9 Household items you use daily that you should replace often

MF editorial team

27 Jan 2017

Don’t harbour bacteria in your home needlessly!

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Chopping boards
Be it wooden boards or plastic boards - one thing’s for sure: over time, cutting boards can harbour plenty of bacteria and germs. Residue from meat and vegetables can turn mouldy, and no matter how well you think you’ve cleaned it (even with detergent), you will never be able to get rid of it all. While there isn’t a fixed lifespan for your chopping boards, deep cut marks and scrapes are a good indicator that it’s time to replace them.
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Bar of soap
Unless you keep your bar of soap extremely clean, it can harbour plenty of germs in the wet environment of your bathroom. Make sure they dry out well before you use them again. Our advice? Have two separate bars on hand! So, while one piece is drying, you can use the second one to clean yourself. When these bars harden and dry up, bacteria has less of a chance to reproduce and spread.
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Kitchen sponges
Sponges are usually used for scrubbing and keeping your pots, pans, cutlery, and stove clean. Unfortunately, this might not be the case if you’ve held onto your sponge for a long time. An old sponge could be spreading around more dirt and bacteria instead do a good cleaning job. So, if you use a sponge daily, don’t forget to replace it every week! And heads up, if you use a sponge to scrub your toilet, be sure to bin it immediately – it doesn’t pay to be stingy!
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Dishtowels
Use a dishtowel regularly to dry your hands after you wash them? You’ll be surprised how germ-ridden the towel can become! Over time, your dishtowel can become contaminated with E. coli, which can cause serious issues like gastric diseases. Due to the high moisture content soaking the cotton, your dishtowel can make for the perfect place for bacteria to spread fast. Try to replace it every week, and wash them using hotter temperatures.
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Pillows
No, not your pillowcases, but your actual pillow. Your dead skin cells, sweat, and dried skin can seep into your pillow, and over time, this can build up into a bacteria battlefield. Despite protection from your pillowcase, microscopic mites can still burrow deep into your pillow. Dispose your pillow every couple of years. You can extend its lifespan by washing it on high heat (at least 60 degrees) every three months.
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Shavers
Do you store your razor blades in the shower? Never do that! Why? The humidity, residue from your skin, and the dampness of the shower all make it the perfect environment for the spreading of mould. Also, your blades are more prone to rusting if they are placed in a damp area for too long. Replace your blades every couple of weeks - or earlier when they start to rust or go blunt.
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Toothbrush
Just because you brush your teeth three times a day doesn’t mean your mouth will be clean. A study has shown that millions of microscopic bacteria can spread in just a short amount of time – and the longer you keep your toothbrush, the more it will harbour. Thus, we advise you to replace your toothbrush every three months, and if you’ve just recovered from a cold, throw it away immediately to prevent another infection!
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Contact lens case
You might be guilty of just doing a quick rinse of your contact lens case before filling it up with new solution. It’s best to wash it out properly with plenty of water, and leave it uncapped to dry when you aren’t using it. Bacteria can thrive in contact lens solution if it is left to stand for a long time.
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Toilet brush
While there is no fixed lifespan of a toilet brush, you should still change it after half a year has gone by, especially if you tend to use it often. Our easy trick: fill the holder of your toilet brush with a strong mixture of water and toilet cleaner when it is being stored.

Are you about to do a quick spring clean but have no idea where to start? Housework can be a real chore as it involves a lot of time, effort, and determination. It’s easy to overlook certain areas. Items like your cutting boards and your personal razor used for shaving can seem clean on the surface… so how often do you need to replace them? Helpling, an online marketplace for home services, has curated a handy list 9 surprising household items you should be getting rid of this Chinese New Year.

This post was brought to you by Helpling.

Photos: Getty Images

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