Winter is the season of cozy blankets, warm drinks, and festive gatherings, but it’s also peak time for germs, viruses, and bacteria. As families spend more time indoors, your home becomes more vulnerable to illness-causing contaminants. That’s why winter cleaning isn’t just about tidiness, it’s about sanitizing the areas where germs spread most easily. Whether you handle the cleaning yourself or rely on professional cleaners, focusing on these seven high-touch spots can significantly improve your indoor air quality and keep your family healthier throughout the colder months.
These two surfaces are touched dozens, sometimes hundreds, of times a day, often without anyone noticing. During winter, when cold and flu viruses thrive longer on hard surfaces, sanitizing door handles and switch plates at least twice a week is essential. Use a disinfecting spray or wipe, and don’t forget exterior door handles, garage entry doors, and bathroom switches.
Your kitchen sees a lot of action in December: cooking, baking, hosting, and prepping meals. That also means more germs. Refrigerator handles, microwave buttons, oven knobs, and countertops quickly become germ hotspots. A quick sanitizing routine after meal prep helps prevent cross-contamination, and using a food-safe disinfectant keeps surfaces clean while protecting your household.
Bathrooms are already high-germ environments, but winter increases risks since more guests use the facilities and viruses survive longer in colder temperatures. Clean bathroom faucets, toilet flush levers, and sink edges daily during the holiday season. If you have kids or frequent visitors, consider sanitizing twice a day. These small habits can greatly reduce the spread of illness.
Electronics are often forgotten during daily cleaning, yet they accumulate more bacteria than many bathroom surfaces. Remotes, tablets, gaming controllers, and phones travel from couch to bedroom to kitchen, making them some of the dirtiest items in the home. Use electronics-safe disinfecting wipes or a lightly damp microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol to keep them sanitized.
Winter means more coats, bags, wet shoes, and hands touching surfaces right when people walk in. Entryway doorknobs, stair railings, and mudroom hooks frequently attract grime and germs from outside. Sanitizing these areas helps prevent contaminants from spreading through the house and improves overall cleanliness, especially during gatherings or family visits.
Ironically, the tools you use to clean your home can become breeding grounds for bacteria. Sponges are particularly notorious, often holding more germs than a toilet seat. During winter, replace sponges weekly, throw microfiber cloths in hot water washes, and consider disinfecting sponges in boiling water or the microwave. Better yet, switch to silicone scrubbers for a cleaner, longer-lasting option.
These items go everywhere with you (stores, work, public spaces) and bring germs back into the home. Keys, wallets, purses, backpacks, and reusable water bottles should be sanitized regularly during winter. Wiping down the bottoms of bags and cleaning water bottles daily dramatically reduces the spread of bacteria.
Sanitizing your home during colder months isn’t just about cleanliness; it’s about safeguarding your family’s health. High-touch surfaces become major carriers of winter viruses, making regular disinfecting essential. If your schedule gets busy (holiday events, work deadlines, or winter travel) consider hiring professional maid cleaning to keep your home protected with deeper, more thorough sanitizing.
By staying consistent with cleaning and paying attention to these seven often-forgotten areas, you can maintain a fresher, healthier, and more comfortable home all winter long. Explore Our Services or Get a Free Estimate.
