January in NYC means two things: freezing temps and flu season in full swing. Every subway pole, every doorknob, every elevator button becomes a potential germ highway.
I’ve noticed that even people who clean regularly miss the spots that matter most during flu season. These high-touch areas collect viruses like nobody’s business, and most of us touch them dozens of times a day without thinking twice.
Let’s fix that.
Your Phone Screen Is Grosser Than You Think
Your phone goes everywhere with you. The bathroom. The subway. Your face.
Studies show phones carry more bacteria than most toilet seats. During flu season, this becomes a real problem. If someone in your household is sick, their germs are definitely on their phone and probably spreading to shared surfaces.
Wipe your phone screen down daily with a microfiber cloth slightly dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Don’t spray directly on the screen. Quick wipe in the morning, another before bed.
Light Switches and Door Handles
Everyone touches these, but not everyone cleans them. I’m guilty of this too.
Focus on bathroom and kitchen handles especially. These get touched right after using the toilet or handling raw food. Light switches in high-traffic areas like hallways and living rooms need attention too.
A quick wipe with disinfectant wipes takes 30 seconds per room. Do this every few days during peak flu season, or daily if someone’s sick.
Refrigerator Handles Are Germ Magnets
Think about how many times you open the fridge. Now think about what you’ve touched before opening it.
The fridge handle gets grabbed with dirty hands, post-sneeze hands, and everything in between. Same goes for the microwave handle and oven door.
These kitchen high-touch spots need daily attention during January and February.
Remote Controls Need Love Too
TV remotes, AC remotes, even that dusty universal remote you barely use – they’re all germ collectors.
Multiple people touch them, often while eating or after touching their face. The buttons and crevices hold onto bacteria and viruses for surprisingly long periods.
Pop the batteries out once a week and give remotes a thorough wipe down. Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol for the buttons and crevices.
Bathroom Faucet Handles
You touch faucet handles with dirty hands before washing, then again with clean hands after. This creates a weird loop where you’re potentially re-contaminating yourself.
Wipe these down after every few uses during flu season. Keep disinfectant wipes under the sink for easy access.
Don’t forget the toilet flush handle. I know it’s obvious, but it’s easy to overlook when you’re in a rush.
Countertops and Tables Get More Action Than You Realize
Kitchen counters see groceries, mail, phones, keys, and food prep all on the same surface. Dining tables collect similar traffic.
Disinfect countertops after meal prep and before bed. For dining tables, a quick wipe after each meal prevents buildup of germs from hands, phones, and whatever else lands there.
Following a professional kitchen closing routine can help you stay consistent during peak flu months.
Cabinet Knobs and Drawer Pulls
These fly totally under the radar, but think about how often you grab them while cooking, getting dressed, or looking for something.
Cabinet knobs in the kitchen get touched constantly during meal prep. Bathroom cabinet pulls get grabbed with wet hands. Bedroom drawer pulls collect dust and oils from repeated handling.
Add these to your weekly sanitizing routine. It takes an extra five minutes but makes a real difference in reducing germ spread throughout your home. Choosing microfiber over paper towels matters more than you’d think for effective germ removal.
Stair Railings and Banisters Are High-Traffic Zones
If you live in a multi-level apartment or townhouse, that railing gets grabbed by everyone coming and going.
Kids especially tend to run their hands along railings as they go up or down stairs. In apartment buildings, shared stairwell railings are even worse – hundreds of hands per day.
Wipe down your indoor railings twice weekly during flu season. For shared building railings, wash hands immediately after using them.
Let Professionals Handle the Deep Sanitizing
Most disinfectants need to stay wet on surfaces for 3-10 minutes to actually kill flu viruses. That’s where quick wipe-downs fall short. At House Keep Up NYC, we use EPA-approved disinfectants with proper contact time and technique to reduce viral load by over 99%.
Our team hits every high-touch zone on this checklist plus dozens more that most people never think about. Get regular sanitizing with our standard cleaning and give yourself one less thing to worry about this flu season.
