Your bathroom isn’t the dirtiest part of the house. You’ll have to be more attentive to the surfaces, nooks, and corners that you often ignore because you forget about the dust and dirt buildup you’ve found before, or you can’t reach them. Your home is an excellent breeding ground for fungi, bacteria, and bugs if you aren’t thorough with the cleaning.

Below is a list of the most infested areas in your house and how you can clean them.

Grout

Tiles might make your house look sophisticated, but they can also be harmful. It often resembles the look of grout. If you check thoroughly, you’ll notice dust and grime trapped between the tiles, eventually making the walls or floors look dirty. Because grout is porous and light, it’s susceptible to staining. Maintaining it might seem tedious, but you can minimize mold buildup if you include it in your cleaning routine.

Use a brush specifically designed for cleaning grout or an old toothbrush. Dip it in hot water before scrubbing the grout. Or, you can mix vinegar with equal parts of water and wipe it directly on dirty surfaces. It’ll release trapped oils, dirt, and dust. Most people also prefer to use a baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture.

Begin by adding one to two tablespoons of baking soda to hydrogen peroxide to get the right consistency. It’ll turn into a paste that you can apply to the grout. Leave it for ten minutes before scrubbing the surface.

Air Vents

Your HVAC vents are also the culprit for allergies and asthma. That’s because it’s where bug feces, hair, and dirt tend to accumulate. If not cleaned properly, they can quickly get circulated in your home’s indoor air, which you breathe daily. You don’t need to hire an air duct cleaning company to maintain the vents. You can use your vacuum in cleaning the air registers. It can suck up the dirt and dust in these areas.

Or, use a long hose to reach into your air ducts. You can also use a toilet brush or a stifle-bristle paintbrush for cleaning. Don’t forget to protect yourself by wearing a mask and pair of gloves while cleaning. Don’t forget about the dryer vent if you also plan to clean your laundry room. You can do that by using suction, vacuum cleaner, or hose attachment to enter the vent. Move it around the dryer exhaust and suck out what you can. If you still can’t address the problem, it’s best to call a dryer vent cleaning company.

Drain Stoppers

Drain stoppers are another breeding ground for mold and bacteria. That’s because it can turn into a breeding ground full of germs. If your drain starts running slow, you’ll have to buy a new drain stopper immediately. But you’ll have to replace it to prevent that issue from recurring. Or, you can remove the gunk manually by mixing soap and warm water.

Pour in a vinegar solution or detergent before wiping the stoppers with a cloth.

Grocery Bags

Your reusable grocery bags might be protecting the environment, but they can also be carriers of bacteria and germs. That’s because you used those bags to carry cartons, fruits, vegetables, or poultry, making it susceptible to cross-contamination. In addition, they’re high-touch items, frequently touched by human hands and other objects. Hence, they become the most harmful item that can easily contaminate your family. Begin by soaking them in lukewarm water mixed with detergent.

If you’re using a canvas bag, you can put them inside the washing machine. Don’t take a damp cloth or canvas bag out of the house because it’s dangerous. Its moist nature will result in mildew and mold growth.

Blender Gaskets

Your blender gaskets help you make smoothies and grind vegetables. Many only clean the blender jar after using the machine, so they end up missing the gaskets at the bottom. By repeatedly using the blender, this part of the machine gets infested with mold, yeast, and bacteria. Moisture and food particles between the gasket and base become a breeding ground for germs.

Kitchen Sponges

You shouldn’t also forget about your kitchen sponges. Based on the NSF International Household Germ Study, researchers revealed that nearly 75% of dish rags and sponges are home to a family of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, making your kitchen the dirtiest part of the house. If your sponge starts smelling, it’s time to have it replaced or cleaned because it might already be harboring bacteria.

Keeping it clean is advisable, but it’s best to replace your sponges monthly. If you can’t, dip your sponge in water before putting it inside the oven for a minute. Also, you can soak it in warm water mixed with concentrated bleach. Or, shove it inside the dishwasher.

Your pile of dirty laundry, soap scum in the shower, or spilled food on kitchen counters are some of the prominent dirty spots in the house, but you might not think about the areas that might be dirtier than these. It might put your family’s health in danger, so you’ll have to address the problem before it worsens.