The ticking bomb in your home
Mar 28, 2011
THERE might be a place in your house that are a haven for disease causing organisms. As you cleaned the toilet, you might have forgotten to clean the seat, a potential area for germs to hide. But this might not be so bad.
BACTERIA can be found everywhere, from kitchen counters to bathrooms. Vicky Wandawa lets you in on the areas in your home that you need to give a second look
Becky’s story
My seven-month-old baby was born prematurely at eight months. She pulled through and before long caught up with her agemates in terms of development. However, she started wheezing in the night. It was consistent that it would actually wake my husband and I up.
I took her to hospital and the wheezing reduced only to start a few days later. Once, a friend visited and asked how often I cleaned the rug in my bedroom. She said my daughter’s condition could be due to the dusty rug.
Initially, I used to have it swept, but my friend suggested I use a vacuum cleaner to rid it of the dust that had settled there. And indeed this helped. With a clean rug and a little medication, the wheezing reduced gradually and finally stopped.
Where is the bacteria hiding in your home?
THERE might be a place in your house that are a haven for disease causing organisms. As you cleaned the toilet, you might have forgotten to clean the seat, a potential area for germs to hide. But this might not be so bad.
Henry Bukenya, a general physician at Mulago Hospital, says chances are that a chopping board harbours more germs than the toilet seat. So while you purchase numerous detergents to ensure that the toilet is spotless clean, you probably need to do more than rinse the chopping board after use.
Generally, the house has several unlikely places where disease causing organisms hide, but are not given due attention.
Chopping board
It is tempting to simply rinse the chopping board after use. However, a chopping board can harbour germs.
Joanne Orishaba, a food nutritionist, explains that dirty chopping boards, especially those with cuts and cracks, are dangerous and could harbour bacteria such as escherichia coli and salmonella, which can cause food poisoning.
She also advises that hardwood chopping boards be used because: “The surface on plastic boards and soft wood is easily scoured by knives, resulting in grooves that harbour germs.â€
She also emphasises that chopping boards be disinfected at least once every two weeks, with a dilute bleach solution or other disinfectant, and should be dry when not in use.
Tooth brush
When did you last thoroughly clean that communal container where you keep your family’s toothbrushes? Brian Rushaju, a dentist at the Run Dental Clinic, says the way a toothbrush is stored can cause infections.
“These containers are usually dirty and not aerated. In addition, when family members keep toothbrushes in the same dirty cup, infections such as a cold and throat infection can be passed on from one person to another.â€
Rushaju advises that toothbrushes should be stored in an upright position to allow the bristles to dry. A clogged toothbrush can also offset infection. He discourages storing of toothbrushes in communal cups because people usually forget to clean them, hence accumulating bacteria therein.
He recommends a mesh container where the toothbrushes can be aerated.
A toothbrush should be replaced as soon as the bristles are bent or sticking out since in this state they are no longer able to clean thoroughly and can also injure the gums.
A toothbrush should generally be replaced once every two or three months. However, as small children often chew on toothbrushes and the bristles start to stick out much earlier, children’s toothbrushes should be replaced more often.
Door handles
Among the dirtiest places in the house are door handles. They harbour all sorts of disease causing organisms. Vincent Karuhanga, a general practitioner, notes that the germs on door handles are introduced by people that touch them.
“Depending on what one is suffering from, the disease causing organism can be deposited on the handle; causing alimentary canal germs, viruses, common cold, STDs and red eyes.â€
Karuhanga advises that infections from door handles be minimised by hand washing with soap and running water.
What is more, door handles should be disinfected at least once a day or more times, depending on the number of people in the house. Karuhanga says the door handles on toilet doors harbour the most germs.
Towels
Do you keep getting boils on your skin and are wondering what is causing them? Your towel could the source.
Because of their hard material, many find it hard to wash towels as often as they should.
But lack of proper bath towel hygiene could make one sick.
Dirty towels can offset fungal infections such as ringworm and bacterial infections.
“After use, a towel should be hung where it can properly dry,†he says. Furthermore, those that exercise and sweat excessively or do jobs that get them dirty should wash their towels more often.
“A towel should not be used for more than a week because dust and skin cells collect on it,†Bukenya says. Towels should be soaked in hot water to ensure that germs and bacteria are killed.
Kitchen towels
Kitchen towels, particularly those used for wiping utensils, are usually ignored when it comes to washing yet they are a spot for accumulation of bacteria. These germs can be passed on to the clean cutlery or plate. Often soak kitchen towels in hot water and wash them thoroughly and hang to dry in the sun.
Kitchen sink
How often do you leave the sink overflowing with dishes? Unwashed dishes can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It is advisable to wash the sink with a detergent and hot water every after use. This is because after washing dishes, germs harbour therein.
The kitchen sponge
These stay wet long after they have been used and, therefore, create a comfortable environment for germs and bacteria to breed. They should be disinfected with hot water and a detergent after use. In addition, they should be stored in places where they can easily dry.
Rugs/carpets
Carpets or rugs, especially those with dark colours, may appear clean when in fact they are filthy. You could accidentally spill milk, soda or juice and it sinks in the rug and settle there, leading to dampness. But because it did not stain the rug, you ignore it.
Henry Bukenya, a general physician at Mulago Hospital, notes that dampness allows for the development of moulds, yet indoor moulds are dangerous. When inhaled, they can cause severe allergies resulting in wheezing, eye and throat irritation.
Unclean rugs also contain dust mites which can offset cough, headache and nose and throat irritations. Dust mites also cause sneezing, watery eyes and itchy skin in both adults and children, but the latter suffer more. Toddlers are more likely to be affected as they spend more time playing on the carpet.
Leonard Tutaryebwa, a paediatrician at Seven Hills Medical Centre, notes: “Dirty rugs harbour dust that can offset allergies in children with conditions like asthma.†Also, anything that is sprayed, say mosquito sprays, will finally settle into the carpet and the longer it stays there, the higher the chances of offsetting respiratory infections.
Carpets should be cleaned as often as weekly. Vacuum cleaners are very efficient, but because of their energy consumption and costs, not many households can afford them. However, using hot water to clean them manually is efficient.
Toilet seat, brush
Have you thought about the debris that rests on a brush after you have used it to clean inside the toilet? Some toilet brushes are stored in a bowl-like container. Both the brush and bowl can be a breeding ground for various germs and bacteria. It should be disinfected at least weekly with hot water. Besides harbouring germs, a dirty toilet brush leaves the room with an odour.
Bedding
In case you are persistently nursing a cold and have not discovered why, it is probably time to take a good look at your mattress and pillow covers and how clean are they. They absorb dirt, sweat and body oils.
An amalgamation of these could offset respiratory allergies. Have your covers thoroughly washed often, and not only when stains appear. Also, at least once a week, aerate your bedding and often have the mattresses cleaned with a vacuum cleaner to rid them of dirt that collects therein. Also make sure your mattress has a cover so you do not inhale particles of the mattress.
Becky’s story
My seven-month-old baby was born prematurely at eight months. She pulled through and before long caught up with her agemates in terms of development. However, she started wheezing in the night. It was consistent that it would actually wake my husband and I up.
I took her to hospital and the wheezing reduced only to start a few days later. Once, a friend visited and asked how often I cleaned the rug in my bedroom. She said my daughter’s condition could be due to the dusty rug.
Initially, I used to have it swept, but my friend suggested I use a vacuum cleaner to rid it of the dust that had settled there. And indeed this helped. With a clean rug and a little medication, the wheezing reduced gradually and finally stopped.
Where is the bacteria hiding in your home?
THERE might be a place in your house that are a haven for disease causing organisms. As you cleaned the toilet, you might have forgotten to clean the seat, a potential area for germs to hide. But this might not be so bad.
Henry Bukenya, a general physician at Mulago Hospital, says chances are that a chopping board harbours more germs than the toilet seat. So while you purchase numerous detergents to ensure that the toilet is spotless clean, you probably need to do more than rinse the chopping board after use.
Generally, the house has several unlikely places where disease causing organisms hide, but are not given due attention.
Chopping board
It is tempting to simply rinse the chopping board after use. However, a chopping board can harbour germs.
Joanne Orishaba, a food nutritionist, explains that dirty chopping boards, especially those with cuts and cracks, are dangerous and could harbour bacteria such as escherichia coli and salmonella, which can cause food poisoning.
She also advises that hardwood chopping boards be used because: “The surface on plastic boards and soft wood is easily scoured by knives, resulting in grooves that harbour germs.â€
She also emphasises that chopping boards be disinfected at least once every two weeks, with a dilute bleach solution or other disinfectant, and should be dry when not in use.
Tooth brush
When did you last thoroughly clean that communal container where you keep your family’s toothbrushes? Brian Rushaju, a dentist at the Run Dental Clinic, says the way a toothbrush is stored can cause infections.
“These containers are usually dirty and not aerated. In addition, when family members keep toothbrushes in the same dirty cup, infections such as a cold and throat infection can be passed on from one person to another.â€
Rushaju advises that toothbrushes should be stored in an upright position to allow the bristles to dry. A clogged toothbrush can also offset infection. He discourages storing of toothbrushes in communal cups because people usually forget to clean them, hence accumulating bacteria therein.
He recommends a mesh container where the toothbrushes can be aerated.
A toothbrush should be replaced as soon as the bristles are bent or sticking out since in this state they are no longer able to clean thoroughly and can also injure the gums.
A toothbrush should generally be replaced once every two or three months. However, as small children often chew on toothbrushes and the bristles start to stick out much earlier, children’s toothbrushes should be replaced more often.
Door handles
Among the dirtiest places in the house are door handles. They harbour all sorts of disease causing organisms. Vincent Karuhanga, a general practitioner, notes that the germs on door handles are introduced by people that touch them.
“Depending on what one is suffering from, the disease causing organism can be deposited on the handle; causing alimentary canal germs, viruses, common cold, STDs and red eyes.â€
Karuhanga advises that infections from door handles be minimised by hand washing with soap and running water.
What is more, door handles should be disinfected at least once a day or more times, depending on the number of people in the house. Karuhanga says the door handles on toilet doors harbour the most germs.
Towels
Do you keep getting boils on your skin and are wondering what is causing them? Your towel could the source.
Because of their hard material, many find it hard to wash towels as often as they should.
But lack of proper bath towel hygiene could make one sick.
Dirty towels can offset fungal infections such as ringworm and bacterial infections.
“After use, a towel should be hung where it can properly dry,†he says. Furthermore, those that exercise and sweat excessively or do jobs that get them dirty should wash their towels more often.
“A towel should not be used for more than a week because dust and skin cells collect on it,†Bukenya says. Towels should be soaked in hot water to ensure that germs and bacteria are killed.
Kitchen towels
Kitchen towels, particularly those used for wiping utensils, are usually ignored when it comes to washing yet they are a spot for accumulation of bacteria. These germs can be passed on to the clean cutlery or plate. Often soak kitchen towels in hot water and wash them thoroughly and hang to dry in the sun.
Kitchen sink
How often do you leave the sink overflowing with dishes? Unwashed dishes can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It is advisable to wash the sink with a detergent and hot water every after use. This is because after washing dishes, germs harbour therein.
The kitchen sponge
These stay wet long after they have been used and, therefore, create a comfortable environment for germs and bacteria to breed. They should be disinfected with hot water and a detergent after use. In addition, they should be stored in places where they can easily dry.
Rugs/carpets
Carpets or rugs, especially those with dark colours, may appear clean when in fact they are filthy. You could accidentally spill milk, soda or juice and it sinks in the rug and settle there, leading to dampness. But because it did not stain the rug, you ignore it.
Henry Bukenya, a general physician at Mulago Hospital, notes that dampness allows for the development of moulds, yet indoor moulds are dangerous. When inhaled, they can cause severe allergies resulting in wheezing, eye and throat irritation.
Unclean rugs also contain dust mites which can offset cough, headache and nose and throat irritations. Dust mites also cause sneezing, watery eyes and itchy skin in both adults and children, but the latter suffer more. Toddlers are more likely to be affected as they spend more time playing on the carpet.
Leonard Tutaryebwa, a paediatrician at Seven Hills Medical Centre, notes: “Dirty rugs harbour dust that can offset allergies in children with conditions like asthma.†Also, anything that is sprayed, say mosquito sprays, will finally settle into the carpet and the longer it stays there, the higher the chances of offsetting respiratory infections.
Carpets should be cleaned as often as weekly. Vacuum cleaners are very efficient, but because of their energy consumption and costs, not many households can afford them. However, using hot water to clean them manually is efficient.
Toilet seat, brush
Have you thought about the debris that rests on a brush after you have used it to clean inside the toilet? Some toilet brushes are stored in a bowl-like container. Both the brush and bowl can be a breeding ground for various germs and bacteria. It should be disinfected at least weekly with hot water. Besides harbouring germs, a dirty toilet brush leaves the room with an odour.
Bedding
In case you are persistently nursing a cold and have not discovered why, it is probably time to take a good look at your mattress and pillow covers and how clean are they. They absorb dirt, sweat and body oils.
An amalgamation of these could offset respiratory allergies. Have your covers thoroughly washed often, and not only when stains appear. Also, at least once a week, aerate your bedding and often have the mattresses cleaned with a vacuum cleaner to rid them of dirt that collects therein. Also make sure your mattress has a cover so you do not inhale particles of the mattress.