Three Places Germs Lurk in Your Home (And How to Beat Them)

It might be troubling and a little gross, but here are ways to chase away germs from three of the biggest culprits (and no, not your children!).

From the TV remote to gaming console controllers, hands are constantly touching buttons, and with those hands come germs. The hard surface of the remote might fool you into thinking it doesn't have many germs, but it certainly does!

Disinfect it with a disinfecting wipe or paper towel soaked in vinegar and wrung out every couple of days, and don't touch the remote when you're fixing food—you could swap bacteria back and forth.

You've probably heard that money is dirty, but you might not have realized just how dirty it actually is: some viruses can live on your cash for up to 17 days. Yikes!

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to wash your money, so your next best bet is to keep it quarantined and to keep your own hands as clean as possible. Keep your money in one spot in your wallet or purse without moving it around. When you've been using money during the day, wash your hands frequently!

Though their primary purpose is cleaning, sponges are actually a breeding ground for germs. That might make you cringe next time you start to wash your dishes!

Your absolute best bet is to nix sponges altogether, but regardless of what you use to wash your dishes and counters, it needs to stay clean. The best way to do this is to throw your sponge or brush in the dishwasher when you run it. Alternatively, you can microwave it for 2 minutes or boil it for a few minutes.

Banish the germs from these places and let your cleaning services chase away the germs on your other surfaces!