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How to Keep Your Home Clean and Avoid Intestinal Illnesses

How to Keep Your Home Clean and Avoid Intestinal Illnesses

A digestive health expert reveals the often-overlooked household items that may harbor bacteria and pose a risk to your gut health.

מוריה חן
13.04.23 13:35

(Photo: shutterstock)

You clean and ventilate your home, but according to Dr. Jordan Haworth, an expert in intestinal diseases, there are several household spots you should pay close attention to cleaning because they can harbor bacteria.

"Even the cleanest homes are covered in bacteria. About 70% of people don't clean certain household objects enough," warns Dr. Jordan Haworth. "Contracting an illness from these just once can leave you with lifelong gut issues, like irritable bowel syndrome."

Here are the items the expert recommends focusing on:

1. Cutting Boards

Use two separate cutting boards—one for meats and another for dairy or non-meats to avoid cross-contamination. According to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service, you should discard a cutting board if it's filled with grooves, as they can trap bacteria.

(Photo: shutterstock)

2. Bath Towels

Do you launder your towels after every shower, or do you use them for several days before washing them?

Dr. Haworth advises against using the same towel for multiple showers. The Cleaning Institute recommends washing your towel after three uses.

Additionally, it's important to separate towels used for drying after a shower from those used for hand washing.

3. Coffee Machines

"You should clean the machine with vinegar and always replace the water before use," advises the expert. Coffee machines can contain bacteria and mold.

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4. Microwave

It's important not to leave food remnants in the microwave. These can contaminate reheated food with bacteria like E. coli or salmonella, which can cause intestinal diseases.

5. Refrigerator

Dr. Haworth advises cleaning refrigerators at least once a month: "Proper food storage is crucial." You should place ready-to-eat foods on the top shelves and arrange other foods according to cooking temperatures from top to bottom.

6. Shoes

According to the expert: "Whether your shoes are dirty or new, always take them off at the entrance.

Shoes should be removed at the home's entrance, as 45% of shoes in a study contained a bacterium called Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), which increases the risk of gastrointestinal diseases and colitis.