Almost everyone enjoys living in spaces that look and smell clean. Many homeowners do a great job of staying on top of routine cleaning chores.
However, a generally clean house often has dirt lurking here and there. It may not be visually noticeable, but hidden dirt impacts the quality of the air you breath and is a big difference-maker in giving your home that fresh smell.
Here are five places where dirt often hides in nearly everyone’s home:
1. Windows
The glass in your windows may be sparkling, but how long has it been since you’ve cleaned your window treatments? If you can’t remember, it’s probably been too long!
Curtains, blinds, and even the upper surface of window frames can hide dust, pollen, and a plethora of other nasties that can impact the indoor air quality of your home.
Don’t forget to scrub the windowsills and remove any gunk in the window tracks. In addition to keeping your windows completely clean, this will also help them function well for many years to come.
2. Air Vents and Ductwork
The very system used to circulate heated and cooled air in your home may be lowering your home’s air quality. Air filters should be changed monthly. Vents should be vacuumed every time you sweep the floor.
Twice a year (when you change your clocks, test your smoke detectors, and check the gauge on your fire extinguishers), remove the vent panels and vacuum or wipe down the ducts as far as you can reach. After everything has dried completely, replace the cover.
Consider hiring a company to clean your ducts once a year thoroughly. You might be surprised by what their special tools can pull out of your ductwork!
3. Doors, Doorknobs, and Light Switches
We tend to become “dirt blind” to things we see and use frequently. Over time, your doors can accumulate grime on and around the doorknob, and any place you (or a family member) regularly grabs or pushes on a door.
While wiping down your doors, be sure to clean any thresholds and any tracks (like those used by folding doors). Be sure to wipe down the top edge of the door and the frame too!
Light switches are often handled dozens of times a week and aren’t cleaned nearly often enough. How long has it been since you objectively observed the cleanliness of the switch plates in your home?
4. Appliances and Large Furniture Items
If it’s been a while since you’ve pulled out the stove, the refrigerator, the couch, or the bookshelf, the chances are excellent that grimy gremlins (and giant dust bunnies) are hiding there, waiting for you.
To avoid damaging these items (and your back), get some help moving heavy pieces so you can sweep, vacuum, and chase those little monsters away!
5. Baseboards
Baseboards can get pretty dusty, especially the sections behind curtains, furniture, and other visual barriers. Even if you always dust the baseboards when you vacuum and sweep, you may be missing part of the dirt.
The edges where your flooring meets the quarter-round or baseboard can collect more dust than other nooks and crannies in your home. Use your vacuum cleaner’s crevice tool to suck out the junk that has migrated here from other areas of your floor.
Once you conquer these five prime areas for concealed dirt, you may want to go on a mission to find more hiding spots. For example, you can probably eye your computer keyboard and mouse, any accent pillows and throws, and household trash cans with suspicion too.
