The top five areas of the house people never clean

Scrubbing surfaces, hoovering carpets, and changing bed sheets may leave your house feeling clean, but the dirtiest spots in the house are often forgotten, new research has revealed.

The study by Lightbulbs Direct shows the places in the home that people have never cleaned, despite being magnets for germs.

Parts of the home that we come into contact with most often, including doorknobs, keyboards and light switches, are hotspots for bacteria, and worryingly were some of the places that people cleaned the least in the study.

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Research by Which? found that some keyboards can be five times as dirty as a lavatory seat - quite concerning when you consider that one in five (20 per cent) us clean our computer keys twice a year or less and nearly one in 10 (eight per cent) of us have never cleaned them at all.

Dining tables and kitchen worktops were some of the top places that didn’t see the cleaning brush. Some 10 per cent admitted to cleaning these areas less than once a month and a shocking three per cent only wash these areas annually, despite preparing food and eating on them nearly everyday.

When it comes to differences between the generations, over 35s come out on top for keeping their homes sparkling.

One in five (20 per cent) 18 to 34-year-olds wash their bedsheets less than once a month, compared to just 10 per cent of over 35s, despite dirty bedding having the potential to make health problems such as allergies and asthma worse.

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You also might want to think twice before stepping inside a millennial’s bathroom - a worrying 10 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds clean their toilet twice a year or less with three per cent admitting to never scrubbing their loo.

It’s often a sticking point with couples that move in together for the first time, and the results of the study revealed the stereotypes are right - men really are muckier than their female counterparts.

Women going round to their partner’s house for dinner might want to reconsider, as one in five men clean their table less than once a month, with six per cent only getting round to washing it once a year.

Some 16 per cent of men also admitted to have never cleaned the door handles in their home, compared to six per cent of women - worrying when you consider that one door handle can contain 121 bacteria per square inch.

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David Tetlow, Ecommerce Manager, at Lightbulbs Direct, said: “It is quite shocking to see how often we forget to clean some of the places we come into contact with the most in and around the home.

“Light switches could be hosting a number of different types of bacteria, so it’s quite surprising that one in four of us cleans them every six months or less.

“Obviously, some places around the home are easier to clean than others, and many spots we simply forget about. However, keeping on top of these chores is vital to keep your home looking fresh and sparkling.”