Avoiding the doctor’s office during the cold and flu season is difficult under the best of circumstances, but right now we face the worst of circumstances. Consider all of the public places we encounter during this Holiday shopping season. With germ-filled public bathrooms, handrails and doorknobs, it’s easy to be exposed to overwhelmingly, bed-bounding viruses this time of year.

Warning: If you’re a germophobe, you may not want to continue reading.

If you want to counteract these effects and keep your home as clean and sanitized as possible, you’ll have to know where to look. Read more:

Brush, Brush, Brush

Flushing a toilet can contaminate a six-foot radius, including your toothbrush. And saliva containing the cold virus can survive up to three hours on your toothbrush. With so many opportunities to get sick, be sure to replace your toothbrush at least once a month.

Washtubs, Sinks and Basins

Bathroom faucets can be more harmful to your health than a toilet seat, and a bathtub may have 100 times more bacteria than the trash can. Disinfect your showers and tubs at least once a week.

Keeping the Kitchen Clean

An average kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom, and 52 percent of kitchen faucets are contaminated with harmful bacteria like E. coli. Be careful when preparing meals and always clean your appliances with antibacterial wipes.

Controlling the Remote

Germs can live on a remote control for two days or longer. It’s also one of the top places to transmit infections in your home. Use antibacterial spray to clean your remote at least twice a week.

Pass The Salt, Please

Pepper shakers can carry cold viruses. Do you use the salt and pepper shakers at your local eatery? Well, so does every other patron of that particular restaurant. Be aware of what you touch and always wash your hands before you eat.

Ring. Ring. Hello?

Touch phones touch your face, your fingers, your tabletops and bathroom counters. With more than 25,000 microbes per square inch, remember to clean your phone with antibacterial wipes at least once a day.

Consistent, deep cleaning with multi-purpose bleach is the best way to sanitize and deodorizes counter tops, kitchen sinks and any non-porous surface in your home.

Practicing correct hand washing is also a great solution to keeping you clear from colds. Simply wash for at least 20 seconds, or as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, dry your hands and use a paper towel to turn off the water. Just remember to wet your hands with warm water, lather with soap, scrub your fingers, the back of your hands and under your nails.