It goes without saying your bathroom is one of the dirtiest rooms in your house. So when it comes to cleaning, you want to know what you're doing.
Thankfully, an expert has shared her top tips to help break down the confusing process - and there's one common mistake people make on a regular basis.
Talking to Honey Living, Emma Harding, molecular virology researcher and PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales, revealed different areas of your bathroom need to be cleaned at different intervals. But even before you whip out your cleaning utensils, there's another way you can help prevent the spread of germs, and it is all to do with that aforementioned mistake.
It turns out there's a right way and a wrong way to flush your loo, as you should always pop the lid down.
According to Harding, if you lid up particles can escape the toilet bowl and settle in other locations around your home, and you don't have to be an expert to know this is something you want to you'll to avoid. So she advises always using this method as a general rule.
Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule about how regularly to clean the rest of your bathroom. In fact, each area around the loo needs its own touch, so your method might vary if you're focusing on your toilet, bath, shower, or sink. Just how much use, and the type of use, each appliance is getting can also come into play.
"If someone has been sick recently, the bathroom should be cleaned thoroughly when they have recovered to prevent other people from getting sick, otherwise once a week is a good rule. Floors will generally need cleaning less than high-touch surfaces like taps and showers," said the expert.
Meanwhile, she advised giving your bath a scrub before every use to clear out any microbes that might have settled since your last soak. Harding says a rinse with soapy water should do the trick.
In fact, soapy water is great for cleaning a variety of surfaces as it kills a range of microbes, so the pro says it works well for all sorts of regular cleaning. "Once a month or if you notice a buildup of scum, coloured residue or slimy surfaces you should use a stronger cleaning agent that disinfects as well," she added.
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