House Cleaning for Dummies: Three Things Many People Forget

Cleaning a home is a long and arduous process, but it’s one that must be done lest you reside in filth and infestation.  Bacteria and bugs love dirty crevices, corners, and especially carpet, and if you don’t clean them you’ll soon find yourself the way of the pig-pen.  I’ve always found that the best way to clean is on a Wednesday afternoon with the music turned up and the TV turned off.  It takes me a good four hours, but once I’m done I know that the house has been thoroughly vacuumed and all the bathrooms/floors have been cleaned.

Blinds

I, like most people, never even paid attention to my blinds as I never even thought that they would need regular cleaning.  One day I was sitting reading a book and I saw a thick layer of dust on top of the blinds.  A quick wipe with a Swiffer yielded no change- the dust had turned into scum and was literally caked on.  I had to bring out the big guns: disinfectant spray, a sponge, and a bucket full of a Mr. Clean solution. 

I set to work right away, careful not to splash cleaning agents on the drywall or the carpet.  It took me several hours to clean the blinds, but once they were done I was happy knowing that the scum was gone.  Now, before I vacuum on my Wednesday afternoons I go around with a feather duster and give my blinds a good dust.  I haven’t had a problem since.

Furniture

Furniture that is used quite often won’t show any signs of dirt or uncleanliness, but after a while the fabric catches dust, dirt, hairs, and dead skin cells.  If you don’t go over it with a vacuum and suck out the gunk it will continue to collect to the point where it will literally become a beacon for allergens and dust-mites. 

The same can be said of any furniture – beds, chairs, couches, etc. – that have fabric.  They need to be cleaned every now and again (once every couple of weeks works), so get in there with a vacuum and have at ‘er!

Fridge

Many people will clean out the contents of the fridge while forgetting the clean the fridge itself.  One day (when the fridge is quite low on food) empty everything out and wipe all surfaces down with a mild (and non-toxic) cleaning solution.  Wash the racks in the dishwasher, and make sure that there are no little bits of food lodged in any cracks or corners.

This will likely get rid of that nasty fridge odor, and it is a lot more sanitary as well.  Though the fridge’s temperature hampers the growth of bacteria that doesn’t mean that bacteria doesn’t still grow.  Getting rid of any sources of nutrition will prevent bacteria and molds from setting up camp in the first place.