Things you keep forgetting to clean.....(but probably should).

Okay, clickbait....nobody SHOULD be doing anything -  your cleaning routine is your cleaning routine and everybody has their own expectations and desires when it comes to keeping a house in order - but for those that love a deep clean and an occasional reminder of the items we may have forgotten to give a wipe recently, then here are some things I've recently discovered I've not cleaned in a while.... #yuk

1. The vacuum cleaner

Starting immediately with a controversial one, but I tell you, cleaning this thing regularly makes such a difference to its productivity. If you want to improve suction, remove bad odours, and increase the longevity of your vacuum, then give it a good wipe once a week with a damp cloth, and every 3-6 months (depending on how dirty your house gets - no judgement, I have 4 kids so mine is regularly FILTH), take the main components apart and wash in the sink with warm soapy water. Ensure you air out until fully dry (you don't want any moisture in your machine) and voila! I almost got rid of a vacuum once when all it needed was a good scrub (money saving too, eh?).

2. Your brushes and dustpan

I posted me washing my dustpan on instagram and people went CRAZY. I'm one of the few that do this, but it makes such a difference to me. Dustpans get covered in, you guessed it, dust, which leaves a nasty residue on anything it touches. The brushes themselves, once sticky and clogged with dirt, end up leaving a grimy line on anything you're trying to sweep, and end up not doing the job at all. This doesn't need to be a religious thing, and it certainly doesn't need to be overly regular, but when you notice it start to get a little blackened, give it a wash in the sink in warm soapy water. Again, leave the brush to fully air dry before using, but just the look of a clean dustpan alone will bring joy to your life.

3. Under the furniture

We all know we should be regularly upending our furniture and giving it a good swish underneath, but I, like probably many of you, quite often forget. Key places you should be quickly reminded of? Under the sofa, piano, TV unit, table, coffee-stand and any pots, shelving units, and general ornaments you have on the floor. A quick sweep/mop/vacuum will do the trick and you can leave it until the next time somebody reminds you (or until someone comes over, drops something under the sofa that you have to retrieve, and you end up faced with half a years worth of dust, 3 broken crayons and a mouldy apple - yep, true story).

4. Behind the radiator

A little trend arose a few years ago where people were spraying air fresheners down the back of their radiators to blow out dust and, whilst a terrible idea in terms of heating flammable chemicals, it got people realising that behind the radiators gathers a LOT of crud. A feather duster (or sock on a stick) does a beautiful job of clearing out the dust and cobwebs and helps create a home reduced of allergens. If this is your first time cleaning behind there a word of warning....you're in for a shock.

5. The cutlery drawer

I open the drawer, see the crumbs as I put away the cutlery, and close it again. We've all been there right? I used to be so good at wiping out the cutlery drawer back in the day when I only had 6 of everything, but now that I have a family that drawer becomes cluttered with stuff so quickly. Calpol syringes, random straws, varying types of cutlery and the odd lighter, it becomes a catch-all for the random small items lying around the house. Giving it a good go over regularly (I'd suggest once a month) not only clears out the crumbs, but also helps you to maintain a decluttering state and get rid of (or re-organise) the junk that so easily piles if we leave it to just collect. 

6. Your phone

How many of you have ever cleaned your phones? Yeah, that's what I thought. Yet these items are probably the most used in our lives. Take the case off and wash it (you can either soak it in soapy water or give it a wipe with a damp cloth), and wipe the actual phone itself too. If you're feeling brave blow the dust out of the charger points and microphone/speaker holes too - when they clog they reduce the quality of the phone so you want to keep those clear if you can - and you'll have a phone that looks like new again (unless, like me, you've dropped it 60 times and it's basically a mosaic picture of cracked glass by now).

Okay, let's not overload you on the first mention of a spring clean...I think 6 things are plenty for now. I'm off to go and clean these myself too, and I'll be back with more as the weeks go on. It's spring and time for a thorough deep clean and I'm excited to get this house in order again! Let me know what things you regularly forget to clean around your home and I can add them to my list of things to get cleaned in my own home. Happy cleaning!

Until next time...