No matter how clean a homeowner is, they will forget a few areas here and there. The places homeowners tend to forget are places most people don’t see, but that doesn’t mean these areas aren’t important. Plus, even if these areas aren’t seen, they cause some issues that make it imperative that homeowners take cleaning more seriously. The following are some commonly overlooked areas:
- Deep cleaning the carpet
- Emptying out the vacuum
- The floors in the closet
- Bookshelves and the books
- Area right above kitchen cabinets
- Dryer air outtake
- Under the fridge
- Indoor air quality
- Under the furniture, like the sofa
- The area right above the doors
While it’s important to clean these areas, some require a little more attention than others.
Above the Kitchen Cabinets
One area that’s overlooked is the top of the cabinets in the kitchen. Folks have no reason to go up there to dust or clean it off. Ignoring the top of the cabinets can cause an accumulation of debris, like food. This accumulation might lead to pest infestation. That’s a major issue because a pest infestation could be costly to get rid of, and it takes a long time, too. If homeowners care about keeping their homes as protected as possible, it’s important to address the top of cabinets. Try to remember that a pest infestation, especially ones in the kitchen, means that food is exposed to pests. Their dropping and who knows what else could infect the food and make everyone in the household sick. On top of that, having a pest infestation in the kitchen is nerve racking because everyone will worry about something getting into the food; no one should have to deal with that.
Dryer Air Outtake
The dryer air outtake is another area that needs to be clean. In fact, everything in the dryer should be thoroughly cleaned periodically. The outtake, the lint trap, and under the machine should be cleaned as well. The reason is that the dust and debris can be flammable. Keep in mind that the dryer uses heat to dry everything, and that heat can spark a fire if there’s enough lint or some other type of flammable debris around. Cleaning routinely can increase safety for the entire household. This is such a big problem that folks sometimes hear about it from their insurance companies. Yes, it’s possible that the homeowner’s home insurance company might bring this up to remind the homeowner about the importance of making sure this fire hazard is always dealt with.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is another aspect of a home that homeowners tend to overlook. Again, it’s one of those things people overlook because people can’t see anything floating in the air when indoor air quality is poor. Everything seems normal, but the truth is that the air could be much cleaner. If a homeowner fails to address poor indoor air quality, that homeowner is going to see more dust accumulating around their homes and will have to clean up more often. Anyone in the household who’s sensitive to dust and allergens will suffer asthma attacks or will have a hard time being in that house. That’s not a good thing, but homeowners can rectify this. For one, replacing the air filter as recommended could make a big difference. If someone in the house is sensitive to pollutants, it’s important to invest in higher quality air filters, which means getting an AC filter with a high MERV number like 13. If the air vents haven’t been cleaned, it’s important to schedule a service. It also never hurts to have the best HEPA air purifier in your home. If homeowners do these few things, the indoor air quality should improve dramatically.
Area Under the Fridge
The area under the fridge is usually forgotten. This makes perfect sense. No one wants to move that big fridge out of the way to clean up. Moving the fridge is inconvenient and usually requires that everything is removed from the interior to make it easier to move. If food isn’t removed, it could end up falling while the fridge is being moved. The good thing is there are specialized brooms made specifically for hard-to-reach places like these. These brooms are affordable alternatives that can prevent homeowners from harming themselves when moving the fridge, which is definitely a possibility. There could be all kinds of things down there, like food. Homeowners who don’t clean under the fridge properly might be inviting pests unknowingly as mentioned earlier. Homeowners need to inspect and clean under everything they often overlook, like the furniture, under the dishwasher, and stove as well to make sure their house is as clean as possible.