You wash your hands often. You keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your desk drawer at the office. And you certainly use a paper towel as a barrier between your and any public restroom door. But what about at home? Your house or apartment is your primary environment. You spend more hours there than anywhere else, so it’s important to create as healthy an environment as possible. Here are some tips for improving the health of the four main rooms in the house:

Kitchen

The combination of food and moisture in a kitchen has the potential to create a bacterial breeding ground. The first and best line of defense is a good multi-surface cleaner. Many of these products have anti-bacterial varieties. Read the label and use the product as it is intended to maximize its germ-killing potential. Some other tips for the kitchen include trading in your ratty old sponge or dishrag for a microfiber sponge (better a cleaning and also less apt to breed additional bacteria), buy a hands-free trash can with a flip-up lid (either electronic or pedal-powered, these eliminate one more place you touch) and you may also choose to try a microbial enzyme drain cleaner (healthy bacteria can work for you by crowding out harmful bacteria in your drain pipes and keep things flowing smoothly).

Bathroom

Like the kitchen, be sure to use your disinfectant or multi-surface cleaner on all your touch points (sink fixtures, lavatory handles, light switches, etc.). A common mistake is to concentrate your cleaning power on the toilet while neglecting the rest of the room. Without neglecting the necessary cleaning of the commode, turn your attention to your shower and bath tub. These are places you spend a lot of time and touch a lot of things – they are also places that are wet more often than they are dry. Depending on the surface of your tub and shower, there is a cleaner that will work for you (again, look for an anti-bacterial variety). Clean the corners and around the drain and be sure to spend time cleaning the shower or tub controls – these are the first things you touch prior to bathing and the last things you touch after bathing – a favorite spot for bacteria to flourish. And use your exhaust fan – not only can it help de-fog your mirror, it can also help remove moisture from the room to keep bacterial growth at bay. Another easy fix is to be sure to launder your towels and face cloths regularly. Damp linens can grow and hold more bacteria than you care to know.

Bedroom

If you have allergies or even if you don’t, you may want to try an air purifier. Of the hours you are home on a regular basis, a majority of them is spent in sleep. The air quality of your sleep environment is important to your overall health and well-being. Even if you decide to skip the air purifier, be sure to replace your air conditioning and/or heating filters regularly. Be sure to launder your sheets regularly and at least once a year, treat yourself to a new pillow.

Living Room

As in the bedroom, air quality is an important consideration for any room where you spend a great deal of time. Whether you have pets, teenagers or even live alone, be sure to vacuum the furniture regularly. Also, institute a no shoes policy in the house. By not continually tracking through the house, you can help keep your indoor environment as healthy as possible.

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