The house described in this article is fictional – I hope. This is the Hygiene House of Horror where the folk who live in it have some foul habits that seem to suggest that they want to catch a case of Delhi-belly or show off how strong their immune systems are. Do your rubber gloves and a mask, and let’s go and have a look.
Kitchen first, as this is where most hygiene horrors happen.
For a start off, this kitchen isn’t just where people eat: the cat is fed in this room, and the kitty litter tray is sitting underneath the kitchen bench. That’s what you can smell. How anyone can bear to have cat faeces with their risk of toxoplasmosis (especially nasty for pregnant women) in the kitchen beats me. And leftover cat food always attracts flies.
Don’t feed the cats in the kitchen and keep litter trays outdoors. And what is that cat doing sitting on the table or roaming along the kitchen bench? Licking the plates clean?
Don’t let animals onto your food preparation/eating surfaces or eat from your plates (exceptions are made in fairy tales for talking frogs). Sometimes cats will jump up and try, but this should be discouraged with shouting and water pistols.
This kitchen doesn’t stop with animal horrors. The rubbish bin is overflowing, again attracting flies and vermin. And an open rubbish bin reeks, especially with organic rubbish inside. Organic rubbish should be composted, and given its own special bin. Neither the compost bin nor the rubbish bin should be allowed to overflow, and compost bins should be scrubbed out regularly to prevent mould.
Now, I know the kitchen sink is just the right size and height for a baby bath, and has a nice wide space beside it that’s safe to put a baby on for changing and dressing before and after, but think what’s on that baby’s skin… and what’s in the nappy. And you’re going to wash your dishes and the cutlery that you put in your mouth in that sink, or at the very least, you’ll wash vegetables in it. Need I say more?
Hold your nose and open the fridge. Try not to be sick. In spite of the low temperatures, some of the items in this fridge are getting slimy with orangey-grey mould. Some things that are well past their expiry date have been pushed to the back. And the meat is right up the top of the fridge. Every package is open – cat food, pate, butter… Raw meat should go down the bottom in case it drips on food to be eaten raw, items should be kept in airtight containers so they don’t spread smells and so they don’t dry out. And you are not being thrifty keeping old food that has gone off. Throw those leftovers or half-eaten bananas out and do not wait for your domestic cleaning lady to come and clean the fridge for you. Start with this task right away.
Now for the bathroom… Not so bad if the toilet isn’t located in the same room as the toothbrushes. But if you have it all in one room, then keep the toothbrushes under cover, and the toothpaste too. Every time you flush the loo, a fine spray of what’s in the toilet bowl flies out. Anything that is going to go near your face should be as far away from the toilet as possible and preferably in a container. These toothbrushes are sitting in a cup filled with nameless grey sludge that has gradually accumulated, and this cup is on the vanity unit right beside where the spare toilet paper rolls are stored within arm’s reach of the loo itself. People put these in their mouths? If you use a toothbrush holder, clean it out. Yes, you rinse your toothbrush, but little bits of saliva always manage to escape, and saliva contains a lot of bacteria.
Remove that fuzzy cloth mat from around the toilet. Yes, it’s nice for feet on cold mornings, but for some reason, males in particular can’t seem to help getting urine somewhere other than the toilet (some in larger amounts than others, especially younger ones) and some females aren’t completely tidy, either. Besides, remember that fine spray coming out of the toilet when it flushes. Get rid of that mat, as it just gets filthy. The same goes for that knitted toilet seat cover, even if your grandmother made it for you.
One quick peek into the bedroom before we bolt for a breath of fresh, clean air. Is that a dog sleeping on the bed? Pets should not be encouraged to sleep on the bed. You have probably seen what your dog rolls in and where it puts its paws and nose. Do you really want that on your pillow? Cats should also be deterred, but cats, being stubborn and independent, are harder to deter from somewhere soft and warm like a bed.
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