10 Household Items You Aren't Cleaning Often Enough

Even if you are on top of all the laundry and dishes, and you are good at keeping clutter at bay, there are still household items you probably aren’t cleaning often enough.

These are the places germs collect and grime multiplies. By keeping these 10 items clean, you are not only completing much needed deep cleaning, but you are also protecting your family.

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1. Remote Controls

A recent study revealed that TV remotes can harbor up to 20 times as much bacteria as a toilet seat!

The remotes in your home are probably handled by every family member. That’s a lot of germs and germ sharing!

To clean your remotes, use a soft, micro-fiber cloth and mineral oil. If dust and dirt have collected in the crevices, you can gently clean them out with a toothpick or sewing pin.

This deep cleaning is recommended every week or no less than once a month.

For quick cleaning, every few days (particularly if someone is sick), simply spray both sides of the remote with a disinfectant spray. Keep the spray can about 12″-18″ from the remote so that it doesn’t get soaked.

2. Stair Rails, Cabinet Pulls, Doorknobs

Beyond the remote control, there are other household items that get touched by every family member every day. Stair rails, cabinet pulls, and doorknobs can quickly become germ-laden and grimy.

Again, these can be cleaned with a soft, micro-fiber cloth and mineral oil.

If grime has built up and you need extra deep cleaning, you can make a paste of 1 part mineral oil to 1 part baking soda. Rub this paste onto the surface with the microfiber cloth in a circular motion. Once the buildup is removed, simply wipe the surface down with a damp (but not soaked) towel.

3. Air Filters and Air Return Covers

Air filters are used in your vent returns to catch the dust and dirt that are in the air. It makes sense then that you would need to remove and replace the air filters often.

A dirty air filter is like a garbage can… it can only hold so much before the dirt starts overflowing. When it overflows and simply cannot catch any more dust, the dust and grime start to collect on the vent cover.

Keep replacement filters on hand (I buy a year’s worth in bulk on Amazon) and replace them once a month.

The best way to clean the vent cover is to simply vacuum it with the brush attachment. Using any sort of damp cloth only creates sticky dust bunnies that get caught in the corners. That’s a mess in and of itself!

If the grime is just too heavy for the vacuum, remove the vent cover and place it in hot water with a bit of dish soap. Let it soak for about 20 minutes, then scrub clean and rinse. Keep in mind, that doing this might cause the paint on the cover to peal, so only use this technique if absolutely necessary.

4. Ceiling Fans

Have you ever looked up and noticed an army of dust bunnies leaning over your ceiling fan blades?

Ceiling fans seem to be a magnet for dust even when they are not in use. But, when in use they collect even move dust!

Perhaps, like me, you have reached up to clean the dust off, only to have it fall all in your face and hair, then all over the floor.

An easier way to clean the dust off ceiling fan blades is with a pillowcase. Place the pillowcase over the fan blade and, with one hand on top and one hand on the bottom, slide the pillowcase off the blade. All the dust collects in the pillowcase!

Also, make sure to dust the housing and the pull cords with a microfiber cloth.

5. Garbage Cans

Sure, we line our garbage cans with garbage bags, but that doesn’t mean the cans are clean or free of bacteria and harmful germs.

Actually, it is quite the opposite. Kitchen garbage cans are routinely found to contain Salmonella, e. Coli, and Listeria among other things. Ewww. Garbage cans tend to be one item we aren’t cleaning often enough and that can actually make us sick.

The easiest way to clean a garbage can is to take it outside and use a garden hose, antibacterial soap, and a scrub brush. A long-handled scrub brush, like a toilet brush, is easiest.

You really do not want to do this in your kitchen sink, because the germs and bacteria can collect there or on the countertops.

Aim for cleaning garbage cans at least once a month, and use disinfectant spray inside and outside the can every time you take the garbage out.

6. Refrigerator Coils

When was the last time you pulled your refrigerator out from the wall to clean the back coils? If your answer is “Um, never”, this is something you need to do immediately.

“What’s the big deal?” you may ask. Well, the coils keep your refrigerator cold. The more dust that collects on the coils, the harder time it has cooling the fridge. The increase in temperature then can lead to bacteria growth on your food, endangering you and your family.

To clean the coils, pull the refrigerator out from the wall. Unplug it (only for the 2 minutes it takes to clean it), and vacuum the dust off of the coils using your vacuum with brush attachment. You may want to knock some of the dust off with a microfiber cloth first, then vacuum that off the floor, as well.

This is a very easy process that needs to be done about every 6 months or more often if you have pets that shed a lot (like me!).

Added bonus, cleaning the coils also allows the refrigerator to run more efficiently, thus saving on electricity costs!

7. Curtains

Curtains are another major dust and dirt trap that doesn’t get cleaned often enough. You should be cleaning your curtains every 3-6 months. Not only are you getting rid of dirt and dust, but freshly cleaned curtains add a fresh clean scent to your room.

There is no one size fits all recommendation for cleaning curtains, because all curtains are different. Check the care label to see if they can be washed at home or need to be dry cleaned.

A quick fix is to run the vacuum brush attachment over the inside and outside of the curtains. This is not a deep cleaning, of course, but it can help keep the dust in check.

Another quick fix is to steam them with a steam cleaner while they are hanging. Keep in mind, not all fabrics can be steamed, so check the care tags closely. If they can be washed in the washing machine, they can also be steamed.

8. Mattresses

When you really stop and think about it, mattresses are gross. I mean, I’d still rather have one than sleep on the floor… but, still… sweat, dead skin, and dust mites collect in mattresses daily.

An Ohio State University study found that mattresses contain anywhere from 100,000 to 10,000,000 dust mites.

This can be a problem for those with allergies, but even those without allergies need to keep their mattresses clean.

First, make sure to use a hypoallergenic mattress cover to help protect your mattress.

Next, every time you wash your sheets, remove the mattress cover (launder also, if needed), and open the windows. Just airing out the mattress helps freshen it up.

Every 3 months, after removing the sheets and mattress cover, sprinkle baking soda directly on the mattress. Let it sit for a couple of hours, then vacuum it with your vacuum brush attachment. A hand vac works great, too.

The baking soda with help remove odors and freshen your mattress.

9. Range Hood

The range hood over your stovetop gets loaded with grease and grime quickly, often without you even noticing.

The range hood and fan are used to take the smoke and smells out of the house through a vent. In the process, it also sucks up a ton of grease! The filter is in place to prevent the grease from reaching the actual fan. That filter must be cleaned, so the smoke and smells can pass through and exit your house.

The vent itself can become massively grimy, yet is surprising easy to clean if you know how.

To clean the vent, fill a bucket with very hot water and Dawn dish soap. The Dawn is created to cut grease, so make sure it is Dawn or a similar product. Remove the vent and soak in the bucket for about 20 minutes. For stubborn grease stains, you can scrub with a scrub brush. Once clean, rinse and air dry.

While you have the vent cover off, wipe down the actual fan and vent surround with a microfiber cloth. If you have caked-on grime that the cloth alone will not clean, put a little mineral on the cloth and rub in a circular motion. That should do the trick.

10. Under Appliances

Have you ever looked under your oven or dishwasher? It’s like a unique biome of dust, food, pet hair, and dead bugs. If your house is anything like mine, you might also find dried soda spills, Nerf darts, and loose change.

Yes, even that mess needs to be cleaned. The dust and dead bugs can aggravate allergies, and the spills and food can attract more bugs.

If the thought of pulling out your appliances to clean under them seems daunting to you, I know a few quick tricks to make the process easier.

Instead of pulling your under-cabinet dishwasher out (or any other appliance), simply take the bottom cover off to expose the floor underneath. On a stove, removing the bottom broiler drawer will expose the floor underneath.

Now you can sweep, vacuum, mop, and/or scrub the floor… whatever you need to do to get it clean without having to pull the appliance out.

An even easier trick is to use a long reach flexible duster. These handy little devices can reach under just about anything. The washable dusting head can be used wet or dry and the material traps almost everything it touches.

Final Thoughts

I can hear some of you now saying, “But, Stephanie, I have 8 loads of laundry to do, I gotta get the 7-year-old to soccer practice, the 3-year-old is washing her Barbies in the toilet, and I haven’t had time to shower since last Thursday. How on earth am I going to find time to do these 10 things?!”

I get it. I’m not trying to make you feel like you have to be Super Woman and keep everything spotless at all times. And I certainly don’t want you to feel guilty if you’ve lived in your house for 7 years and have yet to do any of these things.

Best advice I can offer is just pick a day and do all or most of these as a weekend warrior type project. If your spouse or kids can help, all the better! Make it a family fun day!

Now it’s your turn. Share in the comments some of your best tips for cleaning these items or others you think most people aren’t cleaning often enough.

While here, be sure to check out these other posts in “Homemaking”: