31 Things You Haven’t Cleaned in a Long Time (If Ever!)
These areas of your home have been neglected for way too long! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and give them each a deep clean.
Inside dryer and dryer vent
Built-up lint inside dryer cabinets causes nearly 15,000 fires every year. Lint escapes through tiny gaps around the edges of the dryer drum and falls into the cabinet, especially when the exhaust vent or vent cap is clogged and airflow is restricted. The lint can get ignited by electric heating elements, gas burners, or even a spark from the motor, and the flames then travel through the lint-lined exhaust vent. To make sure this doesn’t happen in your house, check the exhaust vent and the inside of the cabinet frequently.
Faucet aerators
Aerators are found on almost every kitchen and bath faucet, and if water flow slows or becomes uneven, clogs inside the aerator are usually the cause. Fortunately, it’s an easy problem to fix.
Oven
Built-up spills and remnants of old food and liquids inside ovens can cause smoke and smell issues. It’s important to clean up big spills as they happen, and make it a habit to put your oven through its cleaning cycle regularly. But when you’re really trying to make your oven shine, you might need to go further. Learn how to clean between the glass panels of your oven door here.
Bath fan grill
Household dust, moisture, and humidity combine to cake bathroom exhaust fans with debris. Often located on the ceiling, you might not notice it at all—much less the fact that it’s dirty. Luckily, bath fan grills are easy to clean. Grab the edge of the cover and pull down. Squeeze the springs to release them from the slots and remove the cover. Learn more about installing and replacing bath exhaust fans.
The trash can
Sure, you put a garbage bag in there, but that doesn’t mean your trash can is free from germs. Just think of those times the trash leaked and who-knows-what lingered in the bottom of that bin. Each time you take out the trash, just spray the inside of the trash can with a disinfectant. Once a month, wash it out with bleach and cleaning with hot water. Here are 17 more tips for cleaning tricky household items.
Car cabin filter
The air filter in your car cabin collects all kinds of debris. A clogged air filter can cause a slew of problems, from issues defogging windows to reduced gas mileage. Most manufacturers recommend changing it every 15,000 miles or so. Learn how to do it here.
Mattress
Despite being covered with sheets and a mattress cover, your mattress still gets dirty. It’s a good idea to periodically vacuum it and spot clean any stains that may appear. Airing it out outdoors in the sunshine for a few hours can also do wonders for removing any lingering musty smells.
Walls
A Swiffer Sweeper floor mop is useful for more than just cleaning hard floors. Use it to dust interior walls and trim, too! Attach a dry cloth to the rectangle end and press it along walls and trim. You can pick up dust, cobwebs, and dirt safely, without having to step on a ladder.
Refrigerator
Spend 30 minutes on these simple maintenance steps to keep your fridge running in tip-top shape. It’s hard to believe, but six simple steps will prevent almost 100 percent of refrigerator breakdowns and eliminate those service calls. Follow these tips and you can forget about spoiled food, lost time waiting for repair people, and shelling out $70 an hour plus parts for the repair itself. In this story, we’ll show you how to keep your fridge humming and trouble-free. And we’ll also tell you what to check if a problem does occur. Don’t miss these 20 cleaning tasks you can finish in a minute or less.
Deck
Exposed to the elements year-round, your deck does take a beating. Learn how to clean your deck properly and even give it a proper update (in less than eight hours).