There are many spots in the home that you wouldn’t even think of when cleaning the house. These easy-to-miss spots can provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Here, we’ll show you some of the dirtiest spots in your home that you may forget to clean and how to tackle them.
1. Behind Your Toilet
Cleaning the toilet is a no-brainer but what about around and behind it? Often hard to get to, the back and sides of toilets not only accumulate dust and dirt but harmful bacteria. Put on those rubber gloves and give it a good scrub with disinfectant and hot water.
2. Inside The Couch
Crumbs, rubbish, pet hair, etc are just some of the interesting things you’ll find if you dare to take off your couch cushions. Give your couch a good vacuum at least once a month and wash the cover, if you have one, to instantly freshen up your living room.
3. TV Remote
Although they are handled every day, TV remotes are often overlooked when it comes to household cleaning. Multipurpose antibacterial wipes are great to have on hand for quick and easy jobs like this.
4. Door Knobs and Light Switches
Like the TV remote, these are something we handle every day in our homes. Wipe them down at least once a week to prevent bacteria build-up, especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
5. Curtains and Blinds
Curtains and blinds collect dust and mildew just like the rest of your home. Depending on the material, fabric curtains can be machine washed or dry-cleaned. Roller, vertical and venetian blinds can be wiped down with a damp cloth. For tough stains, scrub them gently with an old toothbrush and detergent.
6. Your Toothbrush Holder
If your toothbrush holder is hard to see inside, chances are it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Rinse, scrub and repeat until the grime is gone. You can even run it through the dishwasher to kill any bacteria.
7. The Dishwasher
How is your dishwasher supposed to clean your dishes if it isn’t clean itself? If you’ve noticed your dishwasher isn’t quite doing its job (or it smells a bit off) it may be time for a clean. Scrub with a solution of baking soda and white vinegar and then run a cycle with nothing in the dishwasher to get that sparkle back!
8. The Washing Machine
Like dishwashers, washing machines need to be cleaned to wash your clothes effectively.
Again, using bicarb soda and cleaning vinegar, add ¼ cup of bicarb soda to the detergent container of your machine and pour 2 cups of vinegar into the drum. Run a normal hot cycle and let the machine do all the work. Wipe the whole machine down with vinegar or multipurpose spray.
9. Under The Bed
When was the last time you vacuumed under your bed? You’ll be surprised at how quickly the dust accumulates under there, especially if you use that area for storage. Pull everything out and give it a good vacuum and a mop if you have floorboards or tiles.
10. Your Closet
When most people ‘clean their closet’ they really just organize it. What they forget to do is, take their shoes out that are on the floor and vacuum. Or quickly wipe down the walls and baseboards that harbor dust.
11. The Drains
To avoid getting blocked, your kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower drain all need to be cleaned and cleared of the debris that collects there daily.
There are many trustworthy drain cleaners available but you can also make your own drain cleaner by pouring half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar down the drain. Cover the drain using the plug or a piece of cloth for about 15 minutes, and then pour hot water down the drain.
12. Rubbish Bins
You change your bin liners regularly to prevent rubbish sitting inside for too long, but what about the bin that holds said rubbish. To prevent nasty odors and bacteria from building up, it’s a good idea to wash your bin weekly with disinfectant and hot water.
Take notes of the above miss-spots and start cleaning!