Towel, mop, toilet brush: When do household objects need cleaning?

(dpa) - Everyone does their own thing when it comes to changing toothbrushes or washing bedsheets - but when it comes to other household utensils, nobody really seems to know what to do.

How often should you wash a dishcloth? What about mops, tea towels or the toilet brush? Here is what experts recommend, for the sake of cleanliness, and your own health.

Cloths and sponges: Anything used in the kitchen should be changed around once a week. If you use a brush for cleaning dishes, that can be put in the dishwasher once a week as well. Cloths should be washed at between 60 or 90 degrees in the washing machine, and with a heavy duty detergent.

Mops and brooms: Once every few weeks, it's best to put the mop in the washing machine if possible. Brooms should be cleaned around once a year by letting the brush soak in a cleaning solution.

Tea towels: Just like with cloths, tea towels are in contact with a lot of germs, and often bacteria that cause gastrointestinal diseases stick to them. That's why they should be washed at 60 degrees at least once a week.

Toilet brush: Experts recommend that whenever you clean the toilet, let the brush soak in the toilet cleaner as well, so as to remove any germs.

Vacuum cleaner: Most of us know to change the vacuum cleaner bag or empty the container when it's full. But that's not all - you'll also need to change the exhaust filter from time to time. This filters and cleans the air that is released back into the room, and should be changed twice a year.

Cutting boards: Even when you hardly seemed to use it, the cutting board should always be washed with soap and warm water every time. This is especially important if you've been cutting raw foods like meat or fish. Bacteria love moisture - which is why the boards should always be left to dry properly as well.

Towels: Any towel you use only for your hands should be changed every three or four days. When it comes to shower towels, it's best to change it every other day if you only use one towel and shower every day. If you use separate towels for face and body, you only need to change them every three or four days.

Toothbrush: As soon as the bristles start bending outwards, the toothbrush should land in the trash bin, as it won't be doing your teeth any favors any more. But that should be the very latest - usually you should change brushes every two or so months.

Hair brush: Most people remove the hair stuck in the brush regularly which is good. But traces of hair products and fats from your scalp will also get stuck there, which is why you should soak the brush in a shampoo solution from time to time.