That feeling of satisfaction after vacuuming the living room, wiping the bathroom mirror or changing the bed sheets is lovely. I don’t know about you, but I tend to put off non-essential cleaning tasks (well, who has time to wipe that mirror anyway?!) because I’m so busy trying to keep on top of the basic washing-up, laundry and bed-making tasks of daily life. So finding that extra time to keep our homes neat and clean is no small achievement. However, while cleaning the seemingly big stuff is great, there are minor things that we tend to forget to wash or disinfect. Read on to learn the things you should add to your list the next time you devote an afternoon towards cleaning your home, you may have forgotten all about these…
Dishwasher
This one may seem counterintuitive, but yes, the appliance where you stick your soiled dishes also needs a comprehensive cleaning every once in a while. Food grime goes somewhere eventually, and that somewhere could be hidden crevices, like the filter on the underside of the spinning arm. These are perhaps the leading culprits of concealing grime. It’s recommended you wash your dishwasher at least once every month and run an empty cycle to deep clean it with a dedicated cleaning/descaling product. Adding the dishwasher to your cleaning routine will result in cleaner dishes and better health overall.
Throw Cushions
We all know it’s important to clean our bedroom pillows, but we often seem to forget about the snazzy throw pillows on the sofa. Whether you use them to rest your feet after a day out or rest your head as you catch up with the latest TV show on Netflix, your throw pillows are collecting dust mites, dirt, food particles and dead skin. Next time you embark on a deep-clean of your living room, remember to run the vacuum upholstery attachment over your cushions. Also, remove pillow covers for regular washing – if you follow the care instructions, they can clean up a treat.
Blenders
Blenders were named among the top-3 germ-laden items in your kitchen by the 2013 NSF Global Germ Study. When blenders aren’t cleaned thoroughly, they can shelter food borne pathogens including molds, yeasts, and salmonella. Nobody wants to have a case of food poisoning in their home so next time you clean your kitchen, unplug the blender and remove the jug at the base. Also, remove the liner and blade from the underside of the jar. You could hand wash the individual pieces with a brush to get into all the crevices. Then – if the care instructions allow – put them into the (newly-cleaned!) dishwasher for a hot wash to sanitise them. 
Extractors & radiators
Cleaning air vents, radiators, extractors and air ducts is one of those tasks that are easy to forget. Consequently, most homeowners can hardly recall the last time they did it. Have a look at that extractor fan – does it have dust and fluff all over it?? Mine does! The truth is that cleaning vents and ducts comes with health advantages and also reduces your energy bill. Additionally, a well-cared for system prolongs the useful life of your system. I found this information via denverairductcleaning.com and immediately decided to give my bathroom and kitchen extractors a wipe over – they were disgusting! One factor to take into consideration is that the quality of indoor air is diminishing. This decline is partly attributed to the increased demand for high-efficiency doors, windows, and insulation that leads to a reduced volume of air transfer between the outside and inside. So the need for well-performing air vents couldn’t be higher!
Let me know if you can think of any other household items that might be harbouring grime or need a good cleaning by leaving me a comment below.
