Have you done your Spring Cleaning yet? Be sure to double clean what Real Simple Magazine calls the 8 Germiest Items in Your Home.

• Sponges and Dishrags– often times the most commonly used item to clean the dishes you eat off of and kitchen appliances and counters is the filthiest thing in your home. In order to keep sponges more clean, rinse them with hot water after every use and let them dry in a ventilated sponge holder/dish. At the end of each day, wet the sponge and put it in the microwave for 1 minute. (Extra attention to the WET because a dry sponge may catch on fire so be careful!)

• Kitchen Sink– this area typically harbors more than 10 times the amount of bacteria as a toilet seat does. Gross right? When cleaning be sure to especially scrub the area around the drains and garbage disposal as the bacteria quickly grows around this area after prepping food- especially raw meat! Be sure to use a disinfecting or antibacterial solution.

• Toothbrushes– hard to believe, right? Be sure to let your toothbrushes dry out of range from bacteria flying from the toilet while flushing and standing upright. Mold and other bacteria can easily form between every bristle so be sure to change your toothbrush every three months and sanitize them, and their holder, in the dishwasher every week.

• Electronics– It’s obvious. Almost every person in your home touches the remote to your TV, DVD player, game consoles or whatever else you may have. Often times people snack while using the remotes or keyboards, which leave oils and crumbs for bacteria to nourish and grow on. Be sure to swab remotes and keyboards with a damp disinfecting wipe.

• The Rug– the rug in the common living room can contain over 200,000 bacteria per square inch. The skin cells, food particles, pollen, and pet dander that collect in carpets serve as a smorgasbord for germs. Try to vacuum about once per week and spray your carpets with a disinfecting carpet spray, or better yet get them professionally cleaned every year!

• Bath Towels– again, one of the most commonly used items in your home. Every time you use a towel and it is wet for more than 20 minutes bacteria and mold grow because they thrive in moist environments. Be sure to dry them as quickly as possible after every use and launder after about 3 or 4 uses with hot water.

• Purses and Handbags– most handbags have tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom of them along. Think of how many places your handbag has been with you; bathroom floors, locker rooms, restaurant floors, outside, the car, just about everywhere. It’s surprising they don’t accumulate more bacteria! Try misting your purse and commonly used bags (gym bags, backpacks, etc) with a fabric-safe sanitizing spray.

• Pet Beds– we probably already view our animals as fairly germ infested beings so it’s no surprise they are sleeping on a hotbed of bacteria. Be sure to remove the cover and wash once per week in hot water and dry on high. If the cover does not come off mist the best with a fabric-safe sanitizing spray.

Some of these germiest items may be a surprise to you or maybe not a surprise at all. Often times the most bacteria filled items are the ones we use most often, which makes sense. Be sure to not only rinse and clean things, but to use a disinfecting spray on surfaces in which you feel comfortable. Germs can infest a home and cause the family members to get sick and even stay sick.