The Germy Spot You're Forgetting To Clean (And How Often You Should Do It)

Cleaning common areas, such as your kitchen and living room, can often take priority over your bedroom spaces. Once you do have the time to clean your bedroom, you might first look to tackle large pieces of furniture, such as decluttering the tops of dressers. However, it's also important to consider the invisible germs on areas that are commonly overlooked, including your nightstand. This includes charging cables and ports on your nightstand, which may accumulate dust and germs over time. At a minimum, charging cables should be cleaned twice a year, but any that accumulate dust more frequently should be cleaned every two months.

Like most people, you likely keep cables on your nightstand that connect to nearby electrical outlets and charging ports. These include those for your smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch. Just like other nooks and crannies around your home, charging cable ports require regular cleaning to remove debris, and doing so can prevent disrupted connections to charging cables. In some cases, neglected charging ports on your nightstand may even turn into fire hazards. Getting in the habit of cleaning any and all charging cables is just one of the ways you can reduce allergens like dust in your home and also get rid of dirt that might hamper the performance of the cables and charging ports.

The first way you can keep charging cables on your nightstand clean is with old-fashioned dusting. To do this, simply unplug the cables and cords, and wipe them down with a clean microfiber cloth. You can do this as a part of your regular bedroom cleaning regimen, or any time you notice dust accumulation. Also, if you notice any caked-on dust around charging ports, use a pin to gently dislodge these particles. Alternatively, a can of compressed air can also help remove dust in crevices and around ports.

You might also consider disinfecting nightstand cables and cords on a regular basis. After you have removed dust and debris, apply 70% isopropyl alcohol to a separate, clean cloth, and wipe down any unplugged cords and the outside of their charging blocks. Allow these to air-dry before plugging them back in. Finally, you can help prevent future dust, dirt, and debris accumulation by hiding your charging cords in protective cases when they are not in use.