I’m a cleaning pro – the secret spot in the dishwasher you’re neglecting and it’s utterly filthy
WHEN it comes to cleaning we all try our best to make sure our homes are spick and span.
But there are several areas in our homes that we are forgetting to clean they could be wreaking havoc in your homes.
We spoke to cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie also known as the ‘Queen of Clean’ to learn the secret places you’re missing on your weekly cleaning spree and to get some tips and tricks to clean way easier.
You may recognise Lynsey from the show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners, after growing an Instagram following online she is now an author of four best selling cleaning books.
What are areas in homes that people forget to clean?
Lynsey says the number one place people forget to clean is behind furniture.
She said: “Behind furniture is out of sign and out of mind, but dust builds up very quickly, sometimes up to an inch thick. This is terrible for people who have bad allergies during pollen season.”
Lynsey recommends you clean your behind your furniture every month, give it a good hoovering and mopping if you have time.
And while we’re on the topic of furniture another place people often forget to clean is under their cushions on their sofas.
“People always forget about under their cushions. We do so much on couches these days, you can practically find a whole meal under there once you lift up a seat.”
“You should be cleaning under cushions every other month with good power vacuum, and throw your sofa cushions in the washing machine as well too. You might even find a couple of pounds down there which is always a bonus.”
If you’ve got a cooker hood you might be surprised to learn there’s a hard working filter up there that also needs cleaning.
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“Cooker hood filters are a magnet for grease and grime. They become incredibly sticky after a couple of weeks. So once a month soak the filters in warm soapy water with white vinegar. Check the manual for your cooker as some cooker hood filters are actually dishwasher safe.”
There’s actually another home appliance that has a filter that needs cleaning and that’s your dishwasher filter.
“It’s really important to clean the things that clean for you! If you do a lot of cooking you’ll find all sorts of food in your dishwasher filter like peas, noodles, baked beans, grease & grime.”
“Empty the food bits in the bin and rinse under the tap once a week. Yes every week especially if you have your dishwasher on more than once a day. If you haven’t cleaned yours in a while or have never cleaned it you may want to clean it with dish soap.”
Another area of your home you might not have thought about is light switches and cords.
“Anywhere in your home which is constantly touched by hands needs to be disinfected. Wipe them down with some antibacterial soap every now and then, it is such an easy task you can do it whilst boiling the kettle.”
Lynsey’s also got a cheeky little hack if your light cords are looking a little grey.
She said: “You can bring light cords back to life with some toothpaste just leave it on for half an hour.”
“Plug holes can get very smelly and this time of year that will attract flies and other pests. Bicarbonate of soda is best for getting rid of any unpleasant odours but make sure you use a drain snake at least four times a year to pull out hair and gunk.”
“A pack of these are a few quid they’re cheap as chips.”
Lynsey also has some advice if your looking to develop a cleaning schedule.
“My top tip for someone wanting to up their cleaning game is to develop an easy routine you can stick to.”
If you’re looking to develop a good routine try the 15 minute timer method.
“You choose three key rooms in your house like a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom and you spend five minutes in each room cleaning as much as you can. You’ll be surprised by how much you can get done but make sure you turn your phone on aeroplane mode!”
“If you give this method a go try to make sure you leave a space (cleaning cabbies) for all your cleaning products in each room. For example leave furniture polish and a duster in your bedroom so that you’re not running around the house wasting your five minutes.”
“Don’t get overwhelmed by how many products are on the market, most of them all do the same thing but cost way too much!”
“All you really need is a multi surface cleaner, washing up liquid and white vinegar.”
And there’s really no judgement here, if you’re struggling to keep up with a cleaning schedule, consider organising a power hour on your day off or the weekend.
Us it to take on big tasks like dusting blinds and vacuuming your mattress