Cleaning Forgotten Areas
As fall quickly approaches, minds turn to cleaning once the kids return to school. And while cleaning happens all year long – daily, weekly, and even monthly tasks- designed to keep your home looking its best, there are areas which are often overlooked. Just think for a moment, even the most hypervigilant cleaners among you, may miss a few spots. Consider, the last time you cleaned the ceiling light fixtures or any light fixtures for that matter? Or how about the walls and windows or maybe the blinds? Or what about behind the appliances in your kitchen? You see some spots are just, well, easy to forget, especially when the rest of your home looks spotless and organized. Today, let’s explore some of the most commonly missed spots and get them clean.
Large Kitchen Appliances
While you probably clean behind smaller appliances regularly because of their countertop home and visibility in your kitchen, the large appliances which can be hard to move are often only cleaned around and not behind. It’s really not as difficult as you think to get the job done. Here’s how. For your refrigerator, carefully pull it out from the wall, without disconnecting the icemaker water line. Now vacuum the coils and the floor. While you are there, you may want to go ahead and replace the air filter and the water filter. Clean the floor, back, and top of the ‘fridge with your favorite all-purpose cleaner and roll it back into place when cleaning is complete. For the oven/stove, the process is similar, pull it out, vacuuming beneath it as well as the back. Next clean the floor, backsplash, top, and the bottom drawer with your cleaner, putting the oven/stove back when cleaning is completed. The dishwasher is trickier, unless you have a free-standing model, you’ll need a professional to remove it and clean behind it if necessary.
Vents
Let’s start with the dryer lint vent. You should be cleaning out the vent on the dryer following every load of laundry, but this blog is concerned with the vent tube. Because dryer lint is a fire hazard, you’ll want to clean your vent tube at least twice a year. If your tube features built-up lint, you’ll need to replace it, otherwise you’ll want to vacuum away the lint around and within, as well as behind your dryer. Next, on to your HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) filters and vents. While you can replace filters and clean around the openings, you’ll need to call your HVAC professional for full-on vent cleaning.
Ceiling Light Fixtures and Ceiling Fans
When was the last time you cleaned those ceiling light fixtures? Chances are, if you can’t remember, the time is now for cleaning both ceiling fixtures and fans. Overhead light fixtures are often overlooked, but can be a haven for dust, as well as webs and even bug remains. Now is the perfect time to dust light fixtures and fans in preparation for shorter and cooler days ahead.
Walls, Windows, and Blinds
Walls are often the most overlooked unless stains or cobwebs catch your eye. Cleaning the walls means washing with a mild, diluted cleaner and wiping with a clean dry cloth as you go. Do small areas and continue overlapping to avoid creating more stains. While you’re at the business of the walls, it is also a great time to take down blinds, clean them along with the windows as well. Though a time consuming job, you’ll appreciate the finished product when your walls are clean, and your blinds and windows are allowing light to enter your home freely.
Getting the Help You Need to Clean Forgotten Areas
Because these often forgotten areas are big, and sometimes messy jobs, you may want to call in the professionals at Signature Maids to get the job done for you. They have the knowledge, expertise, tools, and techniques to get your home clean while you enjoy all the rewards of a clean home.
