A dirty home certainly looks untidy, but can it also be harmful to your health?
Overflowing trash cans, unwashed bed linen and surfaces covered in dust can all contribute to poor health, so to feel healthier and happier, it really pays to try and keep your home as clean as possible.
Here are 5 of the most significant and common ways that a dirty home can be harmful to your health:
- Unclean sheets can irritate your skin
When you don’t wash your bed sheets regularly – once every 10 days to a fortnight as a minimum –the dust mites that are already feeding on the dead skin cells and dander, begin to release waste and germs that can irritate the skin in the form of allergies and contact dermatitis.
- An unhygienic fridge and moldy food can poison you!
Leaving food spillages in your fridge and not getting rid of expired food can put you and everyone else who uses your fridge at risk of food poisoning. Foods can develop E. coli or salmonella, and make you very sick. Keep your fridge clean, check its contents regularly for spillages and expiry dates and clean it thoroughly inside every two to three months.
- If your air vents are polluted, you could experience health issues
It’s worth having a professional cleaning company, or an HVAC specialist check out your air vents to see if they might have developed mold, especially if anyone in your household begins to experience breathing difficulties or feels sick all the time. If the filters aren’t changed regularly, a build up of pollution can easily occur.
- Dirty dishes are a definite no-no!
Aside from the fact that dirty dishes left piled up in the sink look unsightly and will quickly begin to smell, they can also encourage germ-spreading flies and cause bacteria to build up on them. Wash your dishes as soon as possible after you’ve used them and always use dish soap or put them in the dishwasher, to make sure that they’re getting properly cleaned. Changing your sponge or cloth regularly can also prevent the cross contamination of bacteria.
- Bathroom grime can aggravate allergies and cause skin rashes
Whether it’s bath mats, bathroom floors, carpets or even towels, they all have a tendency to trap dust, mites, bacteria and pet dander, and if you don’t clean them regularly, they can aggravate any existing allergies you might have, and even cause infections. Bath mats and towels are often damp and as a result, can quickly become moldy and smell bad. If mold gets into an open nick or cut anywhere on your body, it could get infected and end up making you really sick.
Clean your entire bathroom regularly, wash bath mats and towels often and try to avoid wearing any kind of outdoor footing in there.
Keep yourself healthy and your home clean by hiring a professional cleaning company; you just might be surprised how affordable their services actually are.
