When it comes to cleaning and tidying up your homes, you may already have a set routine of items you clean regularly. However, there are a few household items that most people often neglect and may be missing from your cleaning checklist.
Here are 5 items in your home you should be cleaning (and probably aren’t or aren’t cleaning nearly enough):
- Dryer Vent: according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a large percentage of house fires are caused by clothes dryers. Dryer vents often accumulate with a buildup of lint, dust, dirt, etc. that are all highly flammable. Cleaning your dryer ducts annually can help prevent these house fires as well as help your dryers to run more efficiently. In addition to this, we also recommend clearing out your dryer’s lint filters after every load.
- Top of Kitchen Cabinets: you may be shocked to see how much dust and grease that can accumulate over time in this unseen area of your kitchen without regular upkeep. A great tip to avoid having to do heavy duty cleanup is lining the top of your cabinets with aluminum foil, wax paper, or any spare wrapping paper. When it’s time to clean the top of your cabinets, toss out the dirty lining, replace it with a fresh lining, and you’re done – it’s that simple and this method involves no vigorous scrubbing.
- Refrigerator: maintaining a clean fridge can help prevent smelly odors and reduce the amount of germs that may cause illnesses, such as food poisoning. We recommend deep cleaning your fridge monthly and taking everything out to sort through all your food. During this process, toss out any untouched leftovers that may have been sitting in there for a while, any expired foods, or any empty condiment bottles that need to be replaced. Also, if the sliding drawers and shelves in your fridge are removable, you can rinse them with soapy water in your sink and wipe down all the surfaces with a disinfectant cleaner.
- Dishwasher: dishwashers make your dirty dishes look sparkling clean, but these machines also need to be cleaned themselves to avoid any undesirable smells or molding. We recommend deep cleaning your dishwasher at least monthly. This includes: emptying out the drain, placing a cup of white vinegar on the top rack and running a hot water cycle, and following with sprinkling a cup of baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot water cycle.
- Shower and Window Curtains: curtain maintenance is another task that shouldn’t be neglected. We recommend regularly vacuuming your window curtains and adding it to your laundry pile to remove any dust, pollen, pet dander and allergens that may have accumulated over time. In addition, shower curtains and/or plastic liners should also be washed occasionally in a gentle, warm water cycle to extend its life and prevent any mold or mildew.
