7 deadliest (hygiene) sins

Statistics say that people in the UAE spend 80% of their time indoors, so controlling potential health risks inside the home are crucial for a safe environment. 

 

Guides spoke to Manar Alkassar, founder and managing director of Helpling Middle East - a cleaning services booking portal, who shared some shocking hygiene risks, which we are all probably exposing ourselves to.

 

1. Your kitchen sponge is probably dirtier than your toilet seat

 

 

Pay attention to the areas where you prepare food in the kitchen. Every time you make something, be sure to wipe down the worktops and chopping boards in order to prevent cross contamination. Don’t just wipe it over with the kitchen sponge, make sure you are sterilising the area. 

 

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2. E.coli and Salmonella thrive in your sink

 

 

Let’s be honest, most of us don’t rinse out the sink after using it, which means small pieces of food or dirt build up, eventually leading up to the possibility of the formation of E.coli or salmonella.

 

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3. Do you clean the remote control?

 

 

Yes we now clean our keyboards but do you do the same with other electronic devices you use frequently? Remote controls often get overlooked causing them to become a hotbed for germ build-up.

 

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4. Your hands are a hotbed for bacteria 

 

 

Everyday members of your household bring in millions of germs. Bacteria can survive for up to 24 hours on uninhabitable surfaces – which means plenty of time for transmission to other people. So remember to wash your hands properly when you get home.

 

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5. Towels are the worst offenders

 

 

Towels, no matter whether in the kitchen or bathroom, can be a hub for germs. They’re reused and often unwashed for weeks, being used by multiple users; located in warm, humid and even dark conditions in the bathroom – the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

 

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6. The flush, not the bowl

 

 

Surprisingly, toilets are generally clean places. Most people focus on cleaning the toilet seat and as a result, it often ends up much cleaner than most places. However, the most common toilet hygiene risk is in the flush.

 

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7. Sleeping with the enemy

 

 

If you aren’t changing your sheets regularly, your bed could be saturated with millions of skin cells, along with secreted fluid, sweat and oils. This organic waste, left on the sheets, attracts dust mites that can provoke allergies like asthma, rhinitis and the like.

 

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