8 Simple Things You Forget to Clean When Cleaning Your House

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We all know that cleaning is a chore that never ends. The moment you wipe down the counter, dust falls. As soon as you do the floors, dirty shoes walk over them. Even though no home will ever stay pristine, there are some places in nearly every home that are rarely cleaned the way they should be.

When you see this list of things that are usually neglected on cleaning day, you’ll shudder to know you’re guilty of overlooking at least one. The good news (or bad, depending on how you look at it) is that most of these forgotten spaces are super easy to clean. All you need to do is remember to clean them!

  1. Cleaning Supplies

I know what you’re thinking. Cleaning supplies? Aren’t they already clean? Not quite. When you clean your home with reusable items like mops, sponges, dusters, and rags, the grime and bacteria can sneak up on you—and even worse, it will start to spread throughout your home.

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Regularly wash or clean your supplies, especially those that retain water. If your kitchen sponge is constantly wet and soapy, it will start to grow mildew in as little as one day. To lengthen the life of your sponges, you can keep them clean by rinsing and wringing them out after every use. For an easy detox, you can even run them through the dishwasher every once in a while.

  1. Washing Machine

Supplies aren’t the cleaning tools that tend to get neglected in the home. Just like forgotten moldy sponges, your washing machine might be silently growing mildew due to the frequent moisture. If your clothes aren’t coming out as clean as they used to, it’s probably time to clean your machine.

Some experts recommend cleaning your washing machine as frequently as once a week. You could spring on cleaners designed specifically for your machine, like Affresh, but a cup of bleach or a solution of vinegar and baking soda should do the job just as well.

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In addition to regularly cleaning your machine, you can easily maintain it by leaving the door open between washes.

  1. Dishwasher

Another neglected cleaning item in your home is your dishwasher. It’s meant to wash the dishes, but it rarely gets washed itself. Since the door to your dishwasher is watertight (and it’s usually closed), the moisture can’t escape, resulting in (you guessed it) mold.

On top of that, dirty dishes often harbor nasty bacteria that coats the inside of the dishwasher during a wash. If your washer smells foul, it’s time for a clean.

First, check the filter and the drain at the bottom of the dishwasher. You’ll need to pull the bottom wrack forward to see it. All the bits of food that roam around get caught in the drain, and it can clog up the wash and start to smell.

After you’ve removed any nasty bits, you can run a hot cycle with nothing in the dishwasher except a cup full of vinegar on the top wrack. For an extra deep clean, you can run a second wash with baking soda. 

  1. Toothbrush Holder
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Now this one might hit home. Knowing that the items meant to clean your home, your clothes, and your dishes aren’t sparking is one thing. Now, your teeth? Even if you replace your toothbrush every few months (which is recommended), your toothbrush holder may be growing bacteria and spreading it to your essential dental care.

Nearly all toothbrush holders retain a puddle of liquid at the base, and this germ hot spot usually touches your brush. Whenever you clean your bathroom, make sure you don’t skip over your toothbrush holder. All you need to do wipe it down with a soapy cloth and rinse it with hot water.

  1. Garbage Cans

Our trash cans are supposed to be dirty, right? Well, if you have a leaky bag or an especially foul batch of trash, the germs and smells can stay in the bin for a long time. If your trash can is plastic, it’s even more likely to retain bad stenches.

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That’s because most plastics are permeable. Liquids seep into the materials and have a hard time getting out. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get the smell out.

To clean your trash can, you’ll need to give it a thorough scrub and rinse. Then, spray it down with a disinfectant. An easy way to maintain your can is to get into the habit of spraying it every time you take out the trash.

  1. Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are great for creating airflow, but they also spread dust and debris around your home when they’re not clean. All the while a fan sits unused, it collects dust as the fibers in the air settle.

You can wipe your fans down with a wet cloth, but a pillowcase can make the job even easier. All you need to do is wrap the case around a blade of the fan and wipe the dust into the case. This easy and fast clean-up will help you avoid allergens spread by dirty ceiling fans!

  1. Baseboards, Doorframes, and Walls
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Floors and windowsills are obvious must clean spaces, but do you ever consider how much dust your baseboards and doorframes collect? These are some of the most neglected areas in the home because you rarely look at them. Like doorframes, any high up surfaces will collect dust—like the tops of your fridge, kitchen cabinets, medicine cabinet, shelving, etc.

Even though the walls in your home won’t gather dust, they can (and do) get grime on them. Especially in hot spot areas like around the toilet or stove, your walls will gather dirt and germs.

  1. Knobs, Handles, and Switches

This last one might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to clean high traffic areas like doorknobs, appliance handles, and light switches. You might know that these spots gather germs, but how often do you actually clean them? Make it a point to disinfect these spots in your home at least once a week.

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If your door nobs are stainless steel and the look worn out. You can use restore them by cleaning them with some toothpaste on a sponge. This will give them their shine back.

This is a list of some of the items I use in my house to clean, which are affordable as well. They all make cleaning much easier for me and even faster. I recommend you use these. List of affiliate links below.

Automatic Soap Dispenser

To Use Less Liquid Soap

Swiffer Wet Jet

Clean Your Floors Faster

Microfiber Mop

Clean The Walls In Your House Easier

Sponge Mop

For Cleaning Windows Or Stains Off Wall

Hand Vacuum

To Clean Your Sofa, Car Seat, Bed ETC

Electric Drill

To Use With Product Below

Drill Brush

To Clean And Polish Furniture, Grout Joint, Toilet, Car

Also a page of Everything Household Products I normally  search for

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