Where are you forgetting to clean?

From beds to bookshelves and from fridges to fans, there are all sorts of things that need cleaning in the home. That’s why many of us now keep a house cleaning checklist to ensure that we never miss a spot.

Unfortunately, our self-made checklists may not always be as comprehensive as we think and there may be many areas of the home that we’re actually forgetting to clean. A build-up of dirt, germs, and dust can be harmful to our health, especially if we suffer with allergies, so where could you be forgetting to clean? Here are just a few of the most overlooked places in the home where bacteria can easily develop over time:

• Cupboard Tops

It’s very easy to forget to clean those areas that you can’t see, but remember that a build-up of dust could trigger allergies, and leave you with a runny nose and watery eyes. Kitchen cupboard tops, the tops of wardrobes, light fixtures, and any mouldings above your windows and doors are all places where dirt and dust can build up over time.

When house cleaning, remember to not just focus on whatever is at eye level. If necessary, take a small, lightweight ladder around the house with you (being careful to follow instructions to prevent falls), or ask a taller member of the family if they would be able to run a dusting cloth over those hard-to-reach areas for you.

• Computers, Keyboards, and iPads

When you’re in ‘house cleaning’ mode, you’re probably not thinking too much about popping online to check out your favourite blogs… but maybe you should be! Technology is frequently overlooked when it comes to cleaning the home, but it’s one of those areas where bacteria can really build-up over time.

Reports show that there are around 600 units of staph bacteria on the average touchscreen device alone. Staphylococcus can be a pretty nasty infection, affecting the skin, lungs, and even the heart. Remember never to use water on any electronic devices. Instead, wipe regularly with a microfiber cloth to remove any harmful bacteria that’s lurking.

• Your Cleaning Materials

When we think about house cleaning, we tend to think about things like making the beds, wiping down the kitchen counters, vacuuming the carpets, and so on. We very rarely think about cleaning our cleaning materials.

However, the cloths and sponges you use are actually some of the dirtiest items in your home. Reports show that the average cleaning cloth contains about 1 million bacteria per square inchand the average cleaning sponge a whopping 10 million per square inch – toilets are cleaner than that! The Hygiene Council recommend using disposable cloths, or washing at 60 degrees to ensure that any potentially harmful bacteria is killed off.

The good news is that once you’ve identified the areas where you tend to forget to clean, it’s easy to add them to your house cleaning checklist to ensure they never get overlooked again. If you’re struggling to think of any areas that you may have forgotten about, consider all those places that you can’t see without moving something – like between large appliances, inside the fridge, underneath pots, underneath the bed, and so on. Cleaning these areas is very quick and easy, and it’s a great way to help keep yourself and your family healthy and reduce the risk of nasty infections like Staphylococcus.