Most Overlooked Places to Clean in Your Home (And How to Tackle Them!)

When you clean your home each week, you likely run through the same chores. These typically include sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, washing bed linens and scrubbing down the kitchen and bathroom.

Despite doing these important chores, however, there are some areas that many people overlook. Dirt and grime can accumulate in these places, making them downright filthy over time. What are the most overlooked places to clean in your home.

What Do You Think Are the Most Missed Areas When Cleaning a House?

When you clean your house, you understandably focus on the most visible places and the places that are easiest to reach. However, dust and dirt can also accumulate on less visible and hard-to-reach surfaces, leading to an increase in dust mites and lower indoor air quality.

Some places may develop mold, which has a detrimental impact on your health. In some cases, grime buildup can affect the way some of your devices work and can result in increased repairs or the premature need for a replacement. These are the most overlooked places to clean in your home.

Light Switches and Door Handles

You and your family members touch the light switches and door handles so frequently that you may not give them a second thought. While they are easy to overlook, they can be covered in illness-causing germs. These high-touch surfaces can easily be disinfected by spritzing them lightly with rubbing alcohol and wiping them clean.

Baseboards and Trim

The baseboards and trim protrude outward, creating a small ledge that can collect just as much dirt and dust as your furniture and floor. However, many people do not think about cleaning these areas as regularly as they vacuum the floor.

An easy way to keep them clean is by using the handheld attachment on your vacuum cleaner each time you vacuum the floor. If they are already filthy, fill a bowl with dish soap and water. Dampen a cloth slightly and wipe off the baseboards and trim.

Under Furniture and Large Appliances

Many people view their large appliances and furniture as semi-permanent features in their home. After all, these features may rarely be moved.

Because of this, it’s easy to overlook the dirt accumulating underneath them. Every few months, recruit someone to help you move the furniture. Use your vacuum to suck away the buildup.

Air Vents and Ceiling Fans

Because they are overhead, you may rarely look at your air vents or ceiling fan blades. However, the air vents will accumulate dirt each time the HVAC system runs. The ceiling fan blades can pick up dirt from the HVAC system even when the fan is off, and they can hang onto dirt in the air as the blades spin.

Use the handheld attachment on the vacuum to clean the air vents each time you change the air filters. The easiest way to clean your ceiling fan blades is with a pillowcase. Wrap the pillowcase entirely around the blade. Grip the blade firmly on both sides as you glide the pillowcase across the blade.

Window Tracks and Blinds

Your blinds are often-overlooked features despite being prominent in your room. They collect dust and dirt just like other surfaces in your home. The easy way to clean them is with a microfiber cloth or duster.

While you are cleaning the blinds, open up the windows slightly. Window tracks are not visible unless the windows are open, but they can collect grime from the outdoors. To clean them, dip a small brush in diluted vinegar, and scrub until clean.

Inside the Kitchen Appliances

Because your fridge is often closed, you might not think about cleaning it unless you have a spill. The dishwasher seemingly cleans itself each time you run a load. However, the inside of these appliances and the oven should be cleaned routinely.

You can use diluted vinegar to wipe off the fridge grime. To clean the dishwasher, place a small bowl or cup of vinegar in the top rack of an otherwise empty dishwasher. Run the load as usual. For the oven, baking soda and vinegar can tackle tough grime and grease.

Shower Curtains and Liners

Your bathroom is among the dirtiest rooms in the house, and your efforts to clean the toilet, counters, floor, tub and shower will eliminate a lot of the grime. However, the shower curtain and liner are easy to overlook and seemingly inconvenient to clean.

In reality, however, you can easily take them off the rod and toss them in the washing machine. Wash the load with detergent and a half-cup of vinegar. Do not put these items in the dryer. Hang them outside to air dry.

Remote Controls and Electronics

Despite being high-touch surfaces, remote controls in most homes are rarely cleaned. On cleaning day, you may simply set them aside while you dust the furniture. Likewise, you may overlook cleaning the electronics out of habit. When dust accumulates on your electronics, their functionality and longevity are affected.

Use a cloth lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol to clean the remote controls. For electronics, avoid using liquids or chemicals. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe them off. You can also vacuum the back of your appliances with a handheld attachment.

FAQs

What Part of the House is the Hardest to Keep Clean?

The hardest area of the house to clean is up for debate. Many people think that the kitchen is most challenging because it is used so frequently.

In the kitchen, you might tackle tough grease messes, dangerous germs from raw foods and more. Other people think that the bathroom is most challenging. Some reasons for this are difficulty cleaning behind the toilet and trouble removing mildew and soap scum.

What is the Most Important Area to Keep Clean?

The most important area to keep clean is the kitchen. The kitchen is exposed to germs and allergens that the rest of the home is exposed to. In addition, E. coli, listeria, salmonella and other food-borne germs are introduced to the kitchen from raw food. Because this is also the place where your food is prepared, it is essential to keep this space clean.

What is the Most Effective Way to Clean Your House?

Start by decluttering your house room by room. Gather all of your cleaning supplies. Then, work from top to bottom. Completely clean one room before moving on to the next room.

After spending a few hours cleaning your home each week on a regular basis, it can be discerning to learn that you’ve been overlooking several important areas. When you use our home and apartment cleaning services in Boston, MA, you are assured that your home will be thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. To schedule service with our maids, contact Cleanzen today.