How Often You Should Clean The Most Neglected Parts of Your Home

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Recently a member of our Private Facebook Group asked a question that I know many were thinking. It had to do with those parts of your home you overlook when cleaning – you know the most neglected parts of your home that you just plain forget to tackle on a regular basis.

This question is what prompted me to develop my yearly cleaning calendar. The calendar address the 10 areas I’m going to share with you today, plus a few more. You get a FREE copy of my yearly calendar below!

Cleaning isn’t always intuitive. Of course areas like the counters, washing your bedding, vacuuming the floors, are obvious. But what about all those areas that get overlooked? This list will help guide you into creating a regular cleaning schedule to tackle those neglected parts of your home. Along with the yearly cleaning calendar, they won’t be neglected anymore!

Table of Contents

10 Neglected Parts of Your Home You Should Be Cleaning

SHOWER CURTAINS AND BATH MATS

Your shower curtain has two parts that need to be cleaned. The vinyl shower curtain can be tossed in the washing machine with a bit of detergent and bleach and rehung to dry. I recommend doing this as soon as you start to notice any soap scum building up. The outside shower curtain can be washed in spring and fall. Both of these need to be cleaned often. Shower curtains can be washed once a month in the washing machine even if they are the vinyl style, just don’t toss them in the dryer.

Bath mats need to be cleaned far more regularly. Personally, I like to clean my bath mats every two weeks and I recommend that cleaning cycle as they can begin to create a mildew effect from being wet after a shower or bath.

LIGHT SWITCHES AND DOOR KNOBS

This may seem like a no-brainer to some, but in some households, the light switches don’t get cleaned even though they are used frequently throughout the day. Just think about it for a minute. You are constantly switching your lights on and off, and for most of us, our hands are not always germ and bacteria free. If you have kids you know they are not germ-free! This becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and over time if ignored, can cause health concerns and spread colds and viruses. Try to clean and sanitize your light switches at a minimum of once per week.

CEILING FANS AND LIGHT FIXTURES

Making sure you take the time to clean the blades of any ceiling fans along with all light fixtures is a must. Make sure the light is off and cool to the touch when you clean, same goes for the ceiling fans. Wipe away any dust or dirt that has collected, if you didn’t know this can reduce your light up to 30%. Use warm soapy water to wipe down the light fixtures. A tip for the ceiling fans is taking an old pillow case and use this to wipe down the blades one by one. Just put the case over one of the blades, so the dust can fall into the pillow case instead of falling to the floor. I recommend cleaning your ceiling fans and light fixtures every 2 weeks if you have pets and once a month if not.

REMOTE CONTROLS

Make sure to take the batteries out and wipe down the front and back and all around the buttons. Your remotes get used so often, they truly are a breeding ground for bacteria. Try to wipe them down a minimum of weekly. I like to try and wipe them down when I dust and wipe down the end tables in the living room.

CURTAINS

Make sure to take the time and vacuum or wash your curtains, following the care instructions. They can really trap dust and can help flare up any allergies your family may have. Try to clean them every few weeks to once a month.

TOPS AND UNDER APPLIANCES

The tops and under kitchen appliances can rarely get cleaned. You might find that dust really collects easily on top of your appliances, and food and crumbs land underneath. Try and wipe these down and sweep, once every couple weeks.

COUNTER TOP CREVICES

Both of these spots can be pretty dirty in a short time. Little food crumbs and drippings can fall into these small areas and created a mess in no time. Not to mention it could attract ants and other insects. Try and wipe these down on a regular basis when you wipe down your counter tops and other areas. For the small areas on the sides of your appliances take a spatula or even broom handle and wrap a microfiber rag around it and secure with a rubber band. Spray with a little cleaner and use that to rub back and forth to help remove any food or grime, if you are unable to move the appliance easily.

Related: Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen

KITCHEN HOOD FILTER

If you have a hood over your oven then you have a filter that needs to be cleaned often. The hood circulates air when you are cooking and that filter can catch a lot of grease and grime. Wash in hot soapy water, or if yours is safe to run in the dishwasher. Do this at least once a month.

FURNITURE AND PET BEDS

If you have pets you know how much pet hair can accumulate on the couches and the sides and back – you know the place your cat loves to rub up against? Weekly vacuum the outside of your couch to remove dander and hair. Once every two weeks get in any crevices and vacuum the whole area with the proper vacuum attachment. Furniture can collect food crumbs and dust, and other gunk. Same goes for pet beds, work through all the crevices to try and remove all the pet hair you can find. If washable wash in the washer every couple of months or as soon as the become odorous.

Same goes for pet beds, work through all the crevices to try and remove all the pet hair you can find. If washable wash in the washer every couple of months or as soon as the become odorous.

MATTRESSES AND PILLOWS

When was the last time you cleaned your mattress and pillows? Oh, you didn’t know they need cleaning, did you? Clean your mattress at least twice a year. This is one area that can collect a lot of dirt, grime, and even dry skin. Simply remove all your bedding and sheets. Take baking soda and sprinkle on your mattress and let sit for 1 hour. Then come back and vacuum up all the baking soda. If you want to add a little non-toxic scent, mix in a few drops of your favorite essential oil with the baking soda. I love Lavender, very calming!

For pillows make sure to follow the care instructions on the tag on how to wash them safely. Pillows, just like your sheets should be washed in hot water to clean them effectively and kill all bacteria and germs lurking in the pillow.

CONCLUSION

It’s easy to forget the nonregular cleaning tasks and find they become part of the neglected parts of your home. These reminders plus utilizing my cleaning calendar will ensure your home and those most neglected parts will always be given the cleaning attention they deserve!

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