Surprising area of the home professional cleaner always does first to stop germs spreading
There are plenty of areas in the home that need cleaning but if you don't do them in the right order you can risk spreading germs between them.
A hotel cleaner has revealed the most important spots to clean first so that you don't accidentally transfer bacteria back to the room you've just cleaned.
And it's not one you'd expect, given much of our cleaning efforts focus on the bathroom and kitchen.
A hotel cleaner has revealed the parts of the home we should be cleaning first. Getty Images/iStockphoto
According to Lisa Williams, Executive Housekeeper at The Grand, York, parts of the home we most frequently touch should be done before the rest of the home.
"The most important thing to remember when beginning a clean is to dust and sanitise all the high-touch points first. Things like door handles, light switches, taps and handrails can be easy to miss later on, but host bacteria due to regularly being touched," she told the Express.
This will prevent spreading germs from one area to another as you complete your cleaning routine.
Once the frequently touched areas have been sanitised then it's time to tackle areas that don't get touched as much like mirrors.
The final step would be to vacuum and mop the floor to remove any dust and dirt that has accumulated there in one go.
"Cleaning a room in this order ensures that you are being as efficient as you can be," she said.
To clean light switches, spray the cloth not the switch for safety. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Williams also revealed her tip to make sure you haven't missed any spots while cleaning and it's to look at your home like you're a guest.
It's good advice when you consider the attention to detail we tend to give a hotel room when we first walk into it.
Cleaning high-touch points will differ depending on what the item is, for example, light switches have different considerations, such as electricity, than doorknobs.
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To disinfect door handles, Clean Group advises against using disinfectant wipes as a surface needs to stay wet for a recommended length of time to work properly.
"You need to choose a fast-acting disinfectant that will help you disinfect hard to reach surfaces. Again, the surface has to remain wet during the dwelling period to properly disinfect," Beau Sleeman wrote in an article for the cleaning company.
The steps involved are cleaning the door handle first to remove dust and dirt and then spraying a disinfectant on the handle.
"Apply the disinfectant with hand pump trigger spray. Spray a liberal amount at least six to eight inches away from the surface. Spray the disinfectant until the door handle is covered and wet," Sleeman said.
After two minutes you can wipe the handle with a cloth.
Door handles are touched more than most things in the home but rarely cleaned. Getty
As for light switches, to ensure your safety it's recommended to switch off the power at your fuse box.
Then wipe over with a dry cloth to remove dust. Next, spray a clean cloth with isopropyl alcohol – do not spray the outlet directly – and wipe the switch and cover gently.
Use a dry cloth to wipe over the light switch. When everything is dry you can then switch the power back on.
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