Spring Cleaning Our Homes’ Forgotten Areas

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One of the many things I love about spring is throwing open the windows and doors to air out the house, planting spring flowers like pansies, getting the porches ready for some sitting, grilling out, and spring cleaning.  Yes, I added spring cleaning to that list, because one of my favorite things is a sparkling clean house.  It’s easy to know all about cleaning the basics when doing our major spring cleaning.  We all know to wash the linens, vacuum the furniture, spend some extra time on the floors, rugs, and carpets, etc., but spring cleaning our homes’ forgotten areas is very important, too.

 

 

What are those forgotten areas?  Well, they are probably things that you look at and use every day but just don’t think too much about cleaning. It is time Don’t Stand For Dirty™.

 

Take the heating and cool air vents in the ceilings and floors, for instance.  The covers on those vents collect a lot of dirt over the months, and if dust is collecting on them, then that very dust can get scattered through the air you breath.  Cleaning the vents is really easy.

 

I just pull them out, spray them with Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner, wipe them with my cleaning rags, and put them back.  The nice thing about Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner is that it will clean any surface and doesn’t have a strong vinegar odor.  It works for our day to day and weekly cleaning, too.

 

Here are some other important areas in our homes that are often overlooked.

 

1.  Ceiling Fans – We have several ceiling fans in our homes, even though they are often thought about as decorating faux pas.  I love that they keep the air gently moving around, and I love that they can cool a room without turning on the air conditioner.

 

However, those fans get dirty, and I am embarrassed to show you how dirty ours were.  As they swirl around in the air, they pick up dust that just sticks to them.  Run your fingers over your own fans, and I bet you will be shocked at how much dust is on them.

 

 

When cleaning them, I just climb up on a stool or small ladder.  I take an old pillowcase and spray the inside with Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner.

 

 I put the pillowcase over the whole blade to collect all the dust and other things that have piled up.  This way it doesn’t drop on our floor.

 

After I have done that step I take a rag, spray them well, and then wipe them clean with my Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner.

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2.  Closet and Pantry Shelves  – If I am spring cleaning, I truly try to get to all of the areas, and that includes the ones behind closed doors.  Even though our closet and pantry doors are closed most of the time, dust still finds its way in. I will remove all of my sweaters, purses, hats from the shelves, spray them well, and then dry them.

 

 

3.  Armoire Tops – While I have the ladder out, I also clean the top of the bar that we converted from a television armoire.  It’s one of those places that doesn’t get cleaned very often, but that flat surface collects plenty of dust.

 

 

4.  Lights – If you have pendant lights hanging in your kitchen, then you know what I am talking about here.  Even though our kitchen pendants aren’t near the stove, they still get a greasy film on them.  The only thing that I have found to cut that scum is Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner. I also wipe down the bulbs in all of my lamps.  I just put some Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner on a clean rag and gently wipe the bulbs.  You don’t realize how much light is being blocked by dust, dirt, and grease till the lights are really clean.  Then they just sparkle.

 

 

5.  Lamp Shades and Pillows – I always vacuum the lamp shades when I do my spring cleaning.  I take the pillows outside and just knock them together really hard.  That gets the dust out of them pretty easily.  Even if I am changing out the pillows for the new season, I make sure the ones I am storing away have been cleaned first.

 

6.  Silver – My mom always says that silver is jewelry for a room.  It’s the perfect accessory that adds a little shine, but if it is tarnished, there’s no sparkle.  So, I polish the trays on our dining room walls, and my silver candle stick holders.

 

 

7.  Mirrors and Glass – Just like on light bulbs, a film can build up on mirrors and the glass that is on framed photos and art.  Once again, I use Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner on these surfaces because I know it won’t leave any smears.

 

 

8.  Baseboards  – My mom is always reminding me to clean our baseboards, especially the ones behind our beds.  It’s amazing how much dust collects on those skinny pieces of wood. Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner comes to the rescue again.

 

 

9.  Door knobs – It’s hard to imagine all of the germs on door knobs, but I suspect they might be some of the dirtiest parts of our homes.  I’m glad we can’t see all of the germs clinging to them.   Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner will certainly wipe off any grease and dirt that has found their way to the knobs.

 

10.  Curtains – Curtains don’t actually get soiled, but they do collect plenty of dust.  They can either be vacuumed while they are still hanging, or they can be tossed into the dryer and so the dust can be knocked out of them.

 

11.  Shutters – If you have plantation shutters, I bet you dust them every time you clean.  But, they like a good cleaning during spring cleaning, too.  This is another excellent spot to use your Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner. It will easily clean off any spots from insects, finger smudges from opening and closing the shutters, and dirt that might have gotten in through the windows.

 

 

12.  Washer and Dryer – The washer and dryer deserve as much attention as everything else in the house because they are our workhorses.  Months of dried up fabric softener and detergent can dull the surfaces and make our washers and dryers look older than they might be.  Clean the tops and doors with the Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner.  Also, scoot them out and vacuum under each one while you are at it, and clean the baseboards behind them, too.

So, there you go.  We came up with an even dozen spots in our homes that are easily forgotten when it comes to cleaning.  Grab and few bottles of Windex® Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaner and show them some love on their Facebook and Twitter.  They and you will be glad you did!

 

Do you have any forgotten areas you clean?

 

Cheers!