Spring is a time of renewed optimism and regrowth. It’s the time of year when we can’t wait to open the windows wide and let in all that fresh air. Spring is also when we tend to do our deepest, most extensive house cleaning. But what constitutes a deep clean? Are you sure you are cleaning deeply enough? We look at some of the most common overlooked areas and offer tips on how to truly deep clean your house.
Countertops are a favorite hiding place for germs
You’ve wiped your counter and you are just about to put the cloth away. Now squat down so that you are eye-level with the counter and have another look. We’re willing to bet that you won’t be putting the cloth away quite so soon. There is an all-natural remedy that helps fight counter grime: Puracy natural surface cleaner, a fresh solution made of steeped green tea leaves and a squeeze of lime and subtle herbs.
It was even named “The Best All-Purpose Cleaner” by The New York Times. You can find it on Amazon.
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These ‘snakes’ love the gunk in your drains
Water running slowly in your drain? Get one of those Velcro snakes from Amazon and feed it down the drain as far as you can. When you pull it back up, you won’t believe what has been lurking below. Put on your rubber gloves, sink that snake in the drain and be prepared for shock and awe. This exercise proves that it’s possible to feel disgust and elation at the same time.
Improve energy efficiency by cleaning clogged dryer vents
Sure, you change the dryer vent regularly after each load. But, did you know the dryer has another vent? One that you can’t reach so easily? It’s either at the back of your dryer or in the tubing that feeds to the outside. If your dryer seems unusually hot or if it is not drying as well, have your inner vent checked. You may be startled at the result. And a clogged vent can be a fire hazard too.
Don’t forget to clean the junk under your appliances
You know there is junk that’s accumulated under your appliances but you can’t move them all, can you? Maybe you don’t have to.
Amazon has a nifty flat gizmo that can be used wet or dry and can flatten itself to the height of a mouse.
Dusty blinds no more
You sit in your perfectly cleaned living room enjoying the fresh feeling–and then realize you forgot your dusty blinds. Drat! It’s such a time-consuming task to clean them. Fear not, there is a tool that greatly lightens the load.
It’s called the Blue Handheld Mini Blinds Cleaner. You can find it on Amazon. It cleans eight rows of your blinds at once so you can skim from side to side in a jiffy.
Dust ceiling fans so they gleam
Uh oh. The ceiling fan above your head hasn’t been dusted in ages. Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t climb up on a stool—remember that most accidents happen in the home. This tool, called the Eversprout Flexible Microfiber Duster, is genius. It’s shaped like a duck’s neck and it extends to 10 feet.
Clean filters that actually filter the air
Allergies bothering you more lately? It’s time to clean or replace the filters on your air conditioners and heaters. If they haven’t been changed for a long time, they may be doing absolutely nothing for you in terms of air filtration.
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No more spills down the side of your oven
If the side of your stove butts up to your counter top, you know you’ve lost spills down the gap. But that doesn’t have to be a problem anymore. Amazon has these silicone gap blockers to use when you are cooking. And you can even leave the clear ones in place all the time; they are easy to clean and unnoticeable.
Deep clean overlooked areas in your home
Deep cleaning isn’t all about the big jobs. The truth is there are many neglected areas in your home—under the toilet seat, thin gaps, window and sliding door grooves, keyboards, air vents and fans to name but a few—that can only be tackled with a fine, tiny tool.
The philosophy behind deep cleaning is that no job is too big or too small. You get 28 of these tiny brushes on Amazon. They are advertised as disposable but to prevent them from ending up in landfill, we recommend washing and reusing, which makes this a fabulous value for $12.99.
Dishwasher: the final stretch to a spotless home
And finally, you may clean your dishwasher regularly with a cup of vinegar in the upper basket or one of those cleaning tabs that you pop in the soap dispenser. But what about that filter on the floor of the dishwasher? It’s that murky carousel that mulches tidbits left on your plates and the sticky labels that come off jars. Have you ever looked inside?
If you don’t think you know how to do it, YouTube to the rescue. Just about every model of dishwasher has a video on YouTube on how to remove that bottom filter.
It will take some doing. You’ll need a flashlight, a screwdriver, a low stool or kneeling pad and an empty dishwasher, but when you see what is stuck in that filter, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. Then you can sit on your couch (under the dusted ceiling fan with the sun filtering through clean window blinds) and enjoy a celebratory drink!
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