Full disclosure: My home isn't spotless. Even though I test and write about cleaning products for a living in the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab (Which is one reason I can't bring myself to hire a cleaning service!), I, too, have nooks and crannies that need attention. Everyone always says, "Your home must be immaculate!" but I work a full day with a long commute and come home to prepare dinner pretty much every night.
With the little time and energy I have left, I can sometimes squeeze in a quick tidying up or a load of laundry before turning in. That leaves the weekends to dust, vacuum, and tackle the kitchen and bathrooms more deeply. Still, there are spots that I overlook, especially when time is short.
I'm a big fan of maintenance or preventative cleaning. Doing a quick wipe or spot clean now helps delay the need for deeper cleaning, stronger products, and more elbow grease later. And doing so helps keep my home comfortably clean and orderly. But when I do have a moment to zero in on the out-of-sight out-of-mind zones, here's how I clean them.
How to clean overlooked areas
Kitchen faucet sprayer
Flip over this beloved tool, and you'll likely see hard water mineral buildup and maybe even food splatters clogging the holes. Sure, it helps you clean and rinse your sink, but it needs occasional cleaning too. Rather than soaking the entire sprayer, dip a small brush in a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water and scrub the nozzle surface. If you need more oomph, add a little more vinegar to the mix.
Door frames and tall furniture
At just over five feet tall, I'm guilty of neglecting surfaces I can't easily see. I'm pretty good about paying attention to the most obvious out-of-reach areas, like crown moldings, recessed lights, and chandeliers, but door frames and the top surfaces of tall cabinets and bookcases are another story. To clean them, I rely on a telescoping duster with a pivoting head for the best angle to nab dust in just a few swipes.
Mini blinds
The white aluminum mini blinds in my house are notorious for camouflaging dust. You literally have to be on top of them to see it, which is why I often miss it when I'm dusting the room—but it's there. To clean them, I like to use a mini microfiber duster, as I find it easy to maneuver under draperies and around furniture, and faster than those "finger" dusting tools you slip through the slats. Dust vertically and horizontally on one side, reverse the slats, and repeat on the other side.
Behind and under appliances
Dust, lint, and crumbs collect in the peskiest places, like in the narrow space between the dryer and the wall or behind the countertop appliances you never move. Major appliances clogged with debris have to work harder and can even be a fire hazard. If you're able, pull larger appliances out and clean behind, under, and around them.
Otherwise, use your vacuum's crevice tool or a long, thin, microfiber duster or sweeper to nab what you can. For countertop appliances, pull them away from the wall for cleaning. I like using a sponge cloth for this job as I find it larger and more flexible than a traditional sponge, and it wrings out drier than a regular cloth.
Lampshades
Pleated shades are big dust magnets, but any lamp shade will benefit from occasional vacuuming to remove dust and clingy pet hair. For this job, I use the round, soft dusting brush attachment on my vacuum cleaner, and I take the shade off the lamp to more easily reach all sides. You can also use a clean bristle or foam paintbrush or a sticky lint roller to whisk away dust. Spraying them first with an anti-static spray, like Static Guard, makes dust and hair easier to remove too.
Vinyl tub mats
I pull up and rinse my plastic tub mat after showering, as it goes a long way to ridding it of soap scum and hard water minerals, and keeps mildew from forming. But sometimes even that isn't enough. Over time, it was looking cloudy. I thought about tossing it, but tried this instead: I gave it a generous spray of bathroom cleaner and, right in the tub, used a battery-operated scrubber wand to clean both sides. Saved! You can also machine wash many vinyl tub mats on a warm, gentle cycle with some old towels and a little bleach, and air dry.
Tools to clean forgotten spots
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
