How to Have a Clean and Microbe-Friendly Home

The article below is based on a podcast interview with Dr. Sandra Wilks

In our quest for a clean and healthy home, we often focus on eliminating harmful microbes. We scrub, sanitize, and disinfect, aiming to create a pristine environment. But what if I told you that there’s more to cleanliness than just eradication? What if I told you that you can have a clean home that is also microbiome-friendly?

In this article, we will dive into the world of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, exploring practical advice for maintaining a hygienic living space while preserving the beneficial microbes that coexist with us.

So let’s explore the realm of household hygiene and create an environment that not only keeps us safe but also nurtures the beneficial microbial communities that contribute to our overall well-being.

Defining Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

In the realm of cleaning and maintaining hygiene, it’s important to understand the specific definitions of terms like cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. While these definitions may vary slightly across countries and different environments (in the home vs. a healthcare setting), they generally serve as guidelines for effective hygiene practices. And for the purposes of this post, these are definitions relevant to household hygiene.

Cleaning involves the removal of visible dirt and organic matter using soap or detergents. For instance, when doing laundry at home, cleaning ensures the removal of dirt and stains from clothes, although it doesn’t necessarily involve sterilization.

Sanitizing focuses on reducing the number of microbes by employing chemical agents. Examples of sanitizers are difficult to give because this term is often used interchangeably with disinfectant in commercial products. Below, I’ll further explain how to handle this issue.

Disinfecting is intended to eliminate harmful microorganisms on surfaces and provides a higher level of microbial control compared to regular cleaning. This includes using a full-strength bleach solution or 70% alcohol.

But keep in mind that sanitizing and disinfecting will reduce or kill nearly all microorganisms, including harmless ones.

It’s important to note that sterilization, the process of completely removing all microorganisms, is typically not performed in home environments. Sterilization is more commonly associated with healthcare settings for items such as surgical gowns or medical equipment, where maintaining an entirely microbe-free environment is crucial.

Understanding these definitions allows us to make informed decisions about the level of cleanliness required in our homes. While cleaning is generally sufficient for day-to-day household tasks, disinfecting may be necessary in specific situations where we want to ensure a higher level of microbial control, especially when someone in your household is sick.

Cleaning in a Microbe-Friendly Way: Practical Advice for Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

Maintaining a clean and sanitized home is a top priority for many, especially in light of recent events with the pandemic. However, we must consider more than just the disease-causing germs when cleaning our homes. Aiming to remove all microbes is actually counterproductive since a lack of exposure to microbes can lead to immune disease. We actually want to make an effort to preserve harmless organisms of the microbiome in our homes — the collection of microbes that coexist with us.

So, how can we strike a balance between keeping our homes free from harmful bacteria and preserving the harmless and beneficial ones? I asked Dr. Sandra Wilks about this question in a Joyful Microbe podcast episode, and here’s a summary of our discussion about what to consider when cleaning and disinfecting various areas of our homes while keeping the well-being of the home microbiome in mind.

Prioritizing Areas for Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

First of all, identifying the areas of your home that require extra attention for cleaning, sanitizing, or disinfecting is essential. Two areas that require this extra attention are food preparation areas to prevent foodborne illnesses and the bathroom, especially during flu seasons or when someone in the household is unwell.

Here are some items to consider when it comes to food preparation and maintaining a safe and hygienic environment:

1. Separate chopping boards: Use separate cutting boards for different types of food, such as raw meats, vegetables, and fruits, to prevent cross-contamination.
2. Clean surfaces: Regularly clean kitchen countertops, cutting boards, utensils, and any other surfaces that come into contact with food. After working with raw meats, disinfect anything it came in contact with.
3. Proper storage: Store perishable food items in containers or sealed bags to maintain their freshness and prevent contamination. Label and date containers to ensure you use them within a safe timeframe.
4. Refrigeration: Refrigerate perishable foods promptly to slow down bacterial growth. Avoid leaving food at room temperature for extended periods, especially if it is prone to spoilage.
5. Temperature control: Ensure that your refrigerator is set at a safe temperature (between 38°F and 35°F) to keep food properly chilled and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
6. Expiry dates: Check the expiration dates of food products and discard any items that have passed their expiry date or show signs of spoilage.
7. Hand hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling food, especially raw meats, to minimize the spread of bacteria.

By implementing these practices in your food preparation routine, you can significantly reduce the risk of food poisoning and ensure the safety of your meals.

Here are some items to consider when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting your bathroom to prevent the transmission of harmful microbes:

1. Regular cleaning: Establish a routine for cleaning your bathroom surfaces, including sinks, countertops, and shower areas.
2. Disinfect the toilet: Use a toilet bowl cleaner and brush to thoroughly clean and disinfect the inside of the toilet bowl. Don’t forget to clean the toilet seat, lid, and surrounding areas as well.
3. Disinfecting products: Choose disinfectants that are effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses. Look for products that specifically mention their efficacy against common pathogens.
4. High-touch areas when someone is sick: Pay extra attention to frequently touched areas when someone in your household is sick, such as toilet handles, faucets, doorknobs, and light switches.
5. Ventilation: Ensure proper ventilation in your bathroom by using exhaust fans or opening windows. Good airflow can help reduce humidity and prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
6. Hand hygiene: Encourage proper hand hygiene for everyone in the household, especially after using the bathroom. Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is crucial in preventing the spread of harmful microbes.
7. Illness precautions: If someone in the household is experiencing stomach upset or any contagious illness, take extra precautions. Clean and disinfect all surfaces in the bathroom more frequently to minimize the spread of pathogens.

By following these action items and maintaining a regular cleaning and disinfecting routine in your bathroom, you can help reduce the risk of microbial transmission and maintain a hygienic environment for your household.

The Microbiome Perspective: Balancing Hygiene and Beneficial Microbes

Preserving the good microbes in your home is a growing concern as we realize the importance of a healthy microbiome. It’s important to be cautious of overusing synthetic disinfectants, as evidence suggests that some microbes can develop resistance to them over time. Balancing cleanliness and microbial exposure is crucial for our immune systems, particularly during childhood and adolescence, as it helps develop resilience.

Maintaining natural microbial communities can have various benefits, and ongoing research aims to enhance these harmless communities while targeting specific microbes that can cause illness. Striking this balance is essential for overall well-being and health.

Consider using cleaners that are effective yet gentle, minimizing harm to both the microbiome and the environment. Cleaning can often be accomplished simply with soap and water. Remember, it’s not necessary to disinfect everything in your house, as mentioned above. Target only those specific areas with disinfectants. This way, you’re less likely to harm the microbes in your house that you don’t have to worry about.

When you do need to disinfect, look for products that contain simple ingredients. For example, 70% rubbing alcohol is a highly effective disinfectant and contains only water and isopropyl alcohol. 3% hydrogen peroxide is another example of a disinfectant with only 2 ingredients, water and hydrogen peroxide.

As mentioned in the beginning, if you try to find a sanitizing spray to buy, quite often, it is actually a disinfectant spray because the words “sanitizer” and “disinfectant” tend to be used interchangeably. So, you might think, why not make your own sanitizer?

Some sources say you can create a sanitizing solution by making a weaker bleach solution. However, I don’t necessarily agree and wouldn’t recommend creating your own weaker solutions of any disinfectants for sanitizing purposes. If you apply the idea of making a weaker solution of a disinfectant to alcohol, this could lead to trouble because exposure to lower concentrations of alcohol can lead to resistance in bacteria. So be sure to use chemicals at the concentrations at which they’re effective.

Understanding Risk Levels and Personal Preferences

Determining the level of cleanliness required in different areas of your home often comes down to personal beliefs and perceived risks. Assess the potential risks associated with each area and adjust your cleaning approach accordingly. While some areas and circumstances demand thorough disinfection, others may only require regular cleaning. By considering the specific needs of each space, you can optimize your cleaning routine while maintaining a healthy home environment.

Here’s some advice for microbial risk assessment in your daily life:

1. Educate yourself about the microbes around us: Learning about different types of microbes and how they help us in so many ways can help dispel unnecessary fears and empower you to make informed decisions.
2. Seek information on pathogenic microbes: While we don’t encounter dangerous bacteria as frequently in our daily lives as we might assume, it’s still valuable to understand the basics of pathogenic microbes. This knowledge can help you identify potential risks and take appropriate precautions when necessary.
3. Build confidence through familiarity: Exposure to new situations involving microbes can be intimidating, but with time and experience, you can become more comfortable and confident. A fun way to do this is through hands-on microbiology activities.
4. Make informed choices: By developing a better overall understanding of the helpful and harmful microbes around us, you can make informed decisions about cleanliness, disinfection, and hygiene practices. Rather than succumbing to fear, focus on the knowledge you’ve gained and use rational judgment to assess risks accurately.

Remember, the goal is not to become an expert in microbiology but to gain a general understanding that allows you to navigate your surroundings with confidence. By adopting this approach, you can make informed choices that prioritize your well-being while minimizing unnecessary concerns.

Balancing Cleanliness and Microbial Diversity

Maintaining a clean and healthy home involves finding the right balance between effective cleaning and disinfecting practices while considering the preservation of beneficial microbes. By prioritizing areas for cleaning, choosing simple cleaning solutions, and evaluating risk levels, you can achieve a clean and hygienic living space without compromising the health and balance of your home’s microbiome. Embracing these practices not only benefits your household but also contributes to a healthier environment for everyone. And lastly, consider opening the window every once in a while to introduce some potentially beneficial microbes!