‘I’m a Cleaning Expert, and I’m Begging You to Replace These 8 Bathroom Items ASAP’

TBH, they're probably teeming with germs because you never bother to clean or replace them. (Don't feel bad, you're not alone.)

"Typically, these items aren’t being considered in a regular bathroom cleaning routine," says Marla Mock, president of professional housecleaning service Molly Maid. "The misconception is they have a longer shelf life than they actually do or the item just doesn’t appear dirty to the naked eye…which makes it easier to forget about them!"

We chatted with Mock and two other cleaning experts—Dionne Livingstone with Home Spritz and Rhonda Wilson, quality lead cleaner with FreshSpace Cleaning—to better understand the bathroom stuff you really need to be paying attention to. Prepare to be skeeved out by their list of top offenders.

1. Your toothbrush

All the experts we chatted with put toothbrushes at the top of their list. Here's why: The average toothbrush— specifically, the handle—is home to some 12.6 million colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria, according to SafeHome.org. That's about as much as what you'd find in a probiotic supplement—but instead of good bacteria, the bugs on your toothbrush could potentially be the same kind found in (gasp) poop.

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What to do: Get yourself a new toothbrush every time a new season rolls around. "Toothbrushes should be replaced every three to four months," Livingstone says. (The American Dental Association agrees, BTW.) And if you've got an electric toothbrush that allows you to swap out the brush head? Give the handle a wipe down each time you do so.

2. Your loofah or body sponge

You might think that these are pretty clean, because they're lathered up with body wash and warm water every time you bathe. Problem is, loofahs and sponges tend to hang onto some nasty stuff. "These little guys can trap all sorts of dead skin cells, oils, and moisture because of their porous texture," Wilson says. Oh, and major bacteria. We're talking serious infection-causing bugs like Staphylococcus, per an older Journal of Clinical Microbiology¹ study.

What to do: Rinse your loofah or sponge thoroughly after each use and hang it up to dry—the wetter it stays, the more germs will grow. Replace natural sponges at least once a month and loofahs every six to eight weeks, Wilson recommends.

If you want to give it a quick clean every week or so (a good idea!), pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, she suggests. The high heat will kill off any germs.

3. The soap pump dispenser

Think about it: You're usually touching this before you've washed your hands, so of course it's gonna be home to a nice, big germ colony, Mock points out. Adding more liquid soap to a half-empty dispenser also potentially transfers bacteria from your hands into the actual container, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What to do: Give the outside of the dispenser a thorough wipe down with an all-purpose cleaning spray every couple of days, Mock recommends. Before adding fresh soap to the container, run it through the dishwasher and wash your hands to keep bacteria from multiplying inside.

4. Your razor

It's totally understandable to want to stretch the life of your razor. They're expensive! But they can also harbor bacteria like Staphylococcus, notes a study conducted by Microban. And the longer you let them hang around, the more germy they become. Plus, old razors tend to get dull, setting the stage for nicks and cuts, Wilson points out (a common shaving mistake).

What to do: Give yourself a fresh razor every five to secen shaves, Wilson recommends. Not only is it cleaner, but you'll also get better results in the hair-removal department.

For extra cleanliness points, you can give your razor a quick dip in rubbing alcohol after using it, says Wilson. The alcohol acts as a disinfectant.

5. The soap dish

Doesn't the soap keep it clean? Surprisingly, no. "It's always damp, and it's got soap scum hanging around," Wilson says. Which isn't just gooky and gross. Soap scum is actually the preferred food for bacteria like Serratia, which leads to the growth of pink mold, per November 2019 research in Emerging Infectious Diseases².

What to do: No need to actually replace your soap dish. Just give the one you have a thorough cleaning with a scrub brush and hot, soapy water once a week, Wilson recommends.

If you are in the market for a new one, consider something with drainage holes to let excess water escape (and stop your soap bar from getting all mushy and gross).

6. Hand and face towels

In the habit of washing these once a week? That's actually not enough, Mock says. "They can harbor bacteria from moisture and daily repeated use," she explains. That includes bacteria that's often found in poop, like coliform bacteria and E. coli, according to a 2014 study in Food Protection Trends³ study. (Ew.)

What to do: Get yourself a bunch of extra hand and face towels so you can wash them every two to three days, Mock recommends. Use the hottest possible washer and dryer settings, please. Heat is your best bet for eliminating germs, she adds.

7. Cloth bath mats

Moisture from when you step out of the shower or bath spurs the growth of bacteria on your bath mat, Livingstone says. To make matters worse, there's a good chance that someone, at some point, is introducing even more germs by stepping on the mat with their shoes on. No wonder February 2015 research in Applied and Environmental Microbiology⁴ found that the mats have a "very high abundance" of bacteria and viruses, including the pink mold bacteria Serratia.

What to do: Wash your bath mat at the hottest possible setting once a week, not just when it starts to get noticeably dingy, Livingstone recommends. And try to get a new one every six months.

8. The shower curtain liner

The green, black, and pink spots you've been ignoring for...ever? It's most definitely mold and soap scum (which, again, bacteria love to eat), Mock says. In fact, shower curtain liners tend to be the germiest place in the entire bathroom, according to SafeHome.org.

What to do: Swap out your shower curtain liner for a new one every six to 12 months, or sooner if you start to notice mold starting to sprout, Mock recommends.

For a little disinfecting action in between replacements, spritz your liner with water mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil after taking a shower or bath, Wilson recommends. (But still replace it at the recommended intervals!)