There are no assumptions to be made here about the cleanliness of the reader. You might be an individual who believes they put a lot of effort into keeping a home presentable and healthy. However, the chances are there are still some parts of the home a little more neglected than others are. There is a finite amount of time in the day after all and you cannot go through a whole spring clean every week. However, there are some oft-neglected spots of the home you should be inclined to give a thorough once-over a lot more often. Here is what those parts of the home are and why you should be inclined to clean them more often.
The bed
Over 50% of residents have allergies. The majority of allergies shared these days are ones that tend to gather in the home such as mold, pet dander and, particularly relevant to this point, dust. One of the biggest dust gatherers in the whole home is the bed. Not just the pillowcases and sheets, but the duvets themselves and the mattresses. Washing your duvets is easy enough; you just have to remember it. Nevertheless, many people stop at cleaning their mattress. However, you do not necessarily have to find a washing machine big enough to fit it in. Vacuuming and using upholstery cleaner can make it a much healthier place to sleep than otherwise, however. Do not forget to flip it every two months as well.
The kitchen cabinets
Most of the time, when you go through a clean of the kitchen, you use surface tips to take care of the countertops and tables. However, most people tend to ignore the cabinets unless they have very visible marks on them. However, the kitchen is easily one of the messiest rooms of the home with all the food particles and the grime of cooking spreading through the air. If you fail to wipe down your kitchen cabinets with cabinet cleaners like Bona every week, those cabinets to collect all the dirt, germs and grease made in the cooking process. Meaning that when it comes time to do your spring clean, they require a lot more elbow grease to truly shine.
The HVAC
If you have any ventilation grates, HEPA filters, or air conditioning in the home, you should most certainly be more thorough in keeping them clean every month. First, they all gather dust. Meaning that if you fail to clean them, all that airflow in the home carries that dust with it. When you have the AC on to deal with the summer heat, you are spreading dust through the air that also makes it a lot muggier and unpleasant inside the house. Nevertheless, when it comes to air conditioning units, many of them bring with them a serious risk of legionnaire’s disease if you fail to clean and dehumidify them.
The showerhead
We spend a lot of our time underneath it, but the showerhead rarely gets the attention that it should. You only need to wash it twice a year and for very good reasons. There is a lot of fuss made about the germs that tend to build up on a showerhead and for very good reason. However, you should be removing it and soaking with white vinegar before wiping it down for reasons that are even more practical. Regardless of whether your water is hard or not, minerals tend to build up around the “pores” of the showerhead that decreases the water pressure in the shower. If you are wondering why your shower does not seem as effective as in the past, which is probably why.
The carpets
If you have carpets in your home, then you need to do even less work. It takes effort to clean a carpet, using carpet cleaners that most people do not readily own of making the convenient choice of hiring companies like Chem-Dry. However, most people only really clean their carpets when they have a wine or pet stain that needs removed. Nevertheless, much like your bedding, your carpets tend to be a hotbed for dust. If you have allergies or pets, it becomes a lot more important, too. You only need to do it once a year, too.
The pet bowls
Staying on the theme of owning pets, there are many owners who do not fully recognize how important it is to wash those pet bowls every single day. We clean our own dishes and cutlery every day because we recognize not only the inherent grossness of eating from dirty things. We also know that it is healthy because of the germs that cling to any remaining food residue on those plates. Yes, our pets may have more resilient immune systems than their soft human owners have. However, that does not make them immune to those germs, especially as they build because many pet owners will leave it several days or even weeks before properly washing pet bowls. In addition, there is also the danger that the additional residue attracts pests that make some of the most common health issues that vets have to deal with.
The handsy bits
Some of the parts of the home that collect the most germs and dust are also some of the most neglected. The doorknobs and light switches of the house only need to be cleaned every two weeks. However, in a majority of households, they are not even cleaned that often. For one, this can lead to a buildup of grease from our hands over time that becomes not only visible but can stain plastics and the wallpapers surrounding light switches. However, it is most important as a step of keeping the home free from sickness. Obviously, you want to clean them when someone who is sick visits and they are visibly presenting symptoms. However, it is better to play it safe with the many people who are not yet symptomatic but are actually contagious.
Hopefully, the points have you convinced you that the home needs a little more detailed love and care from time to time. It will make it a healthier, brighter place and make keeping it clean easier in the long-term.
