Don't Forget to Clean the...

A guide to cleaning the most commonly missed spots in the house.

If you're like me, you try to clean as you go and then a few times a year you do a "top-to-bottom" cleaning, where you spend the entire day getting everything spic and span. I find it so satisfying when the whole house smells like lemons and there's not a speck of dust.

Whether you're cleaning every week or a few times a year, there are some places in your home that often get completely overlooked. You don't want to neglect these unseen spaces from getting their fair share of cleaning because they can breed germs and enough dust bunnies to create a new species.

Let's take a look at some of these neglected areas, so that next time you're in a cleaning mood, you can be sure that you've left no stone unturned.


1. Behind the fridge
No one is ever going to see behind your refrigerator, so why clean it? Well, when you cook, chop, dice or do any kind of food preparation in your kitchen, crumbs and other foodstuff are more than likely going to get behind and under your fridge. This can attracting unwanted critters (like roaches) as well as mold. A few times a year, it's a good idea to slide that bad boy out and give the floor a good once-over.

2. The refrigerator coils
Another neglected fridge part that you can clean at the same time are your fridge's coils. The coils dissipate heat from the fridge, so if they're clogged with dirt, dust, food and pet hair you can be sure your fridge isn't working to its full capacity. By vacuuming the coils a few times a year, you can save energy, which translates into saving money. It's important to note that there are some important safety measures to take when cleaning refrigerator coils.

3. Inside the fridge: doors and drawers
Maybe the cap on your soy sauce leaks, the pickle jar is covered with pickle juice, or that old rotted fruit got kind of gooey. You can't avoid it -- the inside of your fridge gets dirty. Many people will clean the shelves and then assume that the fridge is clean, but just because you can close the drawer and hide it, doesn't mean its not dirty! The doors and drawers inside your fridge can get kind of icky if not taken care of. Be sure to take all of the jars, cheeses, meats, fruits and veggies out and clean those nooks and crannies. In almost all fridges, you can remove the drawers and door shelves and clean them in the sink.

4. The top of the fridge
I always forget about the top of my refrigerator mostly because I use it as storage. Think about it like an open shelf -- dust settles on the surface just like anywhere else. Grab a wet rag and clean it off before that dust decides to invite its friends.


5. Inside the microwave
After a few weeks, the inside of my microwave looks like a horror movie. Things pop, explode, leak and bubble over all the time. You can remove the microwave plate and throw it in the dishwasher, but that's the easy part. The hard part is getting in that little box and cleaning off all the splatters from the sides and underside. My husband and I flip a coin to see who gets this unpleasant chore. Here's a great way to make this task a bit easier: Fill a microwave-safe bowl half full of water and add a tablespoon of white vinegar and a splash of lemon juice. Heat it for 3 to 4 minutes to help soften all of the built-up gunk, then wipe the inside with a wet rag. Most of the food stuff should come off fairly easily.

6. Behind the toilet
You clean your toilet, including the bowl and the top of the tank. You clean your bathroom floor. But how often do you clean behind the toilet? This hidden area where your toilet meets the wall is a small, tight and almost unreachable space, but it's not unreachable for dirt. Dust, hair and other dirt can build up behind your toilet and there's no avoiding it. Get down on your hands and knees and reach back there with a dust cloth or wet rag. Doing this will instantly tell guests that you care about your home, every single inch of it.

7. Baseboards
When you clean your floor with a vacuum or floor sweeper, I bet you don't clean your baseboards. Well, you need to! Baseboards get kicked, nicked, scratched and -- yes -- dirty! Because most baseboards and moldings have grooves, these indentations collect dust. You can use a wet rag or paper towel to remove dust without using any cleaners. However, if you have scuffs, you can use a Magic Eraser or all-purpose cleaning product to remove the blemish.

8. Your computer keyboard and mouse
You sit in front of a computer for at least eight hours a day. Sometimes you eat lunch at your desk. But have you ever thought about how dirty your keyboard and mouse get? Ick. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, found that germs on computer keyboards were more than 60 times higher than on toilet seats! Did you just run away from your computer and come back with a roll of paper towels and an antibacterial cleaner? Every week, you should clean your keyboard, mouse, desk and phone. Don't leave it up to the night-shift cleaning people...they won't do it for you.

9. Underneath and behind the books
Cleaning the exposed ledge of your bookshelf is a cop out! To thoroughly clean your bookshelf, take the books off of the shelf, dust them off individually, clean the shelf thoroughly and then place the books back on the shelf. Otherwise, you'll have dust bunnies breeding behind the shorter books on the shelf!

10. Blinds
I saved the worst for last. My least favorite task is cleaning the blinds. Dust sticks to blinds like a moth to a flame, making it much more difficult to just use a duster to remove it. What you want to do is clean them more often to prevent the dust from building up and sticking over time. Clean the blinds thoroughly and remove all dirt using a wet rag and, if necessary, an all-purpose cleaner. Once they are clean, every time you vacuum your floors, run the vacuum brush attachment over your blinds or use a duster weekly to prevent buildup and save you a lot of future frustration.

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