Bacteria are a fact of life. Most are harmless to humans because we have been building up an immunity to them since the day we were born. And no matter the amount of cleaning you do, bacteria can never be completely eradicated from your home, and surprisingly, to some extent they shouldn't be. This is because some are actually beneficial to you. But, most bacteria you find lurking in your home are not the good kind. That being said, maintaining a clean and healthy household has plenty of merits, regardless of whether bacteria remains behind. Here are some facts about bacteria and household cleaners that keep them in check.



Choosing Antibacterial Cleaners

Do not bother cluttering your precious storage space with a multitude of antibacterial cleaners. Save yourself some money and choose an environmentally friendly concentrated household cleaner to use in a variety of places. These multi-purpose cleaners contain disinfectants and quaternary germicidal systems to effectively clean and reduce the number of bacteria in your home (FULLER Fulson Quaternary Germicidal Cleaner). Suitable for most non-porous surfaces, they work best when allowed to remain for a specified amount of time (refer to directions on the label) to kill a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Use them on counters, sinks, bathtubs, shower stall, floors, walls, appliances - just about any area you want cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized.

Our floors require more attention than most other areas of our home. They are everywhere in the house and used more than any other surface. We leaves traces of everything we have walked on outside onto our floors, whether we can see it or not. We spill drinks, drop food, spray perfume and air fresheners, all of which soils our floors and makes them a haven for bacteria and other germs to grow. Use an earth friendly floor cleaner to make your floors clean, shiny, and looking their best again (FULLER Dad Fuller's Oil Soap), and to eliminate the germs that may be breeding on them. For wood floors especially, make sure to use a mild, low sudsing cleaner.

And then there's grease. Greasy dirt specifically from food is loaded with bacteria, some of which is harmful to your health. Grease also acts like a magnet to attract dust, small bugs, and other germ-carrying particles. In this case, a heavy-duty cleaner is in order for tough, greasy jobs (FULLER 4x Concentrated Power Fulsol Degreaser).

Can Your House Be Too Clean?

In a word, yes. There have been rising concerns about disease-causing strains of bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Experts postulate that there will come a point where diseases we once thought had been eradicated forever will return as mutated strains and once again pose a threat to our health, with no chance of being controlled or cured by antibiotics. The same reasoning can be applied to eliminating germs in the home. Overuse of disinfectants and antibacterial household products may inhibit our ability to develop antibodies to the most harmless of bacteria, thus making them harmful. Best to aim for a reduction of harmful bacteria in our homes, and to make peace with the others.