10 Odd Spots to Keep in Mind When House Cleaning

I know it’s still January… but I never like waiting until spring to do ALL my spring cleaning. I think it’s much simpler and less overwhelming to tackle a little bit at a time.

The following guest post from Jakob has a bunch of great tips for cleaning those odd spots around your home that you might not get to during your weekly cleaning.

It’s always good to sweep the floor, vacuum the rug, tidy up clutter, and scrub the bathroom at least once a week. Doing so prevents the build up of hard-to-remove dirt and crud.

However, there are plenty of nooks and crannies that aren’t as easy to reach on a regular basis (and don’t get as much attention) but certainly need an occasional wipe-down. When left untouched, they attract germs and grime… which is why doing periodic home inspections can actually contribute to better health and give your home a little extra shine around the edges

All you’ll need is a little little soap, water, a rag, a mildly abrasive sponge… and you’re ready to clean!

Here are some of the areas you might want to check:

1. Door knobs:

The amount of hands that touch your door knobs every day is a lot, especially if you have a large family. The oils from our skin collect in places like this, leaving a dry scum. It’s those markings you’ll want to search for and eliminate.

2. Household handles:

Door knobs are one thing; handles are another. This is especially true in kitchens where meals with messy preparations often result in oven, fridge, microwave, and cabinet handles getting coated with a long list of ingredients such as oil, dough, and sauce. You may need a good degreaser for this one.

3. Light switches:

It takes one finger to flip a light switch but hundreds of flips later, the switch’s surrounding plate can look a little dark around the edges from all the use. Simply wipe them down with a damp rag and they are good as new.

4. Windows:

Both interior and exterior windows collect a lot of airborne matter that blocks natural light. Giving them a quick cleaning every few months will make a world of difference.

5. Chair legs:

Have you looked at your chair legs recently? The legs of your office chairs, dinning room chairs, and even living room chairs can become covered with filth from your shoes, dust, debris, food, etc. If your chairs have wheels, they might also pick up a lot of particles, hair ,etc.

6. Floor creases:

Especially in older homes, the spaces between the carpet and hard flooring collects crud. Clean out the creases, and if necessary, fill with putty or caulk to prevent new dirt from entering.

7. Light covers:

Check the domed coverings of all your light fixture and ceiling fans… you might be surprised at the number of dead bugs and the amount of dust inside!

8. Small ridges:

Door and window frames often have ridges or ledges that collect a lot of dust particles. Remove the dust and a room’s highlights may stand out better.

9. Shelves:

It’s a good idea to take everything off your shelves a few times each year to eliminate all the dust and dirt that can accumulate. This is also a good time to declutter those shelves too

10. Rugs and mats:

Door mats and other rugs are full of dirt, dust, and grim… which eventually gets tracked into your home. Shake out all your mats and wash the ones you can wash. You might even consider replacing some that are in really bad shape.

I know this might seem like a long list, but I bet you can accomplish most of it in an afternoon… and then you’ll be finished with a chunk of your spring cleaning chores well before spring!

What odd spots would you add to this list?

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Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He writes about eco-friendly topics for remodeling pros across the U.S. including New York flooring contractors.