- I work with a woman whose Grandmother always told her you can recognize a well-kept home by how clean the baseboards are. In particular in the bathrooms. I know not a delicate subject but it’s a place where people have time to look. Throughout your home use a bucket of warm water and a simple cleaner like Pine Sol or Lysol and soak the rag, wring it out and wipe down and or scrub those baseboards and then use a dry cloth to dry them off. You will be amazed.
- Pull out your stove/range. Whether it’s gas or electric there should be enough cord or hose to pull it out. Unplug and or turn off the gas when working behind it. This is a gross one and you will find all kinds of stuff back there and maybe even identify remnants of a recipe you made back in 2012? Vacuum the big stuff and then wipe it all down. Do the same on the sides and back of the stove/range
- While you are moving things around do the same with your refrigerator. There will be a buildup of all kinds of dust and dirt under that unit. Traditional units have coils on the bottom. I would remove the base plate and gently use the hose from a vacuum and a coil brush to clean those coils. This will prolong the life of your refrigerator and also cost less money to run it.
- Your dryer venting should be cleaned twice a year. Unplug the unit and turn off the gas if so equipped and remove the vent pipe from the rear of the dryer and the cap that goes outside. clean all the build of lint. A flexible brush and Shop Vac will go a long way in cleaning things up.
- Steam clean your carpeting. This is something that should be done every 3-4 months and you will not only prolong the life of the carpeting but your homes air will be fresher and you will be amazed at how dirty that carpeting is when you dump the first bucket of dirty water from the machine. Contact a participating Ace location to see about renting a high-grade steam cleaner.
I could keep going but I don’t want to overload you. These 5 are a good start and hopefully it motivates you to find other areas of your home that need a little cleaning. The products and tools I mentioned are all available at your local Ace. “The helpful place.”
Always follow manufacturers instructions before using any products
by The Helpful Hardware Folks ~ Image: pixabay.com