We all get busy. Sometimes, too busy to bother to clean all the nooks and crannies of your home. Feel like you missed a spot? You’re definitely not alone. Fortunately, we’ve put together this handy checklist of 12 places around the house you’re probably forgetting to clean. Grab your DIY home cleaning supplies and a pet hair remover to get rid of pet hair and lint and we’ll get down to cleaning.
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1. Your Electronics — You use your smartphone every day. You’re probably typing away on your keyboard or carrying your laptop around. How often do you wipe down the electronics that you use every day? That includes speakers and televisions that tend to attract dust. Wipe them down with a microfiber rag or damp cloth. That includes underneath and around the electronics.
2. Baseboards — Baseboards are those boards along the bottom of the wall. You know they’re there, but they’re often overlooked and tend to collect fur and dust. One of the dirtiest areas for baseboards are ones in the kitchen because that’s where all the food and grease splatter goes. Clean them off with a cloth and a mixture of dish soap, vinegar and warm water.
3. Pillows — You know to wash your bedding and sheets. Are you washing your pillows regularly? Just because your pillows are covered with pillow cases doesn’t mean that they don’t get dirty. The truth is that your dead skin cells from last night, the night before and all the nights before that do get on your pillow. That should be enough to give you the shivers, so it’s about time you put your pillows in the wash.
4. Furniture — Your furniture around the home will collect dust, dirt and other debris. If you have pets at home, chances are that there’s pet hair everywhere. It can feel overwhelming to have to clean pet hair because you might be thinking, “Why bother to when they’ll keep shedding anyway?” It’s like making the bed every day. Get into the habit of it. Have pet hair or even human hair all over your furniture? Remove fur, hair and other dirt and debris in a snap with a pet hair remover.
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5. Inside Your Drawers — Our drawers tend to fill up with so many things. Clothes. Knick-knacks. Movie theater tickets from three years ago. Make sure you’re cleaning and dusting the inside of your drawers every once in a while. Add drawer liners to help keep the inside of your drawers clean.
6. Lampshades — Yes, lampshades also need to be cleaned. To clean lampshades, get a damp rag and wipe them down. If you have a vacuum with a small brush attachment, you can use that as well.
7. Microwaves — Microwaves are great for heating up anything from leftovers to this morning’s forgotten cup of coffee. Because they’re so great, they’re frequently used and probably dirty. When cleaning microwaves, clean the inside of the microwave along the sides and undersides of it as well. You’d be surprised at how much dirt and dust ends up on appliances.
8. Books — Musty book smell is a thing. You may be happy that you bought that cute bookshelf, but your books do need to be wiped down from time to time. You can use a duster or a dust rag to wipe down your books. Be sure to also wipe down the area where the book was actually resting on the shelf.
9. Air Vents and Filters — According to Keepers Commercial Cleaning, about 70-80 percent of dust particles are actually dead skin cells. If that doesn’t motivate you to start cleaning your air vents and filters, just think about how you’re breathing all of that in when you don’t have clean air vents and filters.
10. Cleaning Tools — You need to clean your cleaning tools from time to time. That includes making sure your cleaning supplies don’t have any grime on them, either. If you use a large pet hair remover to get rid of dog fur, be sure to also remove any actual dog or cat hair from the remover tool as well, and don’t let it stay in the tool.
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11. Indoor Plants — Whether you’re a succulent queen or a proud ficus parent, your indoor plants also need to be dusted. Just like any other surface in your home, plant leaves can also collect dust which attracts bacteria. If a plant’s leaves get covered in dust, they won’t be able to take in the light they need. You can also take a smooth, moist cloth with warm water and gently wipe your plant’s leaves. Don’t use cold water which can shock any tropical plants.
12. Doorknobs and Handles — One of the first things you or anyone else should do when they enter your home is to wash their hands. Even then, their fingerprints and germs are bound to get all over doorknobs and handles anyway. Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down doorknobs and handles. That includes kitchen cabinet knobs as well.
