HOW CLEAN DO WE NEED TO BE?

We live in an age of cleanliness. We love “antibacterial”, “anti germs” products. Microbes are bad. But at the same time, some scientists tell us that being too clean is also wrong, because it might      cause asthma and allergies. So where is the balance between keeping obsessively clean and learning to live with the bacteria all around us?

Around the house, the solution might not be excessive cleaning, but timely cleaning. Hygiene measures targeted where and when necessary, rather than a thorough deep clean once a week with corrosive products.

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For instance, the chopping boards can wait after dinner if you cut your greens on it, but should be cleaned instantly if you’ve chopped raw fish or meat. In the bathroom, closing the toilet lid when flushing is more efficient than cleaning it once a week and leaving the lid open the rest of the time, as a gateway for bacteria to spread. To limit the spread of germs, also avoid sharing bathroom towels. In the kitchen, make refrigerator cleaning easier by wiping up spills when they happen and wiping down handles/dirty shelves once a week with white vinegar to remove bacteria – so that you only have to do a full clean once every two months. But do clean worktops every day, do the dishes, and avoid damp and moist: make sure tea towels dry in between uses, change them often – maybe every day depending on usage, wash in high temperature. Clean with sponges but… sponges are full of germs! Wash them regularly (another reason why you need to switch to new types of sponge that can be washed regularly, unlike the standard spontex). And of course air the house every day, as well as your bed.

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More here: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20151118-can-you-be-too-clean