Things in your house you may forget to clean before having people over this Christmas
For the second year running, it looks like we're set for another Christmas with some form of restrictions as cases begin to rise once again.
Thankfully, we are not being told to cancel our plans, just to prioritise the things that mean the most to us.
With that in mind, many people are likely to be planning family gatherings on Christmas Day after missing out last year.
Read more:Teenage girls offered lifts and followed by strange man in car at bus stop
Keeping your house clean and disinfecting regularly touched surfaces are some of the ways that can help to protect yourself and your family from any kind of illness not just Covid, and there are some things that we may forget to clean.
To make life a little easier for us all, we've put together a list of the top five household areas that you mustn't forget to clean this festive season.
1. Remote controls
Whether its a remote for your TV or a games controller, we use these items pretty much everyday which means they harbour lots of bacteria. When you throw greasy and crumbly snacks into the mix too, remotes can quickly become infested with bacteria.
So, if you fancy challenging Grandma to a game of Mario Kart this Christmas, make sure all the controllers and remotes have been cleaned first.
A warm damp cloth and mild sanitiser will do the trick, making sure everything is switched off and unplugged first.
Use a cotton bud to get into the cracks behind the buttons and the groove under the thumb sticks. Only switch them on again when they’re completely dried out, and then it’s game on!
Nobody enjoys cleaning a toilet but it's one of those things that just needs to be done. If left unchecked, bacteria can build up fast as it's one of the dirtiest places in a home.
Luckily, a toilet is not difficult to clean and just requires some toilet gel and something antibacterial.
At least twice per week you should clean the seat, cistern and all around the toilet with an antibacterial cleaner.
Continue by cleaning inside the bowl with good toilet bleach, soaking it for some time first and giving it a good scrub all the way down into the water with a toilet brush, and finish with a flush.
If you want to stay in the know with all the latest news, reviews and features from SuffolkLive then you can sign up to our daily newsletter email.
Each day we'll be sending you a selection of our top stories from across our county, as well as breaking news so you can be the first to know.
Signing up to the SuffolkLive newsletter means you'll get the latest news direct to your inbox each day.
It couldn't be simpler and it takes seconds - simply click here, enter your email address and follow the instructions.
You can also enter your email address in the box below the picture on most desktop and mobile platforms.
This may seem like an obvious one but if you're having extra people over this Christmas, you're probably going to have to crack out the spare cutlery and glasses that might not have been used in a while.
Cutlery and glassware touches our food, our drinks and our mouths so making sure it is spotless and germ-free is common practice.
Dishwashers are great as they get hotter than water in a sink so germs will be killed easily. However if you don't have a dishwasher, then a sink of hot, soapy water will do just as good of a job and freshening up everything.
The items should be dried with a clean, dry tea towel and only placed back in the cupboard when they are completely dry. Bacteria thrives in damp environments so it's vital that they dry out completely.
These are probably the most easily forgotten areas to clean in any household, but they are also some of the most touched areas too.
Handles come in a variety of materials, like steel, brass, pewter, silver, glass and more. For most, using a cloth soaked in warm soapy water will do the trick, although this will depend on what they’re made of so it’s worth checking material-specific guidelines online.
A soft cloth, lightly dampened with water or liquid cleaner can be used for light switches, just make sure to dry switches thoroughly after cleaning. And don’t forget to give bathroom pull cords a little love too.
Antibacterial wipes work just as well too, just make sure you leave the cleaner on there long enough to work its germ-killing magic!
Although germs multiply much slower in a fridge than at room temperature, they don't stop completely. For the best chances of providing your family with delicious Christmas dinner, a little spruce up of the fridge is not a bad idea.
Antibacterial cleansers are the way to go here, and for a proper deep-clean you should remove all the food first to avoid contamination.
Taking out the shelves makes it easier to clean the whole shelf, including the underside and back.
Then, give the inside of the fridge a good scrub with a warm damp cloth and antibacterial, making sure to wipe away all the cleanser and let it dry before replacing the food.
Make sure you are following SuffolkLive onFacebook,TwitterandInstagramto ensure you stay up to date with the latest news in Suffolk.
Alternatively, you cansign up for our Daily Newsletterfor the top headlines straight into your inbox.
