We all love the look and feel of a clean and tidy home, but even those who clean and sanitize their homes regularly may overlook certain areas that are tedious, hard to reach, or that have simply been put on the backburner with the intent to clean them at a later date.

After being neglected for too long, these areas can become grimy, more difficult to clean, and sometimes breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. Here are 8 overlooked areas in your home that you might be skipping, and how to tackle them.

1. The spaces around furniture and large appliances
   

The spaces surrounding furniture and large appliances are often difficult to reach or navigate when sweeping and mopping, and therefore they may get overlooked during cleaning. But dust, dirt and even mold can accumulate in these spaces and cause a potential health hazard, so it’s important to add them to your cleaning routine at least once a month.

Ideally it’s best if you can move the appliances or furniture to clean around them and get into the nooks and crannies, but if that’s not an option, you can try cleaning tools with telescopic handles.

2. Ceilings and ceiling fixtures

Cleaning a ceiling is a tough job that requires a lot of effort and it may seem like an impossible feat. That’s why many ceilings and their fixtures, such as lights and fans, are often skipped while cleaning, allowing them to accumulate dust, dust mites, cobwebs dirt, and other pollutants.

To reach those hard to tackle areas, arm yourself with a ladder or stool, a cordless vaccuum with extendable attachments, and microfiber dusters with adjustable handles. Wear a mask to prevent dust and allergens from falling into your face while cleaning.

3. Walls

Even though walls are in plain sight, they are commonly overlooked while cleaning, and over time they accumulate dust, scuff marks and stains, finger prints, food spots and other contaminants. Your walls should be spot cleaned, sanitized and wiped weekly to maintain their appearance, and make your home look brighter and cleaner.

Clean your walls from top to bottom to prevent recontamination of previously cleaned areas, and leave the floors until last. The top to bottom method is a cleaning technique used by Rose Cleaning Service to get your home sparkling clean in the least amount of time.

4. Door knobs and handles

Even though they are the most high-touch areas in your home (and a breeding ground for spreading germs and bacteria) you may often overlook surfaces such as door knobs, handles, faucets, light switches and railings during routine cleaning. Simply wiping these surfaces down with a disinfectant wipe is a quick and easy way to keep these areas clean and sanitized and will help stop the spread of germs within your home.

5. Appliances

When is the last time you cleaned your fridge, stove, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave or even the crumb trap under your toaster? These areas can easily get overlooked because they are constantly in use and can be time consuming to clean.

Washing machines can harbour mold and mildew and should be cleaned regularly. Not sure where to begin? Check out some tips from Good Housekeeping on how to effectively clean your washing machine here.

Your stove can be cleaned with store bought chemical cleaners or simple household products such as ammonia and baking soda, it just requires a little more elbow grease and time to get the job done.

If your microwave needs a little TLC, you can try the all-natural lemon trick to help remove caked on food and debris quickly.

6. Baseboards and trim

Baseboards and wall trim are often a difficult area to reach and therefore they can easily get overlooked when cleaning, but they tend to accumulate dust and dirt rather quickly and should be wiped down with a wet cloth or swiffer duster regularly.

7. Interior doors

Interior doors see a lot of wear and tear, particularly if you live with pets or children. If you’ve regularly skipped your interior doors during routine cleaning, you may notice that they are soiled with dirt, dust, fingerprints, and scuff marks.

Cleaning your doors with soapy water once a month will keep them looking bright and clean and will stop dust from accumulating. A magic eraser will help remove the scuffs and stains to keep your doors looking their best, from top to bottom.

8. Air vents

Air vents are present in every home and in nearly every room, but as functional fixtures that are meant to blow air around our homes, they often get skipped during cleanings. Over time, dust, dirt, pet hair and other allergens accumulate in the grates and spread around the house when the heat or A/C are running, causing poor air quality in your home. Click here for some tips to help you clean those pesky air vents effectively.

In short, although you may be routinely cleaning your home or hiring a cleaning service to maintain a tidy and clean appearance, there are often areas that can easily get overlooked.

If you’ve been avoiding these specific areas due to lack of time, resources or motivation, Rose Cleaning Service can tackle them in addition to your regular cleaning, or as a stand-alone job. Communicating your specific needs to your cleaning company will allow them to devote the extra time and necessary resources to get the job done.

Written by: Stacey Wood