5 areas of your house you probably forget to clean – but really should
When was the last time you took a cloth to these often neglected areas?
Cleaning your house probably seems like a fairly straight-forward task, but once the obvious things are cleaned away, it’s easy to miss some seriously grubby hotspots.
While everyone knows to pick up dirty laundry and clean the kitchen surfaces, there are some overlooked areas that often get missed, even in a deep clean.
Here, we’ve picked out some commonly neglected areas of your home that can easily harbour dust, hair and grime.
1. Skirting boards
Neglected skirting boards can make even the neatest of homes appear dirty, but because they don’t sit at eye-level, many of us miss the furry gunk that can easily build up on these teeny ledges.
The easiest way to clean skirting boards is with warm, soapy water, which can
wash away the grime without stripping away the paint. Skirting boards are the perfect trap for allergens and bacteria, so if dust makes you sneeze, make sure to pay special attention to these areas while cleaning your home.
2. Remote controls
Remote controls are touched by everybody in the house, so they can quickly become a haven for germs. The same goes for telephones and commonly used kitchen appliances.
You need to take care when cleaning remote controls, to avoid damaging the buttons. Carefully remove the batteries and spray a cloth with a gentle, all-purpose cleaner before wiping it over the remote. You can also use a cotton bud or toothpick to gently remove any dirt trapped around the buttons.
3. Radiators
Radiators aren’t usually the most attractive items in your home, so they often get hidden behind furniture. However, if left to their own devices, they can accumulate tightly-packed dust and dirt in hard-to-access grooves.
The key tip here is to turn your radiator off before attempting to clean it, otherwise you might burn your hands.
Using a hairdryer is a simple way to blast away dust – just make sure to place a newspaper underneath your radiator to catch all the falling debris. Thrusting a feather duster between the grooves can help clean hard-to-reach areas too.
Finally, a good wipe with a hot, soapy cloth can banish grubby hand prints or stains.
4. House plants
Just because house plants are living things doesn’t mean they don’t collect dust and dirt, which can look really unsightly when it catches the light.
Clean the leaves of large houseplants by gently wiping them with a moist cloth or damp cotton, making sure to hold the leaf you are cleaning so it doesn’t get damaged. A soft-bristle paintbrush or toothbrush can help you reach finer areas of the plant.
5. Doors
Smudges and fingerprints can easily accumulate around the handles of doors and go unnoticed for months or even years.
A clean microfibre cloth with some anti-bacterial spray is your best friend when it comes to doors, but if you want to avoid harsh chemicals, a diluted solution of mild dish soap and water is suitable for cleaning most surfaces.
A disposable duster with an extendable handle can help you reach the top of the door too, as well as the frame around it. You can also use these tools and techniques to clean kitchen cupboards, bathroom vanity units and other tall storage solutions.
The Press Association
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