5 Spots in Your Home That You’re Not Cleaning (That You Should Be)

All homeowners know that housecleaning is part of taking care of your biggest investment. But as you’re going through your cleaning routine, are you really cleaning everywhere you should be? Here are five commonly missed spots you should add to your list:

1. Your Kitchen Cabinet Door Fronts

   Even if you keep a generally clean kitchen, it’s very common to have some oily buildup. That buildup is bad for cabinet materials, especially if you have custom made cabinets or solid wood — it doesn’t make any sense to pay for the best custom cabinets only to see them get dingy. If your cabinets are light in color, you’ll probably even feel like your kitchen has been significantly brightened up after you give the cabinets a good scrubbing.

2. Inside All Your Cabinets

   This goes not only for your custom wood kitchen cabinets, but really any nice woodwork in your home (think custom built bookshelves in the living room or custom bathroom vanities). Remove dust buildup with a soft cloth; be very sparing with wax or polish if you use it at all, since it can give your beautiful custom made cabinets a sticky feeling you don’t want.

3. On Top of the Fridge

   Few people are tall enough to actually see the tops of their refrigerators, which is probably why they don’t get cleaned as often as they should. Get out a stepstool and use a rag and cleaning solution to remove dust and the greasy, tacky buildup that’s largely inevitable in the kitchen.

4. Door Handles and Light Switches

   Dirt and oil from people’s fingertips tend to build up on these oft-touched — yet rarely cleaned — areas. Even just giving them a swipe with a disinfecting cleaning wipe will deal with buildup and get rid of some germs.

5. The Washing Machine

   You’re probably thinking that the washing machine is a cleaning tool, not something that needs to be cleaned itself. But dirt and grime do tend to build up in all those little holes in a washing machine. Wipe down the machine, inside and out, with vinegar at least once a year. You can then run an empty load with bleach to get everything really clean.

What other spots often get missed at housecleaning time? Share your thoughts and tips on how to tackle hard-to-clean places in the comments.