We’re at the halfway point of the year, and have you not cleaned your home in a while? Well take stock because there’s a lot of stuff we overlook in our regular cleaning.

A new study shows that the handle of your coffee maker has more bacteria than your toilet seat!

The study did swab tests on every day usage items like bathroom faucet handles, doorknobs, TV remotes, and found traces of staphylococcus and e. coli.

The highest levels of bacteria were found on kitchen faucet. But these bacteria can be found everywhere.

Most of us when cleaning will do a good job of the things we expect to be dirty, like the sink or tub or toilet, but we ignore lots of bacteria hot spots. Among the items most of us never clean – your keys (you touch them every day!), remote controls, your computer keyboard and mouse, your phone, light switches, door handles – especially the outside of the front door, video game controllers, cupboard handles, and the stair railings.

So, add them to your chore list!

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The final weekend of June is upon us, and the Fourth of July is next week, so you’re gonna be spending a lot of time outside in the near future. But it is important to stay safe and avoid potentially dangerous things this season.

First, insect bites – use repellent, wear long clothing, since both mosquitos and ticks carry diseases.

And stay hydrated and cool whenever and wherever you can because heat-related illnesses kill more people each year than tornados, hurricanes, and floods.

Plus, wear sunscreen – sunburns are never fun and they can be deadly in the long run because of skin cancer.

And make sure you do stay safe in the water as well – more than 4,000 people drown annually.

Finally, food poisoning is more prevalent in the summer – because many people handle raw meat while grilling and they don’t always wash their hands.

So take these tips, and have a healthy, happy Summer.

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With the summer heat and humidity upon us, it’s a reminder that we’re in the middle of mosquito season. And that best way to avoid getting sick is to prevent mosquito bites.

The CDC has some tips on how to do just that:

First, if you’ve got stagnant water anywhere near your home, make sure you dump it out, as it can be a breeding ground for mosquitos, and can potentially make pets sick if they drink it.

Use insect repellent every time you go out – in addition to sunscreen, it should be a part of your daily routine.

If you’re going to be spending time in a wooded area, try to wear either long sleeve shirts or long pants, or both.

If you do keep your doors and windows open, make sure they have screens – it’ll prevent insects from getting in.

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