Tips for cleaning the 'easy to forget' areas of the home

I recently had some renovations done in my house which led to lots of dust settling around the furniture, forcing me to make time for a proper clean. Thankfully, I had a few days off work and some new Microban cleaning pads, cloths and scouring pads. Despite having two small children to entertain in half-term break and other work to do, I managed to find and tackle some ‘easy to forget’ areas that have sadly not been cleaned in a while! Here are some tips I decided to share for dealing with these, long term.

Plan your time: It is unrealistic to expect to be able to clean such spots regularly, especially when you struggle to keep on top of chores that actually need to be done daily. Those spots are often ‘easy to forget’ because they do not get seen or used often, so probably also do not get dirty for a while. Set aside a time to target the unusual areas - areas such as under/behind beds, sofas and appliances. If you use a cleaning service, you can specify a day for them to focus on those areas for you. They are usually harder to reach and clean during the usual cleaning routine, which is why we forget them. Taking time out to do them specially means that you can do them well, when you do.

Work smart: I was pleased to see that the Microban microfibre kitchen cloths and other products have built-in antibacterial protection. While we cannot see these benefits with the naked eye, it is reassuring to know that the unseen bugs are being handled too. Use antimicrobial wipes often, and have them handy so you can give a quick wipe when you remember places such as door handles, light switches and computer keyboards that get handled often but cleaned rarely. Good old dusters are also useful - especially for high, hard-to-reach areas, like tops of shelves and cupboards.

Change is good: Re-organise your cupboards, shelves, wardrobes regularly to give you a chance to clean them out from the back. You might also find clothes or dishes you have not used in a while! Moving around furniture to try new room designs can be exciting - making the space feel new, and giving you a chance to clean hidden areas. If you have small rooms that can only be laid out in one or two ways, you might want to consider decluttering to make space for more movement and reduce the number of ‘easy to forget’ areas.

Care for the machines: Don’t forget to “clean the cleaners”. I mean appliances such as the dishwasher, vacuum cleaner and washing machine, which many of us cannot live without. They can get dirty too! Most appliances will have care instructions, and how often we need to clean them will depend on how much we use them. Many of us will also have a cleaning cupboard for storing our cleaning equipment. This is often a part of the house that gets forgotten when we clean. If yours also doubles up as the junk cupboard - like in many houses - make time to empty it out regularly and lose the junk, before it becomes a nice hiding place for mice!

Pay for quality - Life can be busy. Don’t panic if you have so many forgotten areas in your home. Reading articles like this can sometimes make people feel overwhelmed, but we need to never lose sight of the big picture. Even when you are making good use of your time in other ways and doing your best to maintain a clean home, there will always be some forgotten areas when you really think about it. I have found that buying good quality products, like good quality bath tubs and kitchen appliances, means that they last longer, sometimes don’t need cleaning as often, and could have antimicrobial technology as provided by Microban. Even simple things like good cleaning cloths can make a difference to your cleaning experience. The first difference I noticed with the Microban cloths was the larger surface area, which meant that I could do more cleaning in less time. Good quality products also usually need changing less often. As they say, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, but more importantly - buy what you can comfortably afford, and choose happiness over stress.

(Written for Microban - Thecleanerhome.com)