Mr. Sthole and I spent the day outside cleaning up our yard. Mowing the lawn, cleaning up after the kids (and dog) and flipping over all our patio cushions. Spring is in the air, and who knows, maybe eventually it will work it’s way inside the house. If you’re planning on doing some cleaning of your own, here are some places that you may be overlooking and helpful tips to get them squeaky clean.
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1. Top of the ceiling fan blades
It’s probably a good thing that you can’t see the top of your ceiling fan blades. But you know what’s up there, don’t you? And though the gunk on your fan blades is out of sight, all that dust and dirt is being flung around the room every time you turn the fan on.
Use a duster with an extendable handle to clean the fan blades in the photo above. But get up to the fan blades any way you can. You’ll be glad you did. And if the blades are, like, seriously gunky,use a pillow case sprayed with cleaning liquid.
2. Tops of picture frames
Here’s another out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation. But it’s highly likely the tops of the picture frames in your home are at least a little gunky. Maybe a lot gunky.
The good news is that cleaning the frames is pretty easy. Dampen a sponge or cleaning cloth with something along the lines of Clorox Clean Up Spray, and run the sponge along the top. Get on a step ladder if you want to make absolute certain you got every bit of dust off the frame, but we happen to know personally some folks who just take it for granted that a couple of good wipes is enough. And you know what? It probably is.
3. The shower head
Cleaning the bath tub or shower is pretty natural. But don’t forget the shower head.
It is a bit of an extra effort to clean, but practically every shower head will build up with minerals in the water. It not only looks less than sparkling, it can actually affect how your shower works. A thorough sponging with a good bathroom cleaner or vinegar a few times a year is worth the effort. If your shower head is significantly clogged with mineral deposits, we have a cleaning tip on how to soak a clogged shower head in vinegar without even removing the shower head.
4. The bathroom faucets
Bathroom faucets can be challenging because they tend to collect water spots. A quick wipe with a just a bit of warm water and a bit of soap gets rid of the spots, and then buffing with a dry towel will help to keep the spots away for at least a while.
But every so often, go ahead and give the faucets an extra good cleaning with a bathroom cleaner. And buff them, too.
5. Between the balusters on the stairs
Here, we’re talking about hardwood stairs. Spring cleaning time is the time to give the stairs a good, thorough cleaning, just as you give your hardwood floors a good wash. But for heaven’s sake, don’t forget the little spaces between the balusters.
Our advice is to use a spray bottle with some diluted vinegar or some diluted floor cleaner. Spray the mix into to the space, let it sit for a moment, then use a small scrubby sponge on the spot. If you have built up grime deep in the corners, it’s time to pull out a toothbrush to give the crevices a good scrub.
6. Under the rug
Yes. We’re going there.
Sweeping dirt under the rug is an old cliche. But seriously, there is dirt under your rugs, whether or not you actually swept it there.
If you can roll up the rug and take it outside, do it. Hang it on a clothes line and let the kids beat it with an old tennis racket. While they’re having fun with that, it’s your chance to sweep up all the dust that’s managed to make it to the floor between the weave of the rug. If the rug’s too big to remove completely, do it in sections. Roll up the rug as much as you can in one section, do the cleaning, and then move on to another section of the rug.
Where are the places that you always are sure to clean in your home when you come out of hibernation? Share with us in the comments below!
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