How clean is your house?

Though it’s nearly impossible to live an entirely germfree life, you can maintain a relatively germfree home without too much effort.

With the flu season upon us you want to keep your family safe and healthy. A recent study showed that pairing good hygiene practices with products like hygiene soap, surface disinfectants and antiseptic liquid such as Dettol can reduce illness by as much as 75%.

Try these tips to protect your family and to keep the germs at bay in the two most used rooms in your home:

Blitz bathroom bugs

You might be squeaky-clean after a good soak in the bath, but that’s not the case for your bathroom. The bathroom is the perfect breeding ground for germs because it’s warm, moist and riddled with the germs we leave behind. Give your bathroom a good once-over by wiping down basins, countertops, walls and the toilet with a disinfectant every day. Studies show that in the process you can prevent 80% of gastrointestinal infections, including vomiting and diarrhoea.

Keep your kitchen spotless

While giving kitchen countertops a good clean with a disinfectant before you start preparing meals is a good start, the biggest germ-spreading culprits in your kitchen are cloths and sponges. Regularly soak your cloths in hot water with a disinfectant. To rid your sponge of unseen germs give it a quick zap in the microwave for one minute. Make sure you wash your hands before handling food, particularly raw meat, and use separate utensils and cutting boards for meat and fresh produce.