Even after we’ve scoured every inch of our homes, it’s hard to know how clean they are. With this in mind, the home insurance experts at Compare the Market experimented to discover how much bacteria hides in certain parts of our homes.
The experiment involved swabbing areas and items around the house that are usually included in regular cleaning duties, such as TV remotes, light switches, and shower screens, to see how dirty they are – even after they’ve been cleaned.
Bathrooms are a bacteria hotspot, with bathroom vents home to nearly 2,000 groups of bacteria on average
The experiment reveals that bathrooms are the dirtiest spot in our homes, with bathroom vents and shower screens hosting the highest amount of bacteria out of all areas swabbed.
The average number of bacteria living inside bathroom vents was 1,991, while shower screens ranked as the second most neglected area, with an average of 1,921 groups of bacteria living there. The maximum number of bacteria groups found on a single swab in these locations reached at least 11,500.
The inside of a washing machine followed in third, playing host to around 1,281 groups of bacteria on average. Some of the swabs found zero bacteria, proving that a clean, bacteria-free environment can be achieved.
TV remotes and microwaves are among the cleanest areas – but are still home to over 300 groups of bacteria
Light switches were home to the least bacteria, with an average of 79 groups living in this location.
TV remotes and microwaves followed as the second and third cleanest spots – but both still hosted more than 300 bacterial groups each on average, and the maximum number found in a microwave was at least 3,000.
Anna McEntee, home insurance comparison expert at Compare the Market, shares top tips to keep your home clean: “While sticking to a regular cleaning routine can help you keep on top of essential tasks and ensure that your home remains in good condition, sometimes mishaps cause mess or damage that cannot be rectified.
“It’s worth considering opting for accidental damage insurance as part of your home insurance policy as it covers all mishaps, such as spilling red wine on the sofa. Some groups of accidental damage will fall under buildings insurance, while others will come under contents insurance, so it’s always important to check what your provider covers you for.”
