Quick! Clean These Filthy Things You Touch Every Day (Then Wash Your Hands)
‘Round the Apartment Therapy offices, we have lots of amazing cleaning advice right at our fingertips, but that doesn’t mean we always practice what we preach. So when I looked up from my desk the other day to see our marketing coordinator Ashley meticulously cleaning her keyboard, it made me notice (and blanch) at my own mess of a computer. Gross! A brief germaphobe spiral later, we came up with these things you need to clean now and, bonus, a quick tutorial on the right way to wash your hands (it’s harder than you think).
Clean these:
• Keyboard — Canned air can be a godsend if (like me) you love to snack and surf, but in a pinch, all you need is a damp rag and some computer-safe cleaner. Remember to shut down your computer before giving the keyboard a good going-over.
• Cell phone — This is a biggie because not only do your fingers touch it frequently, but it bumps around in your purse or pocket, touches desks, tables and chargers and then you put it right up to your face. Can you say zit city? Wipe it down often and once a week, give it a good cleaning.
• Car steering wheel — You probably run through the car wash every once in a while, but do you ever think about the steering wheel you touch everyday? Try keeping some paper towels and cleaner in the car so it’s not such a chore.
• Glasses — These also touch your hands and any surface you set them on, and then go straight onto your face! Only wipe the lenses with a scratch-free cloth, but give the frames a mild alcohol swab every so often to fight germy gunk.
• Light switch — Have you ever cleaned a light switch? Probably not. This tiny thing will take you less than a minute so get to it!
Wash your hands like this:
- Wash before and after eating, using the bathroom or touching anything questionable (hopefully you’ve addressed some of those questionable things above).
- Use soap and warm running water.
- Now the clincher: according to the Mayo Clinic you should, “Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds.” Hear that? A full count of 20, everytime (for sake of water conservation, it might make sense to turn off the tap).
- Rinse and smile because you’re clean!