Spring cleaning is in the air! Even for the most dedicated homeowners, it is easy to miss a few places where dust is left alone to accumulate. Here are a few suggestions for deep cleaning spots that you might have missed.
Starting with Entryway and Hallways
Baseboards, along with door frames, light switches, and walls, can all accumulate dust. A quick wipe down of smooth surfaces can clean easily clean these areas. Textured walls are notorious for collecting dust. If you have a textured finish or textured wallpaper, do not neglect the walls. As you continue deep cleaning your way through your home, don’t forget to wipe down the doorknobs, too. Lots of hands touch those, so they are going to be germy.
Heading to the Kitchen
Dust, food, and grease all collect under large appliances that do not get moved very often. You’ll want to get under the fridge and the stove if you can. You also do not want to miss the smaller appliances you might have on your counter. For your dishwasher, clean out the filter and run a sanitizing cycle to get it in tiptop shape. Wash out your trash can with a bleach solution to clear out any smells or lingering bacteria, too.
Moving to the Living Room
Consider the light fixtures – they are easy to miss, and they collect lots of dust. Cleaning them with a damp cloth can be enough, depending on their texture. You can apply the same technique to house plants using a damp cloth to wipe off any dust that has gathered.
Don’t forget about window treatments, from blinds to curtains and drapes. Wipe down the blinds with a damp cloth or a microfiber towel to get the dust. If you can wash curtains in the washer, you’ll want to do that, but don’t just throw them in because sometimes drapes require special cleaning. Other things to think about in the living room include under the sofa, wiping down lampshades, and cleaning out the fireplace or chimney. You may or may not require a professional to come in to make sure the fireplace and chimney get cleaned properly because it could present a fire hazard if the soot is not cleaned out.
Time for the Bedroom
Decluttering the bedroom is once thing, but have you thought about cleaning your bed? You remember to change sheets and clean pillows, but you probably didn’t think about vacuuming the mattress. It is a good idea to do that because of the dust and dead skin cells that accumulate in your mattress over time.
Another often neglected place tends to be under the bed if you have any open space under there. Dust bunnies gather there whether you have carpeting or hardwood floors. Consider another place where dust gathers – your closet. Doing some deep cleaning on the closet floor is a good idea because of the dust and dirt tracked in. It is also a good idea to empty your closet and donate everything you don’t need anymore.
Remember Bathrooms and Laundry Rooms
You may clean the bathroom regularly, but your bathroom still needs to be cleaned in easy-to-miss places. Spots behind the toilet tend to collect all sorts of germs and dust, so find some gloves before you tackle that grime. Drains are the same way, so glove up before you scrub.
After you have cleaned your tub and the drain, everything looks great, except for those moldy, mildewy spots on your curtain liners. Toss those into the washer on a hot setting with a couple of towels, and it will be sparkly clean when you pull it out.
Laundry rooms get forgotten about, too. If you can, move the washer and dryer to get under them to clean and possibly find missing socks in the process. Washers, especially front loaders, also have a ring that needs to be cleaned; otherwise, you will end up with mold.
A Few Places for Extra Deep Cleaning
Let’s say you have gotten every speck of dust, and you’re feeling pretty accomplished. We are going to leave you with a few other tips that you may have forgotten to be sure you have evicted that dust from your house. Ceilings can harbor dust, so a quick wipe with a damp sponge can get that taken care of quickly. Don’t forget A/C grates, remotes, and your cleaning supplies. They all collect dust and germs that are cleaned with a quick swipe. Happy cleaning!
