"These Just Become A Stew Of Poop Particles": Housekeepers Shared 21 Parts Of The House People Always Forget To Clean
Recently I stumbled on a Reddit thread started by u/mature-sensible-name that asked "Professional house cleaners of Reddit, what do most people need to clean in their home, but don't?" Listen...the amount of multipurpose cleaner I've used since then is astonishing. Take a look for yourself.
1."When I did housekeeping during college, I noticed that many people neglect to take down their shower curtains periodically for washing. That's the accumulation of body oils, fluids, etc. that have splashed off your body. You can disinfect and make a bathroom sparkle, however, the stench of the ripe curtain? Ick."
2."The blade of their can opener."
3."People who are busy but wonder how it looks different when I do it, the finishing touches they miss are polishing or wiping down their kitchen bin, kettles, and other shiny things on their counters."
4."If you have toddlers/short children, the entire inside perimeter of your house at the 2.5 foot mark has a layer of snot-encrusted dirt that’s built up over the years that you are most likely blind to by now."
5."Here's one people NEVER do but really should: Vacuum your mattress. No, I'm not kidding. When you change your sheets, you should vacuum that bitch so you can suck out whatever dead skin and crap have made their way down there. Also, we all know to wash the fitted sheet. But below that, mattresses sometimes have another removable cover. Please wash that, too."
6."Leave the door to your washing machine open after each cycle so it doesn’t mildew."
7."On a lot of washing machines, there is a drain trap that needs to be cleaned....not as much as the lint trap in your dryer, but when you drain your water in a spin cycle, there is a place where it traps big gunk."
8."The one that always gets neglected is the extractor fan hood over your cooker. There are filters on there that need replacing (or just cleaning depending on the type), and if you don’t after about 6–12 months they turn into a fire hazard because they get saturated with grease. If you put your hand onto the flat underside of your extractor hood and it feels greasy and gross, that’s because it is. Clean that shit once in a while, folks."
9."Oh my god the window frames....remove the sliding windows entirely if possible and use a kitchen knife and a cloth to get all the dirt and debris out of there. You will find pebbles, dust, sand, dead insects, even geckos if they live in your area."
10."The fan heaters. I unplug mine and use a skinny crochet hook to yank the hair and dust out of ours. I have seen one catch fire. Clean them, it's important."
11."A more realistic one that my mum told me: Clean between the seat and the tank on the toilet. According to her, it's a deal breaker for some chicks."
12."This is for all the video gamers out there: Please clean your gaming equipment."
13."Toilet brush and toilet brush holder. These just become a stew of poop particles if ignored."
14."Something I didn’t notice until I sat on the floor the other day; places your pets (cats in particular) rub against. My door jams and walls were very dirty at cat level."
15."The toothbrush holder. Your spit and saliva drips down the bottom of brushes into the cup."
16."Have you ever cleaned your steering wheel? My god, the stuff that shows up on a Lysol wipe..."
17."Please empty your toaster crumb trays. I have found crumb trays so full that some of the crumbs were BLACK from being burned. That's a fire hazard!"
18."Vacuum the tops of your curtains, they are a major source of dust!"
19."Wipe down the walls in your house every once in awhile. Lots of people forget to do this. It will cut back a lot of dust and possibly mold growth."
20."Here's a tip to keep dust mites out of your kitchen: It's a real bitch to clean the top of your cabinets — get up on your counter and take a look. It's a maze of dust, grime, germs, and grease. Instead of constantly tending to this area, give it one good thorough cleaning and then take apart a newspaper and line the tops of the cabinets. The next time a layer of dirt forms, simply throw away the newspaper and refresh with a clean one."
21.Finally, "If you have a front loading washing machine, take a look inside the detergent drawer. Pull it right out. The inside will be BLACK and this goes on your clothes, every wash. The amount of people who don't realise this is quite shocking. The same goes for behind the rubber door seal on your dishwasher, especially the bottom. Clean around the seal at least once a month."
