Cleaning those Top 10 Neglected Spaces in your Home
There are only a few things in life that are certain. One of them is that as soon as something is clean, it will become dirty again faster than it should, and the other being that there is never enough time in a day to get to everything, meaning that some of the cleaning will always get neglected. In every home, there are a few things that consistently never get the attention that they should, and get put off until the next cleaning cycle, but never seem to get done.
Since there are always a few things that do not get cleaned as often as they should or things in your home that seem to always get forgotten, here is a list of the top 10 household items that get neglected most often, and how to best clean them.
Showerhead and Tub Faucet
Two of the easiest things to clean in your bathroom, and also some of the most forgotten about, are the showerhead and tub faucets. Limescale and soap scum can easily build up on the showerhead and tub faucet, and both are very easy to remove. Use either a store bought limescale remover or in a spray bottle, make your own. Fill a clean spray bottle with one cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of lemon juice, and spray the showerhead and tub faucets, and wipe off the residue with a clean cloth or sponge.
Houseplants
While they are always cleaning the air around us, we also need to make sure to keep them clean too, so that they can do their job better for us. Many houseplants that are covered with dust, not only look messy but also have to work harder to grow and filter the air in our homes. Take a damp clean cloth or sponge and gently wipe the excess dirt or dust off the plant’s leaves, and maintain this on a regular basis. You will be surprised at how much happier and healthier you plants begin to look.
Shower Curtains
Your shower curtain, probably the easiest thing in any bathroom to clean, is again also one of the most commonly neglected. To clean your shower curtain, simply remove it from the curtain rod, making sure to remove all the loops or connectors that hold it up, and put it into the washing machine with one or two towels on a normal setting. Add some fabric softener or baking soda to the load, and let your machine do the rest. Once the cycle is complete, remove it from the washer and let it dry.
Top of the Fridge and the Top of Upper Cabinets
Probably because of how high up they are, the top of the fridge and the tops of upper cabinets are always forgotten about, and when left unattended, huge amounts of dust can collect. To best clean these areas, first, start with a vacuum cleaner. Put on a small nozzle attachment to the hose and carefully suction up any excess dust from the surface. Next, using a damp cloth or sponge, wipe down the area making sure that no dust is left behind. For the top of the fridge, you may find that adding a few drops of mild dish soap to the sponge will work best.
Mattress
To best clean a mattress, first start by removing all bedding, mattress covers, and pillows. Next, using a vacuum, use the hose attachment to suction up any dust or lint from the mattress, on both sides. If there are any stains, use a non-toxic stain remover, or make your own with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Once the stains have been blotted up, sprinkle a light layer of baking soda to the mattress, and leave it to sit for two or three hours. Once the time is up, vacuum up any excess baking soda, and the mattress is ready to be used again.
Curtains
Probably one of the biggest dust collectors in any house is curtains. To clean them, start by gently vacuuming them with a brush attachment on the hose of your vacuum to collect any excess dust. Next, remove them gently from the rods, and place them in the washing machine on a normal cycle. Depending on the fabric that your curtains are made from, sometimes hand washing is best. Be sure to read the labels before washing them. Once they are washed, place them somewhere to air dry, and then rehang.
Light Switches
Light switches are always dirty from the sheer amount of times they get touched in a day, and it is best to clean these as often as you can. With a clean cloth or sponge, use a small amount of disinfectant soap or spray to clean all surfaces of the light switch. You can never clean these too much, especially during cold and flu season, and especially the light switches in the kitchen and bathroom.
Remote Controls
Remote controls, just like light switches are constantly dirty just from the number of times they are handled in a day and should be cleaned more often than they likely are. To best clean them, start by removing the batteries, and wiping the front and back of the remote with a clean towel or sponge. You can add a few drops of disinfectant soap or use a disinfectant spray too if you want, to help and kill off any bacteria and germs on the remote. When you are done, replace the batteries and it is ready for use again.
Under Appliances
To best clean under appliances, pull them carefully away from the wall or from their current position, and start by vacuuming up any large debris and dust. You will be surprised at how much collects under appliances! Once you have vacuumed, take a damp cloth and wipe down the area and let dry. When the appliance is away from the wall, make sure to wipe down the back of it and remove any dust from the wall that it was against. Once the surface is dry, carefully return the appliance to its place.
Light Fixtures
Light fixtures and lamps shades are always covered in dust, and they are very easy to clean! For glass or plastic light fixtures, gently remove from the lamp or fixture, and simply wash in the sink, dry off, and return to the fixture. For lampshades, take a damp cloth and gently wipe down, removing the excess dust from the shade.
Build these easy steps into your cleaning routine, and remember to keep up with each one on a regular basis. Not every item on the list must be cleaned each time you do housework, but by building them into your regular schedule, on either a weekly, monthly, or seasonal basis, you will be surprised how easy it is to keep up, and how much more enjoyment you will be able to get out of your clean home.