Spots to never, ever skip when spring cleaning

When is the last time you cleared out the cobwebs in the corner or wiped off those dusty walls? Stuff sticks to the surface of the wall, so they could definitely use a spring cleaning. Instead of teetering on a step ladder, try using your broom to reach the spots. Wrap a soft cleaning rag around the mop head and use that to reach up high.

We’ve all used a knife to slice a piece of bread and returned it to the knife block without washing it. This can result in crumbs in the bottom of the block that need to be removed. Carefully slide the knives out and put them safely to the side. With the knives removed, turn the block upside down over the sink to dislodge any debris. If needed, use a small bottle brush to loosen crumbs in the knife slots. Finish by wiping down the sides of the block and returning the knives to their spots.

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Long after you’ve taken out the rubbish, offensive odours can linger, making your rubbish bin stinky. Whether something has leaked, there was a splatter or just a strong smell in your garbage, the bin could use a wash. Empty the bin then scrub any stains with a disinfectant cleaner. Next wash and rinse the entire bin inside and out. But before you replace the bag or line with newspaper, make sure the bin is thoroughly dry.

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Your makeup bag, something you use every day, is probably long overdue for a little sprucing up. You can easily dissolve stuck on makeup from plastic lined bags using makeup remover applied to a soft cloth. An alcohol-based cleansing wipe can be used to disinfect the interior of the bag. Before putting your cosmetics and brushes back inside, make sure the bag is completely dry. If yours is a cloth bag, consider hand washing it, then laying it out to dry.

Cleaning the medicine cabinet mirror is something you do all the time. But how often are you cleaning the shelves? Toothpaste drips, makeup crumbles and lotion splotches can make a mess. After removing all the items from the inside of the cabinet, give it a thorough once over with a cleaning cloth. To prevent making a mess of your clean cabinet, give bottles, tubes and tools a quick wipe down before putting the products back inside.

The kitchen drawers you use most often are most often forgotten about when it comes to cleaning. But beneath all those utensils and kitchen gadgets are crumbs that need to be swept out of the corners. First, take everything out of the drawer so you can give it a proper cleaning. Rinse the drawer organisers or run dishwasher safe ones through a cycle before putting them back in the drawer. Sweep out loose crumbs and other debris before returning the utensils and gadgets to the drawer.

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There is one spot in the kitchen where the most gunk tends to accumulate and that is the ventilation grate of the rangehood. Now is the time spruce it up by removing the grate and giving it a good cleaning. Refer to the instruction manual to see if yours is dishwasher safe. If not, let it soak in some warm soapy water. But if it is not easy to pop off the grate, then while the fan is turned off, use a de-greasing cleaner on a lint-free towel and wipe it down.

Those crumbs and food bits that fall or roll under the stove can’t easily be seen, but they need to be cleaned out. If your vacuum has an attachment that can fit in this slim space, let it do the dirty work for you. If you don’t have one, no problem – try the non-bristle side of a broom. The handle should fit underneath the stove so you can push out any debris.

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Source: RD.com