ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Housekeeping 101: 5 Important Things You Need To Replace In Your House As Often As Necessary

Updated on July 20, 2015
CrisSp profile image

CrisSp is your Emergency Specialist at 37 thousand feet. Domestic Diva depending on the mood. Surely, wonderwoman consumed by wanderlust!

Source

1. Toothbrush

Toothbrushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria and other kind of germs, which could build up in time. And so, technically we should replace our toothbrushes every three to four months.

Accordingly, toothbrushes are not very effective anymore in cleaning up our teeth properly after 4 months, wherein the bristles break down and therefore, lose their effectiveness in removing plaque and in cleaning those sticky and tricky stuff in the gum and teeth.

We should also change our toothbrushes after getting flu, colds, sore throat or any other mouth infection. Obviously, because the bacteria and/or germs harboring in our mouth have just transferred in the toothbrush and now hiding and breeding in their new place (from your mouth to the toothbrush bristles and back). However, keep in mind that bacteria and fungus can develop in the bristles of the toothbrush. Therefore, it is recommended that we pay attention and change toothbrush regularly.

How often do you change your toothbrush?

See results

Quick Tips:

Ways to quickly sanitize your toothbrush:

  1. After brushing, wash your toothbrush thoroughly in hot water (if possible) and briskly tap or shake to get rid of unwanted germs/bacteria. Store it in an upright position and dry in the open air (away from the loo).
  2. Once or twice a week, soak your toothbrush in mouthwash. This will also help kill the germs and sanitize the brush, then rinse it well with water, make sure to shake off toothpaste and other debris.
  3. You can also soak it in baking soda diluted in hot water in a clean glass (or container) and then rinse through tap water;
  4. Or loosely wrap it in a piece of disposable kitchen towel and quickly pop it into the microwave (10 -15 seconds), allow few seconds before taking it out of the microwave. Again, store it in an upright position and dry in the open air.

2. Pillows

This is where we lay our heads in the hope of getting a good, blissful sleep. But, did you know what else are resting in our pillows getting their blissful rest? Dried saliva, dead skin, dandruff, bugs, dust mites and their feces? That is why, it is important that pillows are washed or replaced regularly not only to maintain comfort but as well as to keep it hygienic, specially if you suffer from allergies (like I do). We wouldn’t be comfortable anyway, if our pillows are dirty.

Unlike mattresses, there isn’t a standard for replacing pillows although you can now buy a use-by-date pillow in the market. Practically, replacing our pillows mostly require instinct. If you think, it is time to change it. Then do so, specially, if it’s already smelly or tainted. In general though, it is recommended that we wash our pillows every six months to one year. And for allergy sufferers, it is recommended that pillows be replaced every one to three years.

Source

Quick Tips:

  1. Depending on the fillings (feather or down, synthetic like hollow fiber, micro fiber, polyester) to make sure that dust mites are killed, wash the pillows at 60°C temperature.
  2. If you have a steamer, steam clean your pillows at least once a week.
  3. Once in a while, it is a good habit to freshen up our pillows naturally by putting them under the sun or hanging them outside for several hours and let it air out.

Be creative!
Be creative! | Source

3. Kitchen Sponge

We use this soft, bright color handy sponge to scrub the dishes, other kitchen utensils and at times even to clean the entire sink. And, while we do that, we are also swiping and gathering germs to harbor in our kitchen sponges. These germs are lurking everywhere in our kitchens and the same germs are causing us to be sick. Remember that most bacteria thrive only in moist places and the sponge is a perfect place for them to do so.

Depending on the usage, it is recommended that we replace the kitchen sponge once a week.

Tickler:

Did you know that a single cell (bacteria) can multiply to millions of cells in less than 24 hour and only a few cells of this bacteria is enough for us to become sick and infected?

Quick Tips:

To extend the use of your kitchen sponge without actually replacing it and save you some money in the process:

  1. Soak it in hot water with vinegar for couple of hours.
  2. Alternatively, zapping it quickly in the microwave will also help.

However, bear in mind that these quickies will only take it so far for the sponge. It’s always best to replace it with a fresh one, again, once a week if possible.

4. Water filter

Replacing water filter in the house depends on many factors. As a guideline, when we buy water filter, it comes with a life cycle measured in liters or gallons of water and since water usage depends on every household, what we should keep in mind when changing water filter is its actual condition.

Whether it is a stand-alone filter or one that is linked to your fridge, water filter needs to be replaced in time to help keep your water uncontaminated and chemical free.

Usually, when we have exceeded the manufacturer’s water usage guideline, the water filter will become clogged and hence ineffective. It is time to change the water filter when you notice a gradual decrease in water pressure; when the taste of the water becomes strange or unpleasant and when the water emits some weird or unpleasant smell.

Source

Quick Tips:

  1. Change the filter as soon as necessary.
  2. Always keep a back up filter in the house.

Source

5. Toilet Brush

Now, this one of course needs a lot of personal judgment and no time frame. However, more often, this is one item in the house that can easily be neglected.

Just like other brushes, toilet brush is made of plastic bristles prone to wear and tear and over time it can get frayed. Once it becomes frayed, it will no longer serve the purpose of scrubbing the toilet bowl. Using loose or frayed brushes will only cause splashing out of water and spreading out dirt- fecal residues, which is obviously unsanitary.

We don’t need to wait until the toilet brush show some signs of wear and tear. Change it as soon as it looks gross and really filthy. Besides, it isn’t that expensive to buy a new one. Think: Dollar Store! So, to avoid further spreading of germs, purchase a new toilet brush as often as necessary.

Quick Tips:

  1. At least disinfect the brush every three to six months.
  2. Use anti-bacterial toilet cleaner.
  3. Soak the bristle in vinegar or bleach in the holder itself.
  4. Allow to dry by clipping it under the toilet seat and let drip (see video below).
  5. Replace it as soon as you see some signs of wear and tear.


Copyright@CrisSp~TM/06-2013. Fearless but not Heartless!

© 2013 CrisSp

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)