Something to Think About the Next Time you Clean
No matter the size of your home, cleaning the house is always a chore. There's so much that needs to be done every time you clean, that it can be easy to miss some major parts of each room that actually need cleaning the most. Whether we recognize it or not, dirt can easily hide within some of our most used items in the home. And sometimes these places are areas that we need cleaned the most, because they're helping with the cleaning of other things. As you start preparing for your weekly cleaning session, consider adding these 6 things to your to-do list.
6 Things You Need to Clean
1. Refrigerator Coils - Regularly vacuuming and dusting the coils of your refrigerator can actually expand its shelf life. To clean, begin by locating your refrigerator coils. They'll either be on the back, bottom or top of your fridge. Next, unplug your refrigerator. Remove the grille if necessary. Finally, dust the coils of the fridge and vacuum up any fallen dust, hair or dirt. Once complete, plug your fridge back in and you're good to go. This should be done every 6 months.
2. Ceiling Fans - When dust collects on your ceiling fans, it's essentially re-spreading all the dust and allergens in the room and on its blades throughout the room. This creates a circulation of dust that enters both into the air and onto the furniture in the room. Be sure to dust both sides of the blades on a regular basis to keep dust collection to a minimal. Preferably once a month.
3. Baseboards - Taking the time to dust and remove any scuff marks from your baseboards is an easy way to brighten up any room. Using either wood cleaner or soapy water, take a rag and thoroughly wipe each board clean. Try not to leave the rag too wet, or the board won't dry properly. This should be done every 3 months.
4. Bedroom Pillows - Sometimes dirt seeps through pillow cases, which can cause a build up on your pillow over time. Follow cleaning instructions on the pillow to clean. Most of the time pillows are machine washable. To help add an extra layer of protection or avoid washing the whole pillow, consider adding a pillow protector to the pillow that can easily be removed and washed with pillow cases. To protect your skin and avoid dirt build up, this should be done every couple months.
5. Shower Heads - There's a lot of soap build up that occurs in the shower, especially on the shower head. Since your shower head is where the water that cleanses your body comes out of, it's definitely something you want to keep clean. To clean, fill a large ziplock bag with white vinegar and attach to the shower head using a rubber band. Let soak for one hour, then remove and turn on the shower to wash away. Polish with a dry cloth. This should be done whenever you see excessive calcium deposits starting to build up around the head of the shower.
6. Inside of Appliances - Your washer, dryer and dish washer need cleaning too. Don't forget that the appliances that clean your clothes and dishes need the occasional scrubbing. If you notice that your dishes aren't getting as clean or your clothes are coming out of the washer with lint, then that's a major sign that it's time to clean the inside of the machine. To clean your dishwasher place white vinegar in a dishwasher safe container on the top rack of the machine and run through a hot water cycle. Click here to learn how to properly clean your washing machine.
If you're thinking about selling your home, these are things you'll need to clean too. Take the time now to clean all those forgotten spaces before putting your house on the market.