Spring is here, and for lots of us seeing the sun out definitely gives some motivation to scrub the house. There are some jobs around the home that only need doing once or twice a year so a spring clean is the perfect time to get them done. ou already know about the obvious stuff that needs doing and you already do regularly, like vacuuming the rugs and wiping down the sides. These are the jobs that usually get completely ignored until things start smelling weird or breaking down. Here’s a list of ten things you really need to tackle this year if you want to actually have a clean house (rather than just the illusion of one!)
Washing Machine and Tumble Dryer
The machines that are supposed to clean our things actually get incredibly filthy themselves. You’d think a washing machine would be inherently clean because its literally full of soap and water most days but that’s not the case at all. The rubber seal around the door is a breeding ground for mold and hair and grey sludge, you need to pull back the folds of that seal and wipe it all out and then run a hot cycle with some white vinegar to kill whatever bacteria is lurking. Then there’s the tumble dryer, if you don’t empty the lint trap it’ll literally catch fire. Beyond the trap you need to vacuum out the cavity where the trap sits because lint sneaks past and just sits there waiting to cause a disaster. Its a genuine fire hazard! You can find dryer vent cleaning companies online to do it for you if you’re not sure.
Top of the Kitchen Cupboards
The tops of kitchen cabinets collect a horrifying mixture of sticky cooking grease and regular house dust that sets into solid layer. Get up on a stepladder and prepare to be disgusted by the thick layer of grime sitting just above where you prepare your food every single day. The grease vaporizes from your frying pan and settles up there to trap every passing speck of dust. If you put some newspaper down up there afterwards so next year you just have to throw the paper away instead of scrubbing for an hour.
Behind the Radiators
Radiators are essentially dust magnets that circulate gross air around your house whenever you turn the heating on. You look at the front and think it looks fine but if you peer down the back you’ll see clumps of dust and pet hair clinging to the wall and the metal fins. They just sit there slowly roasting and making the house smell stale. You can buy long flexible brushes specifically designed for this job or you can just tape a microfiber cloth to a coat hanger and use it down there to force the dust out the bottom. Just get the dust out, your heating will actually work better and your house wont smell like burning dust the first time you turn it on in autumn.
Skirting Boards
Skirting boards catch every single bit of dust that falls from the ceiling or gets kicked up from the floor by people walking past. You don’t even need to get on your hands and knees for this if you don’t want to, because you can just put a damp sock over a broom handle and run it along the edge of the boards while standing up. It’s still tedious but it instantly makes the whole room feel cleaner.
Dishwasher Filters
Another appliance that cleans things but still needs cleaning itself is the dishwasher. You probably load your dishwasher every single day without ever giving a second thought to where the food scraps go when they wash off your plates (unless it clogs!) There’s a filter at the bottom underneath the lower rack, when you pull it out you’ll probably gag but that’s a sure sign it needs a clean. It catches bits of old food and grease and wet paper labels from jars and if you leave it too long your plates will start coming out cloudy and smelling strange. Rinse it under the tap with some hot water and soap and use an old dish brush to get the stubborn bits out. It takes two minutes and stops your kitchen smelling like a bin.
Extractor Fan Filters
The fan above your oven works incredibly hard to suck away cooking smells and airborne grease but those metal mesh filters get clogged up really fast if you fry things regularly. When they get blocked the fan stops working properly and your whole kitchen just gets coated in a fine layer of fry oil that makes everything sticky. Most of these filters can literally just go straight into the dishwasher on a hot cycle.
Window Tracks
The tracks that the windows slide in collect all sorts. And when you open the window youre essentially breathing in all that filth. Grab an old toothbrush and some spray cleaner to scrub the dirt loose then wipe it all up with a paper towel. The windows will slide better and you wont have to look at a graveyard of flies every time you want some fresh air.
Inside the Bathroom Cabinet
Bathrooms are damp environments and dust mixes with hairspray and spilled mouthwash to create a really unpleasant sticky residue that glues your deodorant to the shelf. Throw away the sunscreen that expired three years ago and the generic brand paracetamol you don’t even remember buying. A clean cabinet makes your whole morning routine feel significantly less chaotic.
Underneath the Bed
Sleeping directly above a massive pile of dust is definitely not great for your breathing or your allergies. Chances are you hoover around the bed weekly, but when was the last time you actually moved it and cleared what was underneath? Lots of dust can accumulate behind the headboard too, getting rid of that will make the air feel so much fresher.
Light Fittings
Again, these are one of those things that you probably don’t think to wipe down on a regular day of cleaning. But they can collect so much dust and dead bugs, at least once a year you want to be giving them a really good clear out and clean.