4 Areas We Should Clean but Often Forget

We often remember to clean the more noticeable and essential areas in our homes, like the toilet and the floors, but often don’t think about or neglect other spots, leaving some areas untouched for long stretches of time.

In this week’s article, we’re sharing the top four areas that we should be cleaning, yet often forget.

1. Top of Your Refrigerator

Chances are, like most of us, the top of your refrigerator hasn’t been cleaned in a while, which means that it’s time for a deep clean.

According to C&EN, there is more to our dust than we know: “More than just dirt, house dust is a mix of sloughed-off skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic.”

By cleaning the top of your refrigerator at least once a month, you can help to reduce the amount of dust in your home.

We recommend first taking a damp cloth to remove the physical clumps of dust, and then disinfecting and wiping down with a new rag.

2. Computer Keyboard

Food, dust, and different particles have found a home on your keyboard, causing it to be just as dirty as a toilet seat.

To help prevent viruses and bacteria, make sure to wipe it down once a week (more if you’re around someone that’s sick) with a disinfecting wipe.

3. Garbage Disposal

Cleaning your garbage disposal can help to reduce and remove odors.

For the most part, your garbage disposal does a relatively good job at cleaning itself, but with time, slime tends to build up, resulting in an unpleasant smell.

To prevent this, do a weekly cleaning with baking soda and vinegar. First, pour the baking soda down the drain and add the vinegar, and then put a sink stopper over the drain to keep the fizzing baking soda inside.

After a few minutes, remove the sink stopper and run hot water down the drain.

4. Inside of your Washing Machine

As your washing machine gets older, it can start to produce an unpleasant smell.

Most often, that odor is caused by unseen mold and mildew from detergent and laundry soil build-up throughout the years.

To remove the layer of scum, add two cups of white cleaning vinegar to the detergent dispenser. Next, run it on the highest cycle with hot water. Once done, run one more cycle with 1/2 cup of baking soda.

Repeat this process once a month to help keep your washing machine sparkling clean.