It’s widely known that bathrooms are often the least sanitary rooms in a house, requiring more cleaning due to the array of germs they harbour.
The common culprits include E.coli, salmonella, streptococcus, and bacteroidaceae, commonly referred to as fecal bacteria. Neglecting bathroom hygiene can result in severe health issues such as gastrointestinal distress, fevers, fatigue, and various skin conditions.
While many people might dedicate one day weekly for bathroom cleaning, some parts need more regular attention – bathroom taps being one of these, specifically the handles.
According to experts at Showers to You, tap handles in bathrooms should be cleaned regularly since they’re often touched with dirty hands, becoming hotbeds for germs and bacteria.
They highlighted: “Bathroom tap handles are regularly touched with unwashed hands, so they can easily become covered in germs and bacteria. One of the quickest ways for Norovirus to spread is through contaminated surfaces, therefore it is crucial to keep this area as clean as possible.”
They add that gram-positive rods, which can lead to various infections, constitute almost 95% of germs on tap handles.
Delving deeper into the issue, the experts said: “Taps are touched before and after washing hands, therefore, germs are transferred very frequently.
“They have been found to contain a whopping 6,267 counts of bacteria per square inch, which is even more than found in the basin itself.”
The Bathroom Showroom experts advise that how you clean your bathroom taps will depend on what they’re made out of. If you’re unsure, it’s best to check with the manufacturer.
Some cleaning solutions can be abrasive and may scratch or damage your taps, but a gentle solution like soapy water can effectively clean your taps without causing harm.
To safely clean your bathroom taps, mix a few drops of liquid soap with warm water in a jug, and gently pour half of it over one of your tap handles.
Use a soft microfibre cloth, dip it into the remaining soapy mix and wring out before rubbing the tap in gentle circular motions, cleaning from top to bottom. Then rinse the tap all over with clear warm water to wash away any soap residue.
Use another microfibre cloth to gently dry the tap to ensure no watermarks are left behind, and then repeat for the other handle.