12 Things You Probably Forgot to Clean

Raise your hand if you love cleaning!!!  Anyone??  Okay, maybe a few people actually like to clean.  But for most of us it's just a necessary (although often unpleasant) part of life.  While I'm not one who just loves to clean, I do get satisfaction, peace, and comfort from having a clean home.  It's important to me that it not just be tidy and decluttered but also “clean” and hygienic. You probably shouldn't eat off my floors, but I want my home at least to be a healthy environment for me and my family!

Recently I discovered a few things that I had been forgetting to clean regularly.  Are you forgetting any of these yourself? Keep reading or check out the video here to find out!

1.  Dishwasher Filter

Most dishwashers (but not all) have a filter that you should be cleaning regularly.  It catches a lot of the food gunk and grease that comes off your dishes in the wash cycle.  If you don't keep this clean, it can prevent your dishwasher from draining properly, and you can end up with an overflow situation.

I had never cleaned mine before, so I was expecting it to be pretty gross.  Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad.  It just had a little mushy food on it that sprayed right off in the sink.  You can search for a video on your particular dishwasher model, but on mine, I just had to unscrew the filter, rinse it off, and then screw it back in.  Thankfully, this was a super easy job!

2.  Filter in the Washing Machine

If you have a front loader, they all have filters in the front of the machine that need cleaned out regularly.  Spoiler alert– this can go VERY VERY WRONG if you're not careful!  While it seems simple (it really is, LOL), if you don't get it put back in exactly right, your water will not drain properly.

When I pulled our filter out, it had some hair and a random little eraser in it.  Washing off the filter was pretty straightforward.  However, clearly, one can mess up in putting it back!  I wasn't super careful (apparently) when I put it back.  I even watched my own video to see what I did.  Nothing was obvious, but I guess I didn't screw it back in fully.

After I cleaned it and put it back, I ran a load of laundry.  I was working in our basement when I heard “rain”.  But the rain was inside the house…ugh.  In the room right below the washer, water was pouring out of the ceiling fan and can lights.  So…definitely use caution with this task, and be sure you screw your filter back in properly!

3.  The Air Filter in the HVAC

This is a very simple task, and filters usually aren't even very expensive.  Most filters are in stock at your local big box home improvement store.  Just check your size, buy the correct filter, and then slide the old one out and the new one in– super easy!

It's something that's out of sight, though, so it can be easy to forget.  Different filters need changed at different intervals.  Large ones might last six months.  Most standard filters are meant to last 1-3 months, though.

We always change it more frequently if we're doing something really dusty (like remodeling), or if you're in a super hot area where your air conditioner is running a ton, you might need to change it more often.  Just be sure to monitor your particular situation and change out those filters as needed!  It's healthier for air quality, and it also extends the life of your system because it doesn't have to work as hard to get air through a dirty filter!

4.  The Top of the Refrigerator

This is easy to miss because you can't see the top of the fridge (unless you're super tall).  Like anything in the kitchen, it gets greasy and dusty because of all the cooking.  Some people stack stuff on top.  If you do this, then it definitely needs cleaned regularly.

I don't stack things there because I hate the cluttered look of things on top of my fridge.  However, occasionally I'll temporarily set something there while I'm working to get it in an upper cabinet.  I HATE when it comes away all grimy and dusty!  I regularly get on a stepladder and just clean as far back as I can reach.

This means that the very back is probably gross, LOL.  Although knowing that does bother me a smidge, it's still much better to clean what I can reach than to clean nothing up there, so it's on my monthly list of cleaning tasks.

5.  Under the Bed

We don't store anything under our bed, and we don't have a rug there.  Somehow dust gathers like crazy under there!  About once a month when I'm doing a normal vacuum, I'll make an extra effort to vacuum under there as well.  You may need an extension tool if you have a large bed, but it's well worth it to get the dust out.  You're breathing at least 8 hours (probably) in your bed every night, so cleaning up dust in the bedroom is important.

My kids store stuff under their beds, but you should still pull those things out and clean the bins, etc., too.  Robot vacuums can really be great for under-bed cleaning, but be sure to check periodically to be sure nothing big is under there.  Mine sucked up a clear plastic baggie once– not good.

6.  Your Ceiling Fans

This is often neglected.  Most people have heard of the pillowcase trick.  You slide a pillowcase over each blade, and when you wipe it off, the dust stays inside the pillowcase.  This works great, but you have to remember to actually DO it, LOL.

It usually requires a ladder, so it can be a pain.  But you don't want to neglect this.  I had a friend who was hosting a large baby shower once.  It got hot with all the people, so someone turned on the ceiling fan, and dust went flying everywhere all over people!  You do not want that to happen to you!

7.  Tech Screens

This is just one of my pet peeves– I hate a dirty screen!  I use eyeglass wipes to regularly wipe down my computer screens, tablets, phone screens, etc.  They get dirty with all kinds of things– food, fingerprints, flying spit (eeww!).

Think about how often you touch your phone and how often you put it up to your face.  That is definitely something that needs to be cleaned and disinfected regularly!

8.  Showerhead

In the Midwest, we have really hard water, so ours get a lot of buildup pretty quickly.  There are all kinds of ways to clean it if you google.  Many suggest tying a bag of vinegar around it so it can soak for a while.  However you clean it, just be sure to keep on top of it.  It will also keep the openings clear so your water pressure/stream stays good!

9.  Trash Cans

I'm not gonna lie– this is a pretty gross job!  But cleaning your trash cans can really help with any bad smells.  This is especially important in the kitchen and bathrooms.  I like to do this in the summer so I can take them outside and use the hose.  Slap on some gloves, grab the disinfectant, and I also like to use an old rag that I'm ready to throw away.  I just can't even think about using a rag again after I've had it clean something so gross, LOL!

10.  Toothbrush Holder

Once you're done brushing your teeth, there's still a little bit of water and who knows what else that drips down slowly into the holder.  It builds up and can get really disgusting.  I like the holders that are dishwasher safe so I can just pop them in the dishwasher.  Whatever you need to do, just be sure to clean yours regularly.

11.  Coffee Maker

My husband drinks a ton of coffee.  Recently he was having some allergy issues that just would not go away.  In searching out the cause, he read that mold (and all kinds of nasty things) can grow in your coffee maker.  I'm not sure if that was his problem or not, but he did deep clean his coffee maker, and let me tell you– it was super gross!

He ran a super hot water cycle (you can do this with or without vinegar, especially if you have scale built up that needs cleaned) several times.  So much junk came out.  You might expect coffee grounds, and there were some of those, but there were also…chunks…of stuff.  Yuck!

12.  Garbage Disposal

These can get a bit gross from chopping up all the food.  I use commercial cleaner pods by a brand called Plink.  It's easy– I run hot water, turn on the disposal, and drop a pod in there.  It smells great and keeps things a little fresher down there.

So…am I the only one who was forgetting a bunch of these things?  Some of them can have a pretty big impact, and I know next time I will definitely be quadruple checking that my washing machine filter is fully back in place, LOL!

Organization that actually sticks for busy, happy lives