We love the feeling of a freshly cleaned bathroom, tiles, taps and mirrors gleaming. A recent study has revealed the area of the bathroom with the most germs.
Surprisingly, the spot in the bathroom harbouring the most bacteria is, in fact, the towel rail or radiator. Something to bear in mind next time you're deep cleaning the bathroom...
The area of the bathroom with the most germs
Heating systems company Rointe swabbed five bathroom areas to determine the filthiest spots. The results showed that your heater, whether it be a radiator or towel rail, is probably the area of the bathroom with the most germs.
'Bathroom radiators and towel rails should be cleaned at least three times per month,' says Antoaneta Tsocheva, founder of cleaning company FastKlean. 'Ideally, you would add your entire bathroom to your weekly cleaning routine.
'This will allow you to keep the germs at bay and make your cleaning sessions shorter on average,' says Antoaneta . We can see why the towel rail or radiator can get forgotten, as we don't associate it with bathroom bacteria in the same way as we do the loo, sink or touchpoints like a toilet roll holder.
You definitely don't want to be putting your best bath towels onto a radiator covered in bacteria. Antonaeta also points out that on top of the usual suspects like dust, grime, mould and mildew, you also need to think about bacteria.
'The bathroom itself is a damp environment, and so are the towels you hang on your radiator or rail,' she says. 'It’s the ideal environment for microorganisms and bacteria - things you definitely don’t want near your face.'
If that's not motivation enough to keep on top of cleaning, we're not sure what is. Cleaning expert Antonaeta also shared some of her top tips on how to clean your radiator or towel rail properly.
Make sure it's switched off, then put on your rubber gloves and give it a thorough dusting. She then recommends using a vinegar and water solution, as it's free of any toxic substances, and an old toothbrush for tricky spots.
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