Taking the time out of your busy schedule to clean is a must for every homeowner. There’s laundry to do, surfaces to wipe, and floors to vacuum. However, there are often forgotten-about spots, like above the windowsills and ceiling fans. So, here are a few home cleaning tasks that are often overlooked and what you can do. Before you know it, your home will be cleaner.
Wipe Off Doorknobs and Light Switches
While it’s easy to wipe down counter surfaces, toilets, sinks, and tables, you can easily forget to clean doorknobs and light switches. Doorknobs and light switches get touched repeatedly throughout the day, leaving behind bacteria and germs. That goes for light switches too as they accumulate fingerprints and smudges over time.
You can spray doorknobs and light switches with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe away grime. You can also use cleaning erasers to remove stubborn spots and stains. Just use light pressure to avoid removing paint.
Clean Out Trash Cans
Your trash can comes into contact with a lot of germs. You probably always remember to empty it and replace it with a new bag. But a home cleaning task that is often overlooked is cleaning out the inside of your trash cans.
Over time, your trash bins accumulate bacteria, dried-out spills, and unpleasant odors. So, take your trash bin outside and fill it with warm soapy water. Let it sit for 15 minutes to help remove stubborn spots. Then, rinse out the container and wipe out any remaining debris.
Clean Throw Blankets and Pillows
While it’s easy to remember to clean your bed sheets, pillow slips, and blankets, it’s easy to neglect throw pillows and decorative blankets around your home. So, while you grab your linens and pillowcases for the wash, strip the covers of your decorative pillows and collect your throw blankets and your duvet cover.
You can throw most of these in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. If your covers and pillows are not machine washable, take a few minutes to beat any dust and debris outside. Otherwise, check the tags to see their cleaning requirements.
Clean Your Vacuum
You likely vacuum at least once a week. However, have you thought about the last time you cleaned your vacuum? Luckily, they aren’t difficult to clean. Many disassemble easily and don’t take long to take apart.
Remove the hose attachment and flush it with hot water, take out the dust canister and wipe it clean, remove hair and trapped fibers in the roller brush, replace filters, and wipe down the rest of the vacuum with a cleaning wipe. After, it will look like it just came out of the box.
Wipe Off Walls and Hardwood Floors
While vacuuming and dusting, you probably tend to focus on surfaces and carpets. But don’t forget about wiping down the walls to remove fingerprints and smudges.
As for hardwood floors, you can easily clean prefinished hardwood with homemade floor cleaner. Use a mixture of hot water, white vinegar, liquid soap, isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and essential oils to leave a sparkling clean.
Cleaning your home requires careful attention. While you can’t always catch everything in your first cleaning round, you may have a better chance the following day!
