You probably haven’t done these cleaning and home maintenance tasks, but it’s imperative that you do. Don’t worry, they’re easy, and we’ll show you how in this post.
1. Cleaning tap aerators
Aerators are found on almost every kitchen and bath tap, and if water flow slows or becomes uneven, clogs inside the aerator are usually the cause. Fortunately, it’s an easy problem to fix.
2. Cleaning the oven door
Built-up spills and remnants of old food and liquids inside ovens can cause smoke and smell issues. It’s important to clean up big spills as they happen, and make it a habit to put your oven through its cleaning cycle regularly. But when you’re really trying to make your oven shine, you might need to go further.
3. Cleaning the bathroom fan
Household dust, moisture, and humidity combine to cake bathroom exhaust fans with debris. Often located on the ceiling, you may not notice it’s even dirty. Luckily, bathroom fan grills are easy to clean. Grab the edge of the cover and pull down. Squeeze the springs to release them from the slots and remove the cover.
4. Cleaning inside the dryer and dryer vent
Built-up lint inside dryer cabinets causes more than 15,000 fires every year. To make sure this doesn’t happen in your house, check the exhaust vent and the inside of the cabinet frequently.
A plugged dryer vent will cause your dryer to run inefficiently, even it could also cause a house fire. Stronger odors and longer dry times are two signs your vent is plugged.
You’ll have to remove the vent from the back of the dryer to clean it. Suck debris from the ducts with a wet/dry vac, or ream them out with a cleaning kit that includes a brush on a long flexible rod that attaches to a power drill. If your ducts need replacing, get smooth metal ducts, which will stay cleaner longer than the rough corrugated surface of flexible ducts. Avoid plastic ducting altogether; it can be a fire hazard.
5. Washing the rubbish bin
Sure, you put a garbage bag in there but that doesn’t mean your garbage can is free from germs. Just think of those times the contents leaked and who knows what lingers in the bottom of that bin. And each time you take out the garbage, just spray the inside of the garbage bin with a disinfectant. Once a month, wash it out with bleach and clean it with hot water.
6. Vacuuming a mattress
Despite being covered with sheets and a mattress cover, your mattress still gets dirty. It’s a good idea to periodically vacuum it and spot clean any stains that may appear. Airing it out outdoors in the sunshine for a few hours can also do wonders for removing any lingering musty smells.
7. Wiping down walls
A Swiffer Sweeper floor mop is useful for more than just cleaning hard floors. Use it to dust interior walls and trim, too! Attach a dry cloth to the rectangle end and press it along walls and trim. You can pick up dust, cobwebs, and dirt safely, without having to step on a ladder.
8. Washing the deck
Exposed to the elements year-round, your deck does take a beating. Learn how to clean your deck properly and even give it a proper update (in less than eight hours).
9. Washing the dishwasher
You’d think your dishwasher, post dishwashing, would already be clean. But you’d be wrong! Food bits find their way into all the nooks and crannies of your dishwasher, leading to bad smells and eventually, your dishes not getting clean.
10. Cleaning the garbage disposal splash guard
Does your kitchen sink smell bad? Is it coming from your garbage disposal? Here’s how to clean a garbage disposal and get rid of those disgusting odors. The key? Cleaning UNDER the splash guard.
11. Washing vinyl siding
Though vinyl siding tends to stay fairly clean, occasionally you’ll develop harder to clean stains that need more than just a quick spray from your hose or pressure washer.
12. Cleaning weep holes
Weep holes may be the tiniest feature of many sliding windows and vinyl replacement windows, but they serve a big function. The little holes, located on the exterior bottom of the frame, are an outlet for rainwater to drain away from the home, but they often can become clogged up with debris.
To make sure they’re working properly, spray the outside of the window with a garden hose – a steady stream of clean water should exit from the holes. If it doesn’t, use a wire hanger or compressed air to force the blockage out. Re-test with fresh water to ensure they’re completely cleaned.
13. Wiping down door knobs
We all have them, and we all touch them. But when was the last time you cleaned your door knobs? It only takes a few minutes to kill any lingering germs (use a bleach-based cleaner)—just be careful not to get any on wood doors or trim, because it could affect the finish.
14. Monitoring your water heater
Extend the life of your water heater tank and maintain your water heater’s efficiency and safety with a few minutes of basic maintenance once a year.
15. Cleaning outdoor lights
Like anything that lives outdoors, your outdoor light fixtures get dirty. Get in the habit of cleaning and inspecting your outdoor lights once a year, especially checking for any pest nests. The heat provided by outdoor lights makes an ideal environment for mice and other rodents.
16. Cleaning closets
Because floors are often covered with stored items, and clothes block access to the walls, closet cleaning is often neglected. But who wants to put clean clothes in a dirty closet? Once a year (or once a season) make it a point to wipe down/dust walls, trim and shelves in your closet and give it a good vacuum.
17. Removing garage grime
Your garage floor is bound to get dirty, but if you haven’t swept or washed it in years, it’s time to clean it. Not only will your garage feel cleaner, but you’ll also remove all kinds of nasty stuff (rocks, salt, dirt, and more) that you might otherwise end up tracking into your house.
18. Wiping down light switches
Just think about how many times a day you use a switch on the lights. And no matter how clean you think your hands are, each time you touch the light switch, you’re spreading germs. Wipe them down regularly with a disinfected spray or cloth.
19. Wipe off the remote
Just like your phone, you touch the remote with dirty hands and spread those germs and dead skin cells around. So wipe it down once a week with a microfibre cloth and a little rubbing alcohol, or a disinfectant wipe.
20. Shining up the showerhead
Your showerhead should get a wipe down every two weeks, and a deep cleaning twice a year or more depending on how much use it’s getting. Don’t fear, you won’t have to remove your shower head to clean it, you just need a few items you probably have around the house to give it a solid cleaning.
21. Rinsing off hairbrushes
Even if you pull the hair out of your hairbrushes and combs, they should still get a little rinse off every so often to get rid of any lingering debris and residue left behind from your hair products. Give them an overnight soak in warm water and baking soda (seriously, what can’t baking soda do?) to have them feeling brand new.
22. Wiping down shower curtains
Your shower curtain attracts all kinds of yucky mildew and more from being in a moist environment like a steamy shower, so it’s best to give it a good wipe down with baking soda or a turn in the washer every once in a while.
23. Sealing outlets and ceiling boxes
The tiny gaps around outlets on exterior walls and ceiling boxes let cold air in (and warm air out). Sealing these areas takes just half a day and will help cut down on drafts (and your heating bill!).