17 raw household items that you should replace more often

If you do not frequently replace these items, your home could become a petri dish.


We were all guilty of retaining things well after their Primovere, which we were trying to convince us that these ribbed sneakers could last another year or that last week's shooting is probably still eating. However, with regard to your health and safety, you may want to speed up the program with which you arereplace some of your essential elements. With the help of cleaning experts, we gathered the supplies you should replace more frequently - and how to know when it's time to give them start. And for more ways of genius to come out of your home, check these27 amazing cleaning tips you want to know earlier.

1
Water filters

white hand getting water from fridge
Shutterstock / Cegli

It may seem like your water filter is rinsed with each use, but this can be a major breeding ground for bacteria if you do not change it often enough.

"Your refrigerator filter does not just affect the water you drink, it also affects the quality of the ice it wins," explainsJennifer Rodriguez, Chief Officer of HygienePro domestic, which recommends replacing the refrigerator water filters every six to eight months.

2
Toothbrushes

toothbrushes
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Thinkyour toothbrush Should look in rags before it's time to have a new one? Still think.

"Most people do not clean their toothbrushes as often as they should, and they wear germs," ​​saysTom KlimaszewskiAn expert in the prevention of certified infectious diseases with the Chicago-based cleaning service,Bee line support.

Klimaszewski recommends maintaining covered toothbrushes or storing them inside a drawer because the toilet flushes "can propagate microscopic bacteria, including E.Coli, up to six feet."

3
Hand towels

white woman drying hand on pink hand towel
Shutterstock / Goffkein.pro

If you do not replace your hand towels every two years, they could be hosting dangerous bacteria. That's why it's important to wash them as often as possible.

"Especially now, paper towels are a safer bet, if you do not blaze your towels regularly," says Klimaszewski. And if you want to keep your space cleaner, make sure you know you knowThe 13 dirty things in your home, according to science.

4
Bath mat

gray and white bath mat
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As they are generally kept in wet environments and are in frequent contact with germs of your body, hanging from this bath mat for too long, this could mean that you create a breeding ground for mold and mold.

Justin Carpenter, Owner ofModern maidsA home cleaning service based in Dallas, explains that bath mats must be replaced every two years. It also recommends you to wash them regularly between replacements. "This ensures that they stay free of germs, especially if you have many people using the same carpet," he says.

5
Mop

person using mop to clean hardwood floor
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If you do not frequently replace your mop garment, you can make your home dirtier than if you do not mop.

"By frequently replacing your mop, you make sure that allows you to clean your space and not to become a danger by leaving germs and bacteria behind," says Carpenter, which recommends replacing mop accessories every two months. .

6
Cleaning cloths

Man cleaning baseboard with cloth
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Of course, you can use them forGet your own homeBut these clothes are not exactly without germ.

Carpenter suggests that using rags once, then throw them into the washing machine instead of letting them stay wet under your sink or closet. You must also completely replace rags every two years.

Not only frequent cleaning and replacement will help reduce the propagation of bacteria, "the new cloths will absorb more solution and will allow you to complete your tasks in a reasonable time," says Carpenter.

7
Toilet brushes

white hand cleaning toilet with toilet brush
Shutterstock / Kurhan

If you stand on this toilet brush for a long time, you're probably late on a replacement.

"The toilet brush is used to clean up one of the dirtiest places in your home, so it welcomes many bacteria and germs," ​​says Carpenter, which recommends replacing yours every six months. And if you are not sure where to start cleaning,These places in your house are more difficult than your toilet.

8
Cooking sponges

dirty sponge in sink
Shutterstock / Myibean

If you want to prevent the spread of potentially dangerous germs around your home, you should replace your cooking sponge frequently.

"The sponges are a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause disease because they are often left on your meters," says Carpenter, who recommends it to replace them once a week. And if you are consideringsimply clean them Instead of replacing them, think again: a 2017 study published inScientific reports reveals that microfuille sponges did not significantly reduce their bacterial load.

9
Air conditioner filter

hand removing hvac filter
Shutterstock / Steve Heap

Your air conditioner filter keeps dirt and other debris from entering your home - but if you do not change it frequently, it's just adding these contaminants to your home air.

"Dirt in the filter shortens the lifetime of your air conditioner because the dirt pulls in the inner operation of the unit", declaresMarla Mock, VP of operations toRange, aNeighborhood society. She notes that a dirty filter can also cause aIncrease your electricity bill. To play safe things, Mock recommends replacing AC filters once every three months.

10
Pillow cushion

white pillow on the bed in the bedroom with woman 's hand who are making the room.
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Pillow cases that can accommodate mites, they must be washed at least once a week and should be replaced every few years.

As a preventive measure,Amy R. Bloomer, founder and owner ofLeave your Fleurir space, LLC, organize professional residences, recommend using allergy covers in your pillow cases, which are woven ", even even mites can not slip them." Bloomer also suggests avoiding going to bed with wet hair, which can make your pillow pillow a livestock ground for mites and bacteria.

11
Pillows

yellow pillow
Shutterstock / IEANG

If you have traveled the same pillows since childhood, it is high time that you have upgraded to a new set.

"The pillows are large environments for bacteria, dust mites, dead skin cells and a bouquet of other wicked objects," says Rodriguez. However, unlike other elements that can be efficiently cleaned by whiteness alone, Rodriguez says even regularly washed pillows must be replaced every two years.

12
Bath towels

pink bath towels and striped bath towels on hooks
Shotterstock / StocksNapper

Do you have your dry body with this towel or just add bacteria? If you do not replace these towels every two or three years, it's probably the latter.

"Harbor E. coli towels, which are pathogenic agents for humans; they also wear coliforms, a fecal indicator bacterium, which essentially tells you that there are feces inside the towel; finally, they have yeasts and mussels, which could be problems for people of allergies, "explains Bloomer. His recommendation? Wash your weekly towels in hot water, open the door of your bathroom to the extent possible to keep the room dry and rotate the towels frequently.

13
Sheets

white sheets on bed
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Fido can like to sleep in your bed with you, but his presence could mean that you have to replace these leaves more often than you think.

While Bloomer says that the sheets regularly washed can last up to a decade, it also notes that it can house the same bacteria as the same towels - and the bacterial number (and frequency of frequency with which you must replace them ) only increases if your pets are sleeping in the bed with you.

14
Slippers

white woman's legs in pink slippers on wood floor
Shutterstock / Stuart Jenner

These comfortable slippers should be replaced significantly more than your middle shoes pair.

"If they do not have a rugged rubber sole, like UGG, which can be wiped with clorox wipes once a week, then throw them after three to six months, especially if you wear them outside And on barefoot, "says Bloomer," who notes that they can become bacterial breeding grounds otherwise.

15
Mattress

woman pressing down on mattress, easy home tips
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It is not because it cost you that a pretty centime does not mean that the mattress is a possession of all life.

"Mattresses must be changed every five to seven years," saysDonna atanasova, a cleaning expert withFantastic services Australia. According to a study ofAmemberThe average seven-year seven-year mattress has about 16 million colonial training bacteria on the one-opposite three million inhabitants of less than one year old mattress.

16
Vacuum cleaner filters

dust-covered accordion vacuum filter, vacuuming tips
Shutterstock / Ni Gal

Its goal is to suck dirt and debris from your floors, so do not deceive yourself, your vacuum cleaner is dirty in a positive way.

"If the filter is not changed regularly, it can flee small particles like dust and exit with exhaust air," saysMatt Clayton, founder ofHair patrol. To keep things cleaner, exchange your filter every three to six months.

17
Disaster

brown sneakers on a gray welcome mat
Shutterstock / Thanakorn Honghank

Exchanging your doormat can help keep your own home cleaner. Moves should generally be replaced every two years or even more frequently if they are worse for wear.

If you want them to last longer, "you have to have two and change them and clean them from time to time," saysAbe Navas, Managing Director of Dallas BasedMAIDS OF EMILY, Who notes that if you keep them too long, they will start adding dirt and bacteria to your shoes and at home instead of eliminating it.


Categories: Smarter Living
Tags: cleaning / Home
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