Cleaning your home can be a hassle. After all, who likes doing chores? While you might be obsessed with cleanliness, dust and dirt can often build up in hidden areas in your home. It is easy to neglect cleaning certain spots such as coffeemaker, baseboards, and trash cans.

We are here to help you identify and clean the whole of your home, including the often missed spots.

Check out my list of 30 places that many people forget to clean at home;

1. Skirting boards

Often, we only clean the upper part and forget the dirt on the lower side. Skirting boards act as shelves for the dust entering your home. Often, we clean the upper part, but we forget the lower surfaces accumulate dust as well.

Therefore, the next time you are cleaning these boards, be sure to flick over them with a duster or cotton cloth. By regularly cleaning the bottom surface, you will not have to worry about deep cleaning them on all fours.

2. Under the bed

Mostly, we clean the areas that are visible. What we forget is that “out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t apply to dust. The buildup of dust under the bed can cause respiratory problems and also promote multiplication of dust mites ( see my personal experience on how to get rid of dust mites).

Knowing that it is worth cleaning under your bed frequently so as not to develop respiratory allergies when asleep. Besides, knowing you are sleeping above a clean surface will give you peace of mind.

3. Throw pillows

Often, throw pillows are not as clean as they look. We normally wash the pillows we sleep on but forget to clean our throw pillows as well. Majority of us don’t even remember that they should need cleaning.

Although they are meant for decoration, they still accumulate undesirable body odor and dead skin as the ones we lay our heads on at night. Therefore, by washing them frequently, you can keep them smelling as fresh as they look. You can have more information about how to wash your pillows on a washing machine.

4. Door handles

Among the most touched areas in your home are the entrance and exit door handles. While you may take care of the cleanliness of your hands, you cannot take care of everyone else’s hands.

You need to disinfect your door handles now and then to prevent spreading germs from one person to another.

5. Radiators

You might be shocked to see how much dust and dirt has accumulated behind your radiator. Their irregular shape makes them a haven for dirt.

They might not be easy to clean, but it is worth investing your time to clean them often and ensure all the crevices are spotless. After cleaning thoroughly, by using a feather duster during your normal cleaning routine to lift the loose layers of dust.

6. Microwave

If your microwave always has splashes everywhere and emit a foul smell, you are neglecting it. Microwaves should be spotless all the time and should look as good as new.

After finishing your cooking routine, give your microwave a good clean to keep it looking great. Also, consider using a microwaveable cover to minimize splashing.

7. Door frames

If your house has those lovely, shiny door frames, then you definitely need to keep them clean to retain their gorgeous look. Door frames trap a lot of dust, and therefore if left uncleaned, you will find towers of dust on them.

Avoid these layers of dust by cleaning these areas in your weekly dusting off routine. You only need to do a quick wipe.

8. Under Rugs

You need to keep the underside of your rug as clean as its topside. Most of us sweep any unsightly lying on the floor under the rug whenever we hear guests outside the house. Well, if not cleaned often, those small bits of dirt add up, and you might get surprised to see how much dirt is hiding under your rug.

You don’t need to clean its downside every week, but do it at least every month. This will ensure there are no dirty secrets hidden underneath.

9. Remote controls

TV watching is often accompanied by eating snacks. I’m not here to condemn or discourage eating snacks while watching TV. However, you need to be disinfecting your remote controls now and then.

By holding the remote and eating snacks later means you are consuming all the germs on it. Wipe them down often using disinfectant and clean between the buttons to eliminate the germs.

10. Bins

Odd spillage still occurs even when we are using bin bags. Those sticky spillages can encourage flies and insects. On a weekly basis, a bin produces over 4 million germs.

If this doesn’t give you a wakeup call to consider deep-cleaning your bins more often, I don’t know what will. Wash your bins using disinfectant and hot water, both inside and out, to keep germs at bay.

11. Kitchen cloths and sponges

Among the dirtiest items at any home are kitchen cloths and sponges. Kitchen sponges carry the most germs in our homes. Considering the work they are meant to do, it is very important to keep them clean.

Soak them in boiling water and add some disinfectant. This will kill all those nasty germs and ensure they don’t pass germs to your utensils.

12. Mirrors and picture frames

They may look pretty and shiny until you knock them and they shower down all the accumulated dust. Prevent such scenarios by wiping them during your weekly cleaning routine.

13. Under your oven

When preparing all those delicious cakes, pastries, and other foods, small pieces of these foods fall off. If you have forgotten some of the meals you have prepared lately, take a look at the waste under your oven.

Peeling and crumbs can accumulate under the cavity of this cooker, and this necessitates regular cleaning.

When sweeping your floors, ensure to clean under your oven and at the back of it too. Food spills left lying around can entice ants or even mice.

14. Light fixtures

Dust settles on top of most of your lighting fixtures, and it might not be possible to see them from below.

You can clean light fixtures that are not easy to reach using an extendable feather duster to get them shining brightly. Remember to clean them first before cleaning your floors or anything underneath them. Otherwise, all dust will come tumbling down on your clean floors and polished shelves.

15. Extractor

Ever wiped your extractor fan? If not, you should do it right now. Your extractor fan accumulates dust and dirt, and this needs a thorough cleaning on a regular basis.

Over time, all the grease and steam from your foods build up on your extractor, and it might be hard to clean if left to settle for a long time.

Use diluted soapy water to keep your exterior looking nice and clean. You can also soak its filter and wipe it to remove any greasy residue that may have accumulated.

16. Behind the toilet

From a front-view, your toilet may look clean and attractive, but behind it, there might be a hidden, dirty secret. At times, it is difficult to get grime and dust hiding in the back of our toilets. However, this should not be the reasons to not clean as you increase the number of germs in your bathroom. You need to keep your bathroom, which is one of the dirtiest rooms in many homes, clean at all times.

17. Houseplants

You can easily clean house plants and artificial flowers with a hairdryer. This will gently blow the dust away. Just because your outside plants don’t need any dusting, doesn’t mean your indoor plants should not be cleaned.

You need to clean off the dust settling on their leaves to not only keep them looking great but also for their health.

Keep them under a shower for a minute to wash away any dust particles.

You can also use a hairdryer to keep dust off.

18. Light switches

The first thing to touch when you get home, and it is night is the light switch. Right?

All the germs you have accumulated from outside on your hands are now transferred to your light switch. This means they can be spread to other people.

While they may look shiny and clean, your light switches might be harboring a lot of bacteria. This is why it is important to wipe them clean with disinfectant on a regular basis to prevent spreading of dust to other people.

When wiping them, be careful not to use an overly wet cotton cloth to avoid short-circuiting current. Make sure the wet wipes or cotton clothes you are using are not overly wet.

19. Toaster

Your toaster cannot clean itself. If you toast often, your toaster must accumulate crumbs. Be sure to wipe down the knobs and remove the crumbs drawers to keep your toaster functioning properly. Accumulation of crumbs can cause your toaster to malfunction. How will a weekend without buttery toast look like? It’s hard to imagine that. Right? To avoid that, clean it regularly.

20. Keyboards

The crevices between your keyboard’s buttons are a haven for dust and grime alike. Keeping your hands away from germs brought by such nasty accumulation by wiping your keyboard buttons more often.

21. Television screen

While we often clean windows and mirrors, one thing we always forget to clean is the TV screen. You need to regularly wipe down your TV screen using wet wipes or cotton cloth to remove any specks of dust and fingertips on it.

22. Washing machine

Your washing machine cleans your clothes. Why not clean it as well. You may think that a washing machine will self-clean itself, but it actually accumulates a lot of germs. Give it a thorough clean once in a while using vinegar and baking soda.

23. Kid’s bath toys

Your kid’s bathrooms can be a perfect breeding ground for bacteria thanks to its deep, warm environment. However, we forget to clean some of the items in these rooms that bacteria and germs often hide. This includes towel rails, shower heads, toothbrush holders, and kid’s bath time toys. Ensure you keep them clean all the time to avoid passing germs to your kid.

24. Cleaning supplies

It is easier to forget your cleaning supplies like these, but neglecting cleaning your cleaning supplies can result in spreading of germs throughout your home. Put your toilet brooms, sponges, and brushes in hot water with disinfectant at least once a week. Also, your spin mop needs to be cleaned to avoid spreading germs to your home

Also, shake out your dusters and clean them thoroughly weekly. Vacuum cleaner filter (click to see useful ways is also part of your cleaning supplies and should be cleaned as well.

25. Dishwasher

Even your dishwasher cannot clean itself. You need to give it a good clean every now and then. Clean the outside of your dishwasher and the inner walls, before running a hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar on its top rack. This will help unclog food debris and remove soap scum and hard-water deposits.

26. Toothbrush holder

It is easy to skip your toothbrush holder when cleaning your bathroom. However, you shouldn’t overlook it as it is a hot spot for germs. Give it a rinse or wipe it out using soap and damp cloth every now and then.

27. Ceiling fans

When it’s still, dust may settle on ceiling blades. The easiest trick to cleaning these blades is to use pillowcases. Put a pillowcase over each blade and wipe the dust off inside of the case. This will ensure dust doesn’t settle on other areas of your home. Clean your ceiling fan often to ensure it stays dust free.

28. Coffeemaker

Often, we rinse coffee pots and think we are done. For people with classic coffeemakers, make sure to clean them daily. Give it a gentle rinse with soap and warm water. For a deep clean, first, run a cycle of equal parts water and white vinegar and then run another cycle with water to eliminate the foul smell of vinegar. This will help to decalcify it and help prevent the growth of mold.

29. Kitchen/bathroom drawers

While we always clean the visible areas, once in a while, it is best to pull everything out and give your drawers a thorough cleaning.

30. Teapot

Most of the times, the teapot sits on a stove for easy access. This leads to accumulation of grime and dust. Use vinegar and water to clean it up and restore its original shine.

Conclusion

Hidden dust and dirt can build in the most unexpected areas in your home. We hope that by reminding you of the above 30 areas that are often forgotten, your home will be left sparkling clean without a blemish.