Even though we keep a pretty clean house and I’m always tidying up, I always look forward to a deep spring clean each year. Getting started always feels daunting but it always feels so good to clean the things you forget to clean on a daily basis, get organized, and purge before the craziness of spring and summer. To help you get ready for the warm weather ahead, I’ve put together a list of places you’re forgetting to clean, plus I’m sharing a spring cleaning list to help get it all done!
What Happens If You Don’t Clean Regularly?
When you don’t clean regularly, pollen, pet hair, and dust (just to name a few) will gather in the nooks of your home, causing allergy flair-ups. Putting off cleaning also means when you do go to clean, it’s going to take that much longer. In my younger years, I use to push off cleaning as long as possible but now that I have two kids, cleaning regularly is the only way I can stay on top of everything. Plus a clean home brings me so much peace!
Where Do People Forget To Clean?
Cleaning your house can be quite the chore, especially when you don’t stay on top of it. And even if you are cleaning your home regularly, there are plenty of places (especially those nooks and crannies!) that people forget to clean. Let’s dive into those places!
The Tops of Cabinets & Shelves
Out of sight, out of mind, right? This is especially true with areas of your home that are out of your direct line of sight. The tops of cabinets and shelves are prone to collect dust, especially if you have high ceilings. For tackling these areas, I love using a microfiber cloth or duster to make sure I don’t miss anything!
The Inside of Your Oven
Your oven is prone to spills and splatters and the longer you leave them, the harder they are to clean. I usually clean ours whenever there are extra big spills and splatters but otherwise, it’s a weekly/monthly task (all depends on how dirty it is!). I also make a point to do the self-clean function on our oven at the beginning of the spring/summer season.
Underneath Furniture
It’s crazy how much dust can collect under furniture! Plus, with them hiding under there, it’s easy to forget to clean. Every time you vacuum or dust mop, make sure to get under your couches, chairs, and any other furniture that dust can collect under.
Light Fixtures
Dust loves sticking to lampshades and resting on top of light bulbs and other lighting fixtures. To clean these areas, simply use a microfiber cloth to keep them looking good! If you have lampshades that are textured, I always use a lint roller to pick up any extra dust.
Windowsills
Windowsills are a prime spot for dirt, dust, and grim to collect, especially if you have kids. To keep yours clean, simply wipe them down with a damp cloth. As of late, I’ve been using this windowsill cleaning tool; it makes it easy to get into the crevices!
Baseboards
For the longest time, I’d wipe down our baseboards when I was vacuuming but it wouldn’t get the grime up. Wiping them down with a damp cloth worked well but was a pain so I started using our swiffer and it’s been a game-changer! So easy, you don’t have to worry about bending over, and you know they’re getting properly disinfected.
Ceiling Fan Blades
Ceiling fans are one of the most overlooked areas of the home when it comes to cleaning. They can get really dirty, especially in rooms where you keep the windows open in. Give them a wipe-down every now and again with a microfiber cloth.
The Top of Your Fridge
I recently cleaned the top of our fridge and was horrified at how much dust was up there! This is definitely an area that I’ll be cleaning more frequently and if you haven’t cleaned yours in a while, here’s your reminder.
Underneath Your Bed
Similar to other furniture in your home, dust is bound to collect under your bed. When you’re vacuuming your bedroom, make sure to get under your bed to avoid dust bunnies.
Your Washer & Dryer
You would think that your washer and dryer would stay pretty clean, but that’s not the case! Laundry detergent can build up in the drum of your washing machine and the lint trap in your dryer can get clogged easily. By cleaning both regularly, you’ll not only keep them nice and clean, but it will also help avoid any laundry-related fires. For our dryer, I love using this dryer vent cleaning brush. It truly gets everything out! For both your washer and dryer, always refer to manufacturer cleaning recommendations when cleaning nooks and crannies.
Your (Artificial) Plants
Both living and artificial plants are prone to getting dust build-up on the leaves. For living plants, simply wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth to help them soak in as much sun as possible. For artificial plants, a duster like this one will make cleaning easy.
In Between Couch Cushions
Your couch may look clean on the surface, but I can almost guarantee you that there are all sorts of dirt and crumbs in between and below your cushions. This is completely normal from normal wear and if you have kids, it’s probably even worse. Thankfully it’s super easy to clean! Simply remove your cushions and get out your vacuum and your couch will be clean in no time!
The Garage
While your garage isn’t an area of your home that you’re cleaning regularly, it is an area that sees a lot of traffic and can get messy, quickly. To keep your garage in tip-top shape, plan a big clean twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall. This will help you stay on top of dirt and debris, get organized, and tackle any issues in the space (bugs, rodents, cracked concrete, etc.).
Kitchen Sink
Even though you’re using your sink on a regular basis to clean dishes, that doesn’t mean the sink itself doesn’t need to be cleaned! I recently purchased this electric scrubber to make cleaning our sink easier. It comes with four attachments (all great for different purposes) and gets our kitchen so sparkly and clean.
Mirrors
If you have mirrors on the walls in your home, here is your friendly reminder to clean them! Mirrors are prone to dust build-up and need to be regularly wiped down, even if you’re not touching them. This microfiber duster is great for keeping your mirrors clean and helps prevent dust build-up in the future.
The Dishwasher
You would think that your dishwasher would be clean at all times since it’s an appliance we rely on to keep our dishes clean but this isn’t always the case. Detergent and food scraps can cause build-up in your dishwasher causing issues with drainage and can prevent your dishes from getting as clean as they should. To avoid this, give the inside of your dishwasher a good scrub and clean out the filters regularly, as well as rinse off dishes, utensils, and cups before placing them in your dishwasher.
Window Blinds
Between windows being open, sun shining in, and blinds being closed, dust can build up on your blinds. Thankfully, this blind cleaning tool makes cleaning your blinds quick and easy.
What Is A Good Cleaning Schedule?
Now that we’ve identified the most common places people forget to clean, let’s talk about cleaning schedules! There are a few ways you can schedule your cleaning to make it less overwhelming when you go to tackle it. Over the years, I’ve tried a few different cleaning schedules and these are my favorites.
- All in One Go – This was my preferred cleaning schedule prior to kids! We would set aside time on the weekends to clean the house all in one go and it worked for a while, but now that we have kids doing this takes way too much time!
- Cleaning Blocks – Set aside a few days a week that you clean for 30-60 minutes. Whatever you don’t get done in that time period can be tackled on your next cleaning day.
- A Room a Day – Now that we have kids, this is my preferred cleaning schedule. Each day, I tackle a different room in our house. This makes cleaning less overwhelming and ensures that every room in our house is cleaned at least once a week. In addition to these cleaning days, I will also sweep/vacuum, wipe down counters, run the dishwasher, pick up toys, make the beds, and do laundry daily.
It can take time to get into a good cleaning schedule but once you do, it makes cleaning so much easier! I also like to set aside time each quarter to do a good deep clean so I can go into the new season knowing the house is dust-free.
Where Do I Start My Spring Cleaning?
If you’re ready to tackle your spring cleaning but aren’t sure where to start, I’ve put together a spring cleaning freebie to help make your home sparkle! In this freebie, I will walk you through each area of your home with a list of things to clean so you don’t have to worry about missing anything.
As you tackle your cleaning, whether it’s a deep clean or a daily clean, having the right tools will make the process so much easier. From electric scrubbers and microfiber cloths to a good mop (I love this one so much!), your home will be sparkling in no time, especially all of the areas you often forget about.
Love this post and want more? Here’s how I keep our kitchen organized!
This blog post was so helpful! You’re the best Nitra!!