The Most Common Places People Forget to Clean in Their Homes

The time for spring cleaning has come! Whether you have your spring cleaning routine down perfectly or have no idea where to start, make sure that you don’t forget to tidy up these often-forgotten places in your home.

Coffee Maker

It’s not at all pleasant to think about, but if your coffee maker isn’t cleaned frequently enough, it can start to accumulate mold. What’s worse, that mold ends up in the coffee you drink and can make you sick.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• To deep clean: instead of simply running water through the machine, run a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar through it. This will help because white vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Just make sure you run a water-only cycle through the machine afterward.

Curtains, Shades, and Blinds

As time goes on, your window coverings accumulate dust and other debris from indoors (like dander, pet fur, and mold). If you tend to leave your windows open frequently, your curtains will also collect debris from outside, including pollen, even if you use a window screen.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• If your curtains are machine washable, toss them in the machine for the quickest cleaning.
• If machine washing isn’t an option, you may be able to vacuum them using the fabric attachment--or just use a lint roller.

Ceiling Fans

Considering that the blades of your ceiling fans push air around your rooms, the last thing you want is for them to spread additional dust with the air they push. You may not be able to see the top of the blades, but trust us--if you haven’t dusted there before, there will be a fine collection of dust waiting for you.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• There are dusters specifically shaped for ceiling fans that also have the extra reach that you may need when cleaning them.
• If you’re able to reach your ceiling fan from a sturdy surface, you can sheathe the blades one at a time in an old pillowcase and wipe them down.

Lampshades

Like any other exposed surface in your home, lampshades can acquire quite a bit of dust over time, but they are seldom cleaned.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• Roll a lint roller over the inside and outside of the lampshade, and use a hairdryer to blow out any dust that is hiding in the creases or pleats.
• You can also use a dry dust cloth if the shape of the lampshade will not lend itself to lint-rolling.

Washing Machine

Don’t forget this one! After all, how can a washing machine properly wash your clothes if the machine itself isn’t clean?

Cleaning Suggestions:

• If your machine comes with a self-wash cycle, simply use it following the instructions in the appliance’s manual. You’ll know if your machine has this because there will be a button or dial setting labeled something like “self-wash.”
• If your machine does not self-wash, put in a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar in the machine on a cycle with hot water.
• To keep your machine from getting musty, leave its lid open after each wash.