In a busy world, it can be easy to miss the details! It happens to the best of us, especially when it comes to cleaning.
For your health and wellbeing, these details make a difference, so to keep your cleaning ritual on track, make sure you’re hitting these commonly-forgotten places. You’ll be satisfied in knowing that not only does your home look clean, but it truly IS clean. No need to break a sweat either! We’ll guide you through some of the easiest methods for cleaning these places.
Makeup brushes
Whether you wear makeup daily, or only for special occasions, dirt, oils and dust can easily build up on your brushes over time. Not only does this make it harder to apply your makeup evenly, but it also causes acne breakouts and even rashes called dermatitis! Take care of your skin and your possessions by washing your brushes every 7-10 days if you use them regularly.
All you will need is dish soap. If you’d like you can purchase a brush cleaner tool to scrub your brushes on but your palm will work just fine as well.
- First take get a mug of warm water and mix in a teaspoon of dishwashing soap.
- Dip your brush in the soapy water. Then swirl the brush on your palm, but avoid pressing too hard or else you’ll damage the brush hairs.
- Keep your brushes faced down and rise them under the faucet.
- Squeeze out the excess water.
TIP: If you’d like, you can use conditioner or olive oil to condition your brushes after the wash. This way you won’t have to worry about drying out the brush hair. Rinse again after.
- Leave them out to dry on a towel slanted down so the water does not weaken the glue at the base of the brush which can cause the hairs to fall out.
Enjoy clean brushes that feel great against your skin and apply your make up so smoothly!
Top of the Refrigerator
When you are cleaning your kitchen, this place is understandably forgotten since it’s not in your direct line of view. Out of sight, out of mind! Unfortunately, dust collects here very easily. If you haven’t cleaned here in a while, you might be shocked to see how much dust has formed.
If you store items on top, take them off and dust them too so when you put them back, the dust from the items doesn’t fall down on the fridge again. Use a dust collector or microfiber cloth to wipe the top.
Want to keep it simple? To avoid this whole dusting process again, declutter the top as much as you can. Then put some old newspaper to use and line the top of your fridge with a few pages. Replace it every few weeks to maintain your dust-free fridge.
Front Door
It’s one of the first things you see before you enter your home, but one of the last places you think to clean. Make your home more inviting by giving your front door some much needed TLC.
- Use a dry towel or rag to dust off any loose dirt.
- Create a cleaner with equal parts water and soap or vinegar.
- Use a different towel or rag to scrub the door. Scrub lightly to avoid scratches and in small circles to make sure you get in all the crevices.
- Dry your door with a dry cloth or soft towel.
- Lastly, use your soap-water cleaner or a commercial product to wipe down the fixtures.
Now you and your guests will have a clean and inviting welcome before entering!
Doorknobs and Light Switch Panels
Did you know that there are between 2 to 10 million bacteria on your hand? These germs can survive on your hand for up to 3 hours too!
While washing your hands is your best bet for keeping these germs at bay, touching light switches and doorknobs that haven’t been cleaned in a while can negate some of the benefits of this healthy practice. This is especially true if you live with kids who as many know, might not always prioritize staying clean.
Use a soap and water mixture to clean doorknobs before you disinfect them. To disinfect, commercial disinfecting wipes or sprays will work perfectly, just make sure to choose ones that will not damage the finish of your knobs or switches. If possible, clean and disinfect these surfaces daily.
Cleaning Tools
Can you imagine the things your toilet bowl brush has seen! Cleaning tools like this work closely with the most unpleasant areas that many of us would never go near. Therefore, it is important to keep these tools clean so that they continue to clean well.
Toilet bowl brush
If you haven’t cleaned your toilet bowl brush in a while, it might be best to purchase a new one before you start cleaning it regularly.
Each time after you clean your toilet, try this cleaning technique.
- Place the brush between the bowl and the seat.
- Spray down the brush with a diluted bleach solution, rubbing alcohol or disinfectant and make sure it is saturated on all sides.
- Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Rinse it with very hot water and let it dry completely before placing it back into the cup holder.
- Similarly, soak the cup in disinfectant and rinse after 10 minutes. Clean the outside of the cup with a disinfecting wipe.
Mop Heads
If you’ve seen those muddy looking mop heads being used at grocery stores or restaurants, I’m sure you’ve wondered if they are actually cleaning anything. The scary truth is if they are not washed frequently, mops can make your floors even dirtier than before! According to a study conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University Faculty of Health Department, some mop heads can contain more than 8 million bacteria per 100 centimeters squared!
To avoid spreading bacteria on your floors, try this method.
- After use, soak your mop head in a bucket of clean hot water. Feel free to add a few ounces of vinegar to lift out extra grease and oil.
- After soaking it for a few minutes, rinse and wring it out.
- If you have a detachable mop head, run it through a hot water washing machine cycle. Sponge mop heads can go in the dishwasher.
- For fixed heads, prepare bucket with equal parts bleach and water.
- Soak the head for about 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water until it runs clear.
Brooms
Like mops, brooms can collect dirt, hair, and germs as well. For a simple clean, you can pat the broom against a tree outside or use a comb to release big pieces of debris.
- For a deeper clean, fill a bucket with warm water and soap.
- Let the head soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Wipe down the handle with a disinfecting wipe.
- After soaking, rinse the bristles in the shower with warm water.
- Let it dry in the shower, bristle ends up.
Electronics
Like door handles and light switches, electronics are always near your hands. In fact, did you know that on average Americans touch their phones 96 times a day. In between daily tasks, in which your hands are likely picking up germs from other surfaces, you are transferring them to your phone as well.
To stop the spread of germs and protect your electronics, use commercial cleaning products that are safe to clean them. Always avoid bleach-based cleaning products. Both Apple and Samsung have approved 70% isopropyl alcohol solutions.
When cleaning, be sure to power down your devices. Use a microfiber cloth to avoid scratches and refrain from spraying cleaning solutions directly on your device.
Spray a bit of cleaning solution on the cloth and gently wipe down the device. Avoid getting any of the solution in the crevices or ports in your device. Let them dry completely before using them again.
Facial Masks and Coverings
After working all day with a mask on, bacteria from your mouth will surely collect on the mask material and if you are not careful about where your place or store your mask, you could be exposing yourself to even more germs as well! What’s more? If you don’t wash your masks after each use, it can lead to what many are calling “maskne” (face mask acne).
After your day is done, store your mask in a plastic bag to avoid spreading its collection of germs. If possible, use a new mask every day. To wash your masks, use laundry detergent or hand washing soap. If you have sensitive skin, do not use dryer sheets when you put them in your dryer. Alternatively, you could hang them up or lay them flat on a clean surface to air dry them.
Keep wearing your mask! But to keep your skin happy and health thriving, be sure to wash them too!
Baseboards
We get it; it seems like a very time-consuming task, but it can be quicker than you think. If you live with other people, get them to help out!
Here are some methods to maintain your dust-free baseboards!
- Magic Eraser Sponge: This popular method requires Magic Erasers and some warm soapy water. Tip your sponge in and wring it out to remove excess water. Then give those baseboards a quick wipe down.
- Dryer sheets: Swipe some dryer sheets over your baseboards to dust and coat them with a DIY dust repellent.
- Broom: If they just need a quick dusting in between cleanings, swipe a hand broom over them. Vacuums with the brush attachment work well too!
Ceiling fans
If you can see the dust on the edges of the fan when you look up, it’s definitely time to clean it. Unfortunately, whether in use or not, ceiling fans will continue to collect dust.
The tried-and-true pillowcase method makes cleaning your ceiling fans fast and mess-free.
- One at a time, slip each blade into a pillowcase.
- As you pull the it off, gently press the pillowcase down at all angles, paying extra attention to the edges of the blade. Be sure to keep the open end up to prevent dust from falling out.
- Once finished, take the pillowcase outside and turn it inside out to release the dust. Wash these after to reuse later.
- Use soapy, warm water and a towel to wipe off the edges of the blade.
- Use a different towel to dry.
Underneath Your Big Appliances
If you never really move your fridge or stove, it can be scary to think about what’s living under there. It’s likely just dust, food debris and MAYBE a bug or two. But just think; the more often you clean under these appliances, the less you’ll be scared of what’s brewing under there.
- If you want to clean underneath your appliances without moving around your whole kitchen, grab a yard stick or similar tool and wrap it with a microfiber cloth, old pantyhose or sock.
- Secure the cloth with string or a rubber band.
- Swipe this makeshift tool under your appliances.
- Then just vacuum up the mess!
Take a minute to applaud yourself for this accomplishment. You’ve done something not all are brave enough to do!
Conclusion
Though this list may feel daunting, just remember that many of these places only need to be cleaned every so often, daily tasks can be quickly executed and others can be tacked on to your other cleaning chores. Most importantly, a cleaner home means your peace of mind and ensures the well-being of you and your family.
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