You wipe down the kitchen counters, vacuum the floors, and scrub the bathroom, but some of the germiest places in your home probably aren’t getting much attention. Many of the surfaces we touch every day collect moisture, food residue, skin oils, and bacteria, making them ideal hiding places for germs.

Here are 10 places germs love to hide inside your home and how to keep them from becoming a problem.

Kitchen Counters

Kitchen counters come into contact with groceries, cutting boards, shopping bags, dirty hands, and countless other items throughout the day.

Simply wiping them down occasionally isn’t always enough. Clean countertops with an appropriate disinfecting product after preparing raw meat and at the end of each day to reduce the spread of germs.

Dish Sponges

Your kitchen sponge may look clean, but it’s one of the dirtiest items in the entire house. Because it stays damp and constantly comes into contact with food particles, it creates the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply.

Replace your sponge every couple of weeks, sanitize it regularly, or switch to washable dishcloths that can be cleaned in hot water after each use.

Kitchen Sink

Many people assume the toilet is the germiest place in the house, but the kitchen sink often contains even more bacteria. Food scraps, standing water, and dirty dishes create ideal conditions for germs to thrive.

Clean the sink basin, faucet, and drain several times a week using a disinfecting cleaner, paying special attention to the drain where food residue tends to collect.

Cutting Boards

Every slice and chop leaves tiny knife marks that can trap bacteria, especially when preparing raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and fresh produce whenever possible, and wash boards thoroughly with hot, soapy water after each use. Replace heavily scarred plastic boards when they become difficult to clean.

Coffee Maker Reservoir

That first cup of coffee each morning may be coming from an appliance that’s long overdue for a cleaning.

Warm water sitting inside the reservoir creates an ideal environment for mold, mineral buildup, and bacteria. Running a vinegar cleaning cycle every month helps keep your coffee maker fresh and working properly.

Stove Knobs

Stove knobs are touched constantly while cooking, often with hands that have handled raw meat, eggs, or flour.

Because they’re easy to overlook during routine cleaning, grease and bacteria can quickly build up. Wipe them down regularly or remove them occasionally for a deeper clean if your model allows.

Faucet Handles

You wash your hands to remove germs, then immediately grab the faucet handle you touched before washing them.

Kitchen and bathroom faucets are among the most frequently touched surfaces in the home. A quick wipe with a disinfecting cleaner every few days can significantly reduce bacteria.

Remote Controls

The television remote passes through countless hands but rarely gets cleaned. Crumbs, oils, dust, and germs settle into the buttons and crevices over time. Wipe the remote with a disinfecting wipe or electronics-safe cleaner every week, especially during cold and flu season.

Garbage Cans

Even when you always use trash bags, spills and leaks eventually find their way into the bottom of the bin.

Food residue, moisture, and odors create the perfect environment for bacteria and mold. Wash garbage cans with warm, soapy water and disinfect them regularly to keep smells and germs under control.

Toothbrush Holders

Most people remember to replace their toothbrush but forget about the container holding it.

Toothbrush holders collect water, toothpaste residue, and dust, making them one of the easiest places for bacteria and mold to grow. Empty and wash the holder every week to keep it clean.