13 Really Germy Places in Your Home (and How to Clean Them)

3. Kitchen sponge

This is one of the worst germ culprits because the holes in a sponge let bacteria flourish and form blobs that are difficult to remove, Banks says. She suggests soaking a sponge in a diluted bleach solution, running it in the dishwasher (on a high-heat cycle) or placing it in a bowl of water with soap in the microwave.

4. Cutting board

Raw meat and vegetables can carry E. coli and salmonella. Abel-Santos suggests using separate cutting boards — one for meat and one for everything else. Scrub cutting boards after each use with soap and hot water. Consider using diluted bleach on wooden boards and putting plastic ones in the dishwasher.

5. Kitchen sink

Ridges in and around the sink can harbor bacteria. Scrub around the drain with a brush and a diluted bleach solution. Pay close attention to areas where the lip of the sink meets the counter.

6. Refrigerator

Clean the inside regularly, especially the vegetable drawers because they hold raw produce, Abel-Santos advises. Spills drip downward, so clean drips and accumulated substances inside and outside the bottom of your fridge.

7. Countertops

Clean and disinfect any surface where food is prepared — before and afterward — to remove foodborne bacteria that can cause illnesses. The same goes for bathroom counters that may pick up sprayed germs as you floss or rinse your toothbrush.

8. Whirlpool bathtubs

A study by Rita B. Moyes, a microbiologist at Texas A&M University in College Station, found that jetted tubs are full of bacteria that can cause upper respiratory infections. “The piping system retains gunk and moisture to keep things alive in there, creating a biofilm — a sticky mass of bacteria like what you get on your teeth overnight,” she says. “The problem is these microscopic bacteria become an aerosol when you run water through the jets that can get into your lungs.”

9. Toothbrushes

Clean toothbrushes — and put their holders in the dishwasher. Replace toothbrushes regularly.

10. Toilet

Clean the area where the toilet meets the floor and wipe down the toilet handle often because people typically use it before washing their hands, Banks says. She suggests keeping the toilet area as minimalist as possible to avoid bacteria that can spray when flushing. An alternative solution, Abel-Santos suggests, is to flush with the lid down.

11. Laundry room

Bacteria can grow in your washing machine drain, and bacteria from dirty laundry, such as underwear and towels, can collect in the washer drum, Banks says. In both cases, run an empty cycle of hot water and a half cup of bleach once or twice a month depending on usage.

12. Towels

Wash hand towels at least once a week, more often if there are children around. Avoid sharing towels because they may harbor microbes.

13. Waste basket

This receptacle can harbor germs from the items you discard. Regularly disinfect these bathroom and kitchen containers with soap and water or disinfectant. Tamp down germs by using a plastic liner.

“My advice is to live reasonably, but if you start getting infections or food poisoning then you need to step up a little,” Moyes says. “Use common sense.”

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 15, 2022. It has been updated to reflect new information. 

Sheryl Jean is a contributing writer who covers aging, business, technology, travel, health and human-interest stories. A former reporter for several daily metropolitan newspapers, her work also has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and on the American Heart Association’s website.