7 High-Touch Surfaces You May Be Forgetting to Clean

Besides cleaning the usual high-touch spots, such as doorknobs and countertops, there may be other items you're forgetting to disinfect, like credit cards and purses.

By Katie Holdefehr Updated December 01, 2020

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The coronavirus pandemic has made us rethink how we clean everything in our homes—most importantly, all of the high-touch areas, like doorknobs, faucets, and light switch plates. As the name suggests, "high-touch surfaces" are the spots we touch most often, and for that reason, they're also the most likely areas to spread germs and bacteria. While some high-touch surfaces are obvious (we're looking at you, kitchen countertop), others are easier to forget. Here are seven harder-to-remember items, and the right way to disinfect them.

RELATED: 5 Little Habits for a More Sanitary Home

Eyeglasses

Whether you wear glasses every day or reach for your sunglasses often, you'll want to clean them regularly. The easiest way is to use warm water and mild dish soap if you don't have any pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes or sprays on hand. Avoid rubbing alcohol, which may be harmful to special coatings on the lenses.

Steering Wheel

Even if you're carefully considering the high-touch surfaces inside your home, you may be forgetting the ones outside your house. In the car, wipe down anything you're likely to touch, particularly the steering wheel, turn signal, center console, gear stick, and seat. Keeping an extra container of disinfecting wipes in your car can make quick wipe downs even easier.

The Toilet Handle

During the coronavirus pandemic (and, really, all the time) the bathroom is one of the most important rooms to clean properly to prevent the spread of disease. And while the faucet, countertop, and doorknob all likely land on our to-disinfect list, there's one small thing it's all too easy to forget: the toilet handle.

The easiest way to clean it is with a disinfecting wipe. All out of wipes? Spray the handle with a disinfecting product, let sit for the recommended amount of time, then dry with a paper towel.

Appliance Knobs

Drawer handles and cabinet knobs typically come to mind when we think to disinfect our kitchens, but what about the controls on the stovetop, dishwasher, and microwave? Think about all of the appliances around your home—washer and dryer included—and clean each knob and button with a disinfecting wipe. If you're using a spray, spritz a towel first to avoid getting liquid behind the control panel.

Credit Cards and Keys

When we walk in the door from grocery shopping, we typically wash our hands, but what about the car keys and credit card we were just holding? Wipe those down frequently. When cleaning a credit card, spray cleanser onto a cloth first rather than directly onto the card and avoid scrubbing the magnetic strip.

Purses

To quickly disinfect your leather purse when you get home from the grocery store, use a bleach-free disinfecting wipe. Skip any products with a high percent of alcohol. If necessary, you can wipe the bag with a damp cloth with a drop of mild dish soap. Just be sure to rinse the area and dry it thoroughly, since water can be damaging to leather.

To prevent the transfer of germs to other high-touch areas in your home, avoid putting your purse on the kitchen counter.

Game Controllers

You may remember to wipe down your TV remote regularly—but consider adding game controllers to the list as well. Especially if your kids have been glued to their Nintendo Switch for months, wipe down the controller with a disinfecting wipe or spritz a clean cloth first to avoid getting liquid inside the controller.