Things that we are most likely forgetting to clean.
So last night I
watched the Netflix documentary Poisoned and I think I need to start out by
saying something really important. I am located in Australia and we don’t have
the food production monopolies and lobbyists that the USA does but it got me thinking
on another random tangent, that is cleaning, don’t get me wrong we need to be
on top of where our food comes from and I am going to start making major
changes in my life around my diet and start making some documentation around it
as I know diet is a major player in having auto immune diseases go into essential
remission, before having to go onto very heavy medications that are used in cancer.
But I as I do went down an adjacent rabbit hole and still
haven’t reached the proverbial warren, that is food safety at home and adjacent
to that cleaning as you can have a tidy home that is not clean and I know, as I
have been that person and I admit we all get busy and we all need to work and families
can’t have one person at home to just clean a rase the children if they choose
to have them so it lead me to ask what is the things we forget to clean in our
homes that can lead to illness as well and I was really surprised to see a lot
of agreements over in rentals who is responsible for cleaning some of these but
this is my list and this isn’t in order
of importance its generally things that people forget to clean or don’t have it
high on the list due to their lifestyle, and I know that there are some companies
that will come in and clean some of these as well.
·
The
wheely bin and this can carry all sorts of pathogens and diseases, as well but
when was the last time you even hosed it out.
So, at the very least hosing it out once a month and scrubbing it once a
year is a great idea, I know that if it gets damaged in my area you as a
resident of that address can then ask for it to be replaced.
·
I know that a lot of school aged mums are really
on this one, but its really important to wash not rinse properly wash reusable water
bottles and the straws as they can grow Mold in them as well so you can actually
get straw cleaning kits, from amazon https://amzn.to/45LQRR6 or the cleaning isle
of the local supermarket.
·
Our washing machines I know that until I had a
load of clothing come out smelling worse that when they went in this really
wasn’t on my radar of things that need cleaning and it’s easy to do a drum
clean and there is products that you can use to clean them as again they need
to be cleaned to be hygienic and effective as well.
·
This is a big on and for people who don’t have
access to a clothes line and rely on them dryers cleaning there filters is
really important as well as it can present a fire risk so vacuuming them out once
a month and cleaning the filter after every load is really important.
·
As well as if you have an outside line or a rotary
line, cleaning it as part of laundry day is a massive thing especially as in Australia
we are going into swooping season and we will be dealing with bird poop, in a
massive way.
·
As well as the laundry sink I know that most people
as part of a deep clean by cleaning there kitchen and bathroom sinks but when
was the last time you cleaned the laundry sink, we soak all sorts of things in
there as well, so I am going to be blunt about the pathogens that we could
spread in there as well, as depending on
household makeup you could be cleaning, blood, urine, faeces, as well as the potential
for vomit and general dirt and mud that depending on a persons profession could
carry disseise in side as well.
·
The other big on but I think that this is on
most peoples radar at some point is towel, bed linen and do you clean or at
least air your pillows.
·
The other big on that is adjacent to this one is
when was the last time you vacuumed or flipped your mattress as this is in some
areas a massive problem and there is mattress
protectors that you can get and if you are a care giver to a young child or a
person with a disability there is also easy wash, sheets. https://amzn.to/45LQRR6,
https://amzn.to/45LQRR6
The big one that is adjacent to this one is
a big one for families to tackle but it’s a job that if you break if down it
can make the school or work rush in the morning so much easer this being
cleaning the closet or other areas that you store clothes and I once a season see
if things fit me and if they don’t a couple of things could happen to them,
they are cut up to once off cleaning rags, in the case of underwear it is
binned and in the case of good quality unripped clothes they are washed and
sent to the local thrift store, ( shout out to Tonys community kitchen. Tony's Community Op Shop
(tonyscommunity.com.au)
The other big one for people with children
is a massive one and one that I know as a childless person I don’t know how hard
this is to do, is decluttering and cleaning the children's toys, games and
books, I remember my mother had a really great system of 3 to 4 buckets and
will did this over the school holidays, we had a bucket for broken and can’t be
fixed, broken but could be fixed, to donate, and one for clothing and shoes
that didn’t fit us, so we then had a say in what went and what stayed but mum
had the final say in what we donated and I am glad she did as I now have some toys
that are collectors items.
However in the mindset of cleaning how long
since the stuffed toys have been cleaned, I know that some can go into the
washing machine, some need hand washing and I know that it’s a character-building
experience to sit and wait by the washing machine to see your comfort toy be safely
into the dryer or the line outside.
I know that this is a massive one for the end
of term but some parents choose to replace instead of washing but I know one of
my family members once a week washes the
insulated lunch bags and I know that the water that they are washed in is gross
as well it the last time was black and we are putting food in that so that
could be a health and safety risk as well, but not the plastic or bento boxes
that go into them, either, I know that they are washed daily as well.
As we are back into the kitchen we need to
ask ourselves as well collect more “time saving gadgets,” how long since you
have washed the dish washer, as they can
become a health hazard if they aren’t washed regularly as well.
To me the next one is intuitive but for
some we need to teach them, is how long since the fridge has been cleaned and
not cleaned out but the fridge it’s self cleaned, I know that I am slack on
this but I wash the fridge mats once a week and the support staff in the house
clean the fridges once a month.
I am not trying to shame anyone as I know
that we do have people who go to far and end up sick due to being to clean and
there is some documented evidence that we are harming children by being to
clean but this is more around, not letting them play in the mud and with other
children that might have a runny nose and to build up a healthy immune system.
I know that there is some great blogs that go into a great cleaning and organization
routine as well, so when to check dates on packaging, and how to organize a
pantry as well to eliminate food wastage as well, and for those who are
crunchy adjacent, we need to be aware that there is cleaning products that don’t
contribute of a chemical load and toxins into the local environment. Such as washing liquids, washing up detergent
and cleaning brushes made of wood and sponges made of wool, I have put some Amazon links into this
article, and please
be aware that I do get a commission if you buy
from these links.
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