So really, Where is the Dirtiest Place in your Home?

Need something cleaned?

 The Kitchen

Thought it would be the toilet? Well, we are all so conscious how dirty or clean our toilet and bath is, so we regularly clean them or at least give it a routine weekly deep cleaning. Plus the fact that the bathroom is generally a smaller space than that of a kitchen (for most homes), so cleaning is easier in the toilet. It really is a different case for the kitchen, and the worst part of it, we do all the cooking there.

The kitchen sink and the counter tops or kitchen tables- that’s where it all starts. These are the usual areas we place our raw meats, vegetables and all other ingredients for thawing, cutting and other primary food processing. And no matter how clean you might think your source is, these raw food products have contaminants, like bacteria and viruses, that are too small to see and too few to be harmful.

It’s a good thing that we cook our food to kill these contaminants and prevent us from making sick, but, the problem is, no matter how much we clean the kitchen counter top and skin, there are hard to reach corners, small spaces or cracks in your chopping board and small holes in the sealant on your kitchen sink, which where these contaminants can hide to. These areas are also most of the time moist, which is a very good environment for them to multiply. A deep cleaning with a very good disinfecting solution should be done in order to thoroughly clean them and must be done in a regular, if not, daily schedule. Just imagine how restaurants should do an intensive restaurant cleaning regularly.

Cabinet under the kitchen sink

This is like Hogwarts for germs, where bacteria can go to a hidden place, do their best in multiplying, without being constantly threatened of being wiped out of existence. This area is hardly cleaned thoroughly because it puts the cleaner in a difficult position, and no natural light can get through it. This area is also always moist, thanks to humidity, leaking pipes perhaps and your grease trap (if you have one).

Top area of kitchen cabinets

Some modern home designs have cabinets extended as far as ceiling, but if you do have a cabinet with a space on top of it, chances are, it is rarely cleaned. This area would most likely contain dust accumulating over time. The good news is, it is not always moist in this part so it may not contain bacteria. The bad news: Fungi spores can withstand dry environment and can come back to life as soon as they are blown away to a wet area, like your food.

Back of the Refrigerator or Freezer

Another area which puts the cleaner in a difficult position, hence, hardly cleaned. Because of the weight of the refrigerator, the back is hardly cleaned, which makes dust accumulate, or pushed over dirt hide. But we are not just pointing out the space in between the “back” of the refrigerator and the wall it is leaning to, we are also pertaining to the section near the refrigerator motor. This area is a blank space where water can accumulate because of condensation, and where some bits of food can go to. This would be a problem area after a couple of years if you are using the regular type of refrigerators, not the no-frost or induction type. If you still have odor problems despite cleaning the inside of your ref, or despite placing blocks of charcoal or boxes of deodorizers, it would mean that the back of your refrigerator is really dirty.

Plenum or Party Area

No, this is not the place in your house where you hold your parties or events, this is the space between your ceiling and roof, especially if you don’t have an attic. This space is a bit small, usually 2 to 3 feet high, where your ventilation and electrical lines go through. This is well hidden space and inaccessible, unless you have a dwarf go through it to clean the space. Luckily, there are no holes that would let dusts fall through except for a square service entrance discreetly placed by your contractor for future access in case you will be doing some home improvements. This area can pose a little to no concern for you, unless there are leaks in your roof that would require you to replace your entire ceiling, which would mean you would be needing a post-renovation cleaning afterwards.

There’s nothing wrong on scheduled cleaning because let’s admit it, not all of us has the time to clean all these things. But missing out thoroughly cleaning these areas we mentioned, can pose persistent health problems in the future. So don’t just concentrate on your rooms or toilets, give your kitchen some TLC too, Top Level Cleaning. If this is a big task for you or if you need some assistance, you can always give us a call! And hey, we do a per area cleaning too where we can simply concentrate on a particular place in your home and give you TOP LEVEL CLEANING.