9 Spots in Your Home You're Forgetting to Clean
9 Spots in Your Home You're Forgetting to Clean
When it comes to cleaning your home, it's easy to focus on visible messes and high-traffic areas while forgetting about spots that accumulate dirt over time. Ignoring these often-overlooked areas can impact your home's cleanliness and even your health. Here are nine areas in your home you might be forgetting to clean and why they deserve your attention.
Area 1: Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are notorious for collecting dust, particularly on the tops of the blades where it's out of sight. When you turn the fan on, this dust circulates throughout the room, affecting air quality and triggering allergies.
How to Clean:
Use a microfiber duster or a pillowcase to trap and remove dust from each blade. Wipe with a damp cloth for a thorough clean.
Area 2: Behind Appliances
Behind stoves, refrigerators, and washing machines are usually the places where grease, dust, and even food crumbs accumulate. In due course, it will attract pests and develop a bad smell.
How to Clean:
Move appliances every few months to vacuum, sweep, and wipe down the area. Apply some degreaser for sticky spots.
Area 3: Light Switches and Door Handles
Light switches and door handles are among the most touched areas in your home and, therefore, are hotspots for bacteria and germs. Yet, they are mostly bypassed during regular cleaning.
How to Clean:
Disinfect these surfaces weekly with a cloth or wipe wetted in a household disinfectant.
Area 4: Window Tracks and Sills
Window tracks and sills, particularly those facing the outside, are prone to gather dirt, dead bugs, and mold. With time, this may cause malfunctions in your window operating system and make your home look less attractive.
How to Clean:
Suction out debris with a vacuum cleaner with a crevice attachment. Wipe down the tracks and sills with a damp cloth and a solution of water and mild detergent.
Area 5: Baseboards
Baseboards really attract lots of dust, pet hair, and scuff marks; however, they're one of the easiest things to overlook when one is routinely cleaning. A dirty baseboard will make a room that is otherwise clean-looking appear messy.
How to Clean:
Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to remove dust, then wipe with a damp cloth or a mixture of water and vinegar for stubborn grime.
Area 6: Under Furniture
Space under beds, couches, and tables collect dust bunnies, crumbs, and even small items that fall out of sight. These are areas a lot of times that get neglected, which, over time, build up allergens in the home.
How to Clean:
Lighter-weight furniture may be moved every few months and vacuumed or swept underneath. Long-handled duster or vacuum attachments should be used for heavier pieces.
Area 7: Shower Curtains and Liners
Shower curtains and liners are in a way exposed to moisture almost throughout, hence mold and mildew are common. If not washed regularly, they might emit a bad smell and further cause health hazards.
How to Clean:
Wash the fabric curtains in the washing machine using a mild detergent, and plastic liners can be scrubbed using vinegar and baking soda. Liners should be replaced as and when required.
Area 8: Air Vents and Filters
Air vents and filters accumulate dust, pet hair, and allergens, thereby reducing the efficiency of the HVAC and compromising air quality. Neglecting these areas may lead to increases in energy bills and the exacerbation of allergy symptoms.
How to Clean:
Vent covers should be removed and regularly vacuumed. Replace HVAC filters once every one to three months as per usage and the presence of pets or allergies in the home.
Area 9: Trash Cans
Even with a liner, spills or leaks in the bottom of garbage cans can quickly turn them into bacterial incubators that generate odors. Over time, the odors could be unwelcome, and attract pests.
How to Clean:
Empty the can and scrub the interior with warm, soapy water. Use a disinfectant spray to sanitize and allow it to air dry before replacing the liner.
Conclusion
Keeping your home really clean involves giving time to often-neglected areas: ceiling fans, baseboards, and behind appliances. Regular cleaning of these nine areas will offer a better quality of air, reduce allergens, and generally make for a more friendly atmosphere in your home. Add these places to your cleaning schedule for a healthier and fresher home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How regularly should I clean behind the appliances?
Clean behind appliances every three to six months to avoid buildup and maintain hygiene.
What's the best way to clean ceiling fans without spreading dust?
Use either a microfiber duster or place a pillowcase upon each blade to catch the dust while you wipe.
How can I keep window tracks clean for longer?
Using a silicone spray after cleaning will reduce dirt build-up and make future cleaning easier.
Is there natural cleaners for disinfecting waste baskets?
Yes, a combination of vinegar and baking soda will be effective in cleaning and deodorizing the trash cans.
Should I hire a professional cleaning service to do hard-to-reach areas?
If one is busy or perhaps cannot reach specific parts of the house, then a hired professional cleaning service may be ideal.