Which household items are covered in the most germs? From door handles to telephones, we reveal the grubbiest areas of your home

WHEN it comes to cleaning our homes, most of us pay attention to the obvious things – bathroom tiles, ovens and washing the dishes, for example.

But do you ever give your other household goods a good scrub? If not, you could be creating the perfect breeding ground for germs.

It turns out you should regularly clean items such as can openers, reusable shopping bags and hairbrushes – items which can often be ignored.

When you do your next big spring clean, make sure to pay these eight items extra attention, to keep your home hygienic and germ-free.

Toothbrush holder

You may clean and dispose of your toothbrushes pretty regularly, but often the holder is an afterthought.

But, discovered that toothbrush holders are the third most germ-infested place in the entire home. Yikes.

Thankfully, toothbrush holders are pretty easy to get clean.

Simply give it a rinse using hot water before using a clean cloth to wipe out.

If you want to be extra thorough, try using a pipe cleaner to get into any hard to reach places.

Once you’re done, fill the holder with antibacterial mouthwash and let it sit for two minutes.

Rinse out the mouthwash and you’re done.

Light switches

How many times do various fingers (possibly dirty) touch your light switches each day?

Not a nice thought, is it?

Rather than spraying disinfectant directly on to the switch, pop some on a cloth and give the surface a wipe down.

Use a cotton bud if you really want to get into every nook and cranny.

Can opener

You probably give your can opener a quick wipe-down once you’ve finished using it – but this just isn’t enough.

Cloths can quickly spread bacteria and can openers can soon become pretty grim.

While popping it in the dishwasher will help, it can sometimes leave it a little rusty.

Try washing it in hot soapy water instead – or de-rust your can opener by soaking it in apple cider vinegar overnight.

Door handles

Door handles have a similar issue to light switches – many people frequently use them.

Try to disinfectant them when you get the chance.

Reusable shopping bags

They may be the environmentally friendly option, but your reusable grocery bags are often full of germs.

Pop them in the washing machine once a week (on a cool setting) and leave them to completely dry before using them again.

Hairbrush

Hairbrushes tend to be full of dead skin, grease and old hair product – so simply removing any shed locks from its bristles is not enough of a clean.

Try gently scrubbing the brush using a shampoo and hot water to give it a decent cleanse and get rid of any lingering grime.

Telephones

Did you know that your telephone has the ability to harbour 18 times more grime than your toilet seat?

And to think you put that up to your face.

To combat this dirt, use a half dampened microfibre cloth and run it over your phone before using the dry side to quickly mop up any excess moisture.

Cotton buds can also be used for any tricky bits.

Bins

Bins require more of a thorough clean.

Dig out your rubber gloves, empty out the contents and give it a good hose down.

Once you’ve done this, spray and wipe own with disinfectant before letting the bin dry thoroughly before using it again.