20 places in your home you shouldn’t neglect during spring cleaning

Baseboards are a classic example of a place in the home that is neglected when cleaning, but they continue to be ignored. This year, take a vacuum to your baseboards and wipe them down to remove any dust or grime. 

Garbage cans don’t get much love either, aside from the regular task of taking out the trash. But the garbage can itself needs to be cleaned every once in a while, too. You can wipe it down or take it outside and wash it off with a hose. 

Door handles are among the dirtiest surfaces in your home because they’re touched so often, yet they seem to continually get neglected. Set aside some time during your spring cleaning to thoroughly clean and disinfect every door handle in your home. 

It’s easy to ignore the back of toilets because you can’t see it, but it’s an area that can easily get overrun with dirt and dust if you’re not tending to it with at least some regularity. Start the trend this spring by getting it back to its factory settings with a duster and some cleaning solution. 

Window sills probably get just as neglected as actual windows. While washing your windows this spring, don’t forget to take care of the sills. They’re a hotbed for dust and dead bugs. 

Shutters are easy to neglect, especially when they stay in one position. But if the position they stay in is open, they’re that much more likely to get a buildup of dust, and depending on their location, they might even have a film. Take care of your shutters this spring. 

The very nature of air vents makes them prone to dust buildup, and most air vents' locations make them easy to ignore. But these little things need to remain clean to work their best and keep your home healthy, so clean them this spring. 

If you haven’t turned your ceiling fans on in a while, don’t. At least wait until you’ve wiped down the tops. When they’re not in use, ceiling fans are just sitting at the top of your home collecting dust. 

If you have a plastic shower stall in your home or if the tile in your shower sticks out even half an inch off the wall, you’ve probably got dust buildup there. Make sure to run a wipe down the shower this spring and take care of the top of your showerhead, too. 

Grout collects dirt like few other areas of your home, and it’s a pain to clean, but it must be done. Thankfully, products are made specifically for cleaning grout, so it shouldn’t be too much of a headache this year. 

Light switches are another household feature that gets used so often it’s easy to forget to clean them. But their frequent use is exactly why they need to be cleaned. Take a few minutes during your next spring cleaning round to clean all your light switches. 

The tops of cabinets are a neglected area, and they’re hard to access, but they’ve got to be cleaned at least once a year. Use a handheld vacuum to get the dust, and use a soapy rag to take care of any grime that’s built up from cooking. 

Sconces just sit on your walls all day and collect dust. Sure, they give off light, but that doesn’t stop the dust from coming. Be sure to take a duster to all your sconces this spring. 

It seems wrong for walls to get dirty, but they do. If they’re not washed enough, they can trap odors. Take some time this spring to wash your walls by first vacuuming any dust or debris and then wiping them down with a soapy rag. 

Appliances also need to be cleaned. Ovens, stove tops, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, dryers: They’ve all got to be cleaned both inside and outside occasionally. And if they can be moved away from the wall, you need to clean behind them, too. 

Take five minutes this spring and wipe your remotes with a disinfectant. It’ll only take five minutes, and you’ll be very glad you did it. 

Don’t ignore your throw pillows during spring cleaning, either. If you touch them at all, chances are they’ve got hair, skin, dust, and other disgusting bits on them that need to be cleaned off. If possible, wash your throw pillows (or just their covers) in the washing machine. If not, wash them by hand. 

The inside of drawers are places that feel like they shouldn’t get dirty, but alas, they do. One by one, remove everything you’re housing in your drawers and wash them out. Let them dry before returning all the items (and sort through the items while you’re at it). 

Remember to clean your garbage disposal this spring, too. Be careful, though, as it can be a dangerous appliance if you’re not deliberate about how you clean it. Make sure to turn it completely off before cleaning it. 

If you have curtains that touch the ground or window sills, make sure to clean under them this year. Don’t just clean around them. Lift them up and get the surface underneath and behind them completely clean.