 months.

In doing so, duvets, throw pillows and comforters should as well be washed within this duration. In situations where our personal washers cannot carry these items, use a laundromat that uses commercial size washers or get them washed professionally.

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3. Cleaning of Mattresses every Six (6) months:

Cleaning of home mattresses should be done within a max period of six months. This may not follow the conventional system of throwing them into the washing machine but rather with the use of a vacuum cleaner. Experts proffer at least 20 minutes of vacuuming while cleaning up the mattress.

The essence of cleaning up the mattress using vacuuming cleaning is to remove dust mites that are inherent in this kind of place which is those microscopic eight-legged mites. Its reactions are seen in the form of sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, eczema, and itching.

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Humans spend a third of their life in bed and this makes the proliferation of dust mites due to their ability to feed on dead skin cells as well as delay in cleaning up these mattresses. The use of bed nylon covers is also a smart way of ameliorating these dust mites drastically.

4. Refrigerator three (3) Months Cleanup:

This is a place of preservation where edible items are kept so as to slow down spoiling. This act of cleaning should be done most quarterly to improve food shelf life as well as the health conditions of those in the home. Spoiled or rotten foods should be disposed of immediately, and then other food items before a proper cleanup.

This should be done with warm and soapy water. It can also be done using a disinfectant, which helps neutralize any possible germs on shelf surfaces.

5. Air Ducts Cleanup

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This is usually found in vents like air conditioners, home heaters, window louvers, etc. This may not necessarily require a routine clean-up but rather cleaning done when they are observed dirty. Sometimes we see them emit or blow out dusty airs or moldy substances around these vents.

Most importantly, we should pay attention to our smartphones, remote controls, and other gadgets or devices we frequently use. This collective consciousness brings about improved healthy living.

Thank you all for reading through my article on Human and Health Tips.

Written by @xkool24