Most of us are performing the basic cleaning tasks in our home such as cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming and mopping the floors and dusting but there are other things we may be overlooking. Here are 8 areas that you might not have on your cleaning radar.

Light Switches, Knobs & Handles

Think about how many times a day you touch your light switches, doorknobs and handles. These places can contain dirt, grime and bacteria. Use a wet cloth with simple household cleaner to wipe them down. Doing this once a week will keep them clean and help control the spread of germs.

Your Mattress

Most of us don’t think about cleaning our mattress, we wash our bedding weekly but often don’t pay attention to our mattress.

A mattress can harbor dead skin flakes, hair, dust, dust mites and pollen. Fungal spores can also collect on your mattress, sweat can seep into the mattress and fungal spores thrive on moisture, so a damp mattress is the ideal environment for them to grow.

If you have pets who sleep in your bed, they shed fur and dander which can collect on your mattress, if you eat in bed food particles can also accumulate.

According to data published by Ohio State University, a typical used mattress may have 100,000 to 10 million mites inside.

A study done by the Imperial College of London said that humans shed about 200 million skin cells an hour, or five billion a day. Much of that is shed in your bed.

Ideally your mattress should be covered with a protective mattress cover. This keeps the mattress clean.  A mattress is a big investment, and we want to keep it in tip top condition for as long as possible.

Each time you change your sheets and bedding use the attachments on your vacuum to sweep the mattress cover, then once a month remove the cover and launder it with your other bedding. When the cover has been removed vacuum the top, bottom, and all sides of the mattress. Pay special attention to folds and seams that can collect debris.

Just like the rest of your furniture, routine cleaning and maintenance can preserve and extend the life of your mattress.

Refrigerator Coils

Keeping the coils and underside of your refrigerator clean can increase the life expectancy of the appliance and keep it in proper working order. If the coils are full of dust the refrigerator cannot work properly which overtime can lead to the failure of the appliance. Use your vacuum cleaner attachments and a long dusting wand to clean the area.

Washer & Dryer

We often don’t give much thought to our washer and dryer, but we should. These appliances are expensive, and proper care is important to keep them functioning properly. Front load washers are prone to mold and mildew buildup around the door seal. Wipe the area down after each use and once a month use a bleach based cleaner to clean that area.

Most washing machines have a cleaning cycle designed to clean the inside of the washer. Run it though the cycle using a ½ of bleach. If your machine does not have a designated cleaning cycle just run it thought a regular cycle using bleach and hot water.

Use your vacuum cleaner attachments to clean the inside and outside of both appliances. Clean the dryer’s lint trap and hose several times a year. See my article on how to do this. How To Clean Your Dryer Vent

Lamp Shades & Wall Hangings

An often-overlooked area to clean are lamp shades but they can collect a lot of dust over time. Remove the shade and use your vacuum cleaner attachments or a soft dust brush to remove the dust.

Dust also accumulates on pictures and other wall hangings. Take these off the wall and use a vacuum to clear the dust and then wipe them down with a damp cloth.

Walls & Ceilings

Twice a year dust and wipe down the walls and ceilings in each room. I find it is easier to do if I remove the furniture in the room first, so I have room to work. Start by using a soft bristled broom to dust the walls and ceiling, then using a mop or tool specifically designed for cleaning walls wipe them down with warm water and mild household cleaner.

Curtains & Blinds

Curtains and blinds collect a lot of dust, if your curtains are machine washable wash them a few times a year, if they are not machine washable take them outside and shake them off or take them to the dry cleaners to be cleaned. Use a duster designed for blinds to dust them off, you can also use your vacuum cleaner attachment.

Behind & Under Everything

Several times a year vacuum and mop under all of your appliances and furniture. If you don’t move these often to clean, they are dusty, dirty places. I like to put sliders under all of my heavy furniture and appliances so that that I can easily slide them out of the way to clean.