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In the war between you and household germs, germs can lurk everywhere, while you can only be in one place at a time. When it comes to the ongoing battle with germs, you may be too busy or tired. Whereas they aren’t. However, keeping household germs at bay helps keep colds, flu and other infectious illnesses from spreading. These cleaning tips can help you get the upper hand with germs by focusing your efforts on the places where they lurk the most.Where the germs are

As a rule of thumb, any area of your home with high traffic and surfaces that get touched a lot is a germ bank. Not all germs are harmful but where there are germ strongholds, the conditions are favourable for disease-causing viruses or bacteria to lurk.

One study found the kitchen sink had more bacteria than the toilet or rubbish bin. The only bathroom hotspot in the study’s top 10 was the toothbrush holder. Why? Toothbrush holders are often near the toilet and flushing sends a fine spray of mist that can contaminate them. They also tend to be neglected because people focus on cleaning the toilet and more obvious germ hotspots.

Getting started: What you need to kill germs

Cleaning with soap and hot water removes dirt and grime and gets rid of some germs. Cleaning alone is usually enough for many surfaces, but you may want to disinfect areas where there are a lot of germs.

A disinfectant cleaner can be good for germ speed cleaning because it combines these two steps. You can use it for most kitchen worktops and bathroom surfaces.

Areas with sticky spills and dirt you can see should be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected. You can make an inexpensive and effective disinfectant by mixing no more than 0.2 litres of bleach in 3.8 litres of water. Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Keep bleach away from children and out of their reach.

Apply it and leave on for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse and let air dry to save time. Or dry with a clean towel. Always wear gloves and open some windows when you use products with bleach.

White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide are other effective homemade cleaners. However, never mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together and if you use hydrogen peroxide, test it first on an unseen surface to make sure it doesn’t discolour or fade it.

Get the healthy benefits of a clean home — fast

Daily speed cleaning for germs

You can attack some serious germ strongholds in half-hour or less a day. If you don’t have children or pets, it’s even faster because you can skip some of the steps. Start in the kitchen:

Clean and disinfect work-tops, taps, handles, including the fridge, and cutting boards. Check the manufacturer’s directions for specialty counter tops.

Clean with dishcloths that you can throw in the washing machine on a hot wash. Replace towels and dishcloths daily.

Clean spills on the kitchen floor to keep them from attracting more dirt and bacteria.

Empty bathroom bins and those with dirty nappies, and take out the rubbish. Freshen the containers with sanitising spray.

Clean and sanitise the bathroom taps and handles.

Wash pet bowls.

If you have a child in nappies, clean and disinfect the changing table.

If your child uses dummies, put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher if they are dishwasher safe. Otherwise, wash them and any toys your child puts in their mouth, with soap and hot water. Check toy cleaning labels first.

Weekly speed cleaning for germs

Doing a daily speed clean makes weekly cleaning easier and faster. Once a week follow these steps to wipe out more germs:

Put the kitchen sink strainer in the dishwasher.

If possible, remove and hand wash the cooker knobs.

Clean and disinfect the kitchen sink.

Wash the toothbrush holder and wipe with a disinfecting wipe or put it in the dishwasher if it is dishwasher safe.

Gather bathroom towels and bed linen without fluffing or shaking them to avoid spreading germs and dust. Wash in hot water, if possible.

Mop the floors and vacuum carpets.

Clean the bathroom sink, bath and toilet.

Disinfect computer keyboards, light switches, telephones and remote controls with a disinfecting wipe that doesn’t contain bleach. Squeeze to remove excess moisture first. Always turn off computers before cleaning.

Monthly speed clean for germs

These monthly jobs take hardly any time:

Wash pet toys. Wash hard toys with hot, soapy water and disinfect. Rinse well before letting them dry. Put soft toys in the machine with other laundry to wash in hot water.

Pour a solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach and 1 litre of water down the kitchen sink. Follow instructions for cleaning waste disposal systems if you have one.

Clean the kettle and coffee maker.

Clean sweep short cuts

For super speedy cleaning, try these short cuts:

Keep cleaning products together in a bucket or basket so they’re ready when you are and can be carried from room to room. Always keep these safely out of sight and reach of children.

While a disinfectant is sitting, tackle another job.

Use a plastic bin liner to help control spills and leaking, and to cut down on bin cleaning.

To keep spills in the refrigerator and on floors from turning into bigger messes, clean and sanitise them as they happen. — webmd.boots.com