7 Places You May Have Forgotten to Clean
In the mood to freshen up your home for the new season? Don’t gloss over these areas easily missed in a weekly blitz
Kate Burt
8 April 2021
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
The good news is, if you’ve forgotten to clean one of these places, it probably means it’s not immediately visible to you or your guests. So if it’s low down your mental to-do list, who cares? However, if you do find you have the time for a deeper clean, focus on these oft-overlooked spots for ultimate satisfaction and a fresh-feeling home.
The inside of your window frames
Sparkling windows? Grime-free frames? As seen in this airy corner seat designed by Town House Interiors, yes, perhaps… But what about when you open those perfectly polished apertures?
Throw them wide open now and take a look at the threshold between your internal and external sills, which may well have months of accumulated debris clinging to them. Equally, give the vertical inners a wipe as far as you are able to access them. When the weather demands opening everything up, you’ll have a pristine view of the outside and to the outside.
Sparkling windows? Grime-free frames? As seen in this airy corner seat designed by Town House Interiors, yes, perhaps… But what about when you open those perfectly polished apertures?
Throw them wide open now and take a look at the threshold between your internal and external sills, which may well have months of accumulated debris clinging to them. Equally, give the vertical inners a wipe as far as you are able to access them. When the weather demands opening everything up, you’ll have a pristine view of the outside and to the outside.
The tops of picture frames
Out-of-sight top edges are the sorts of spots the contestants on TV’s bed and breakfast-assessing reality show, Four in a Bed, would immediately run a judgemental finger along, seeking out proof of shoddy dusting.
But, frankly, given that these surfaces are almost never examined in real life, who cares, especially if you have a display as lovely as this one, created by studiovert environmental + interior design, to focus on instead?
Yet, if you can be bothered to do it for your own satisfaction, the removal of this devious high-up dust should help to improve the air quality and smell of your rooms.
Find the perfect local professional in the Houzz Professionals Directory, where you can view images of their work and read reviews from previous clients.
Out-of-sight top edges are the sorts of spots the contestants on TV’s bed and breakfast-assessing reality show, Four in a Bed, would immediately run a judgemental finger along, seeking out proof of shoddy dusting.
But, frankly, given that these surfaces are almost never examined in real life, who cares, especially if you have a display as lovely as this one, created by studiovert environmental + interior design, to focus on instead?
Yet, if you can be bothered to do it for your own satisfaction, the removal of this devious high-up dust should help to improve the air quality and smell of your rooms.
Find the perfect local professional in the Houzz Professionals Directory, where you can view images of their work and read reviews from previous clients.
Cushions and throws
It’s not just cushions and throws like the ones in this inviting, pristine bedroom designed by KO & Co Architecture; soft furnishings generally tend to absorb dust and musty smells. This means they may not look much cleaner once you’re done, but your room should smell fresher and you can enjoy feeling quietly smug.
Washing cushion covers should be fairly simple, but lots of cushion inners can also go in the washing machine. Root out the care instruction label on each and be prepared to tackle different fillings differently.
Cotton throws should be simple to wash, but if you have wool or another delicate material, also look at the individual cleaning instructions for that item.
A suitable steam cleaner is a potential alternative that can also be good for curtains and upholstery (but, again, always check the care instructions first).
It’s not just cushions and throws like the ones in this inviting, pristine bedroom designed by KO & Co Architecture; soft furnishings generally tend to absorb dust and musty smells. This means they may not look much cleaner once you’re done, but your room should smell fresher and you can enjoy feeling quietly smug.
Washing cushion covers should be fairly simple, but lots of cushion inners can also go in the washing machine. Root out the care instruction label on each and be prepared to tackle different fillings differently.
Cotton throws should be simple to wash, but if you have wool or another delicate material, also look at the individual cleaning instructions for that item.
A suitable steam cleaner is a potential alternative that can also be good for curtains and upholstery (but, again, always check the care instructions first).
Pendant lights
While it may be rare that you’ll look up to examine your pendant lights, the fact these overhead fittings are out of your daily eyeline is slightly, ahem, dimmed by the fact they are frequently illuminated, potentially highlighting all you wish you couldn’t see.
As such, lighting might be higher up your list for a wipe down or a dust to keep them cobweb-free and functioning well – especially if it’s as beautiful as the ones in this project by Stephen Turvil Architects.
Clean the entire fitting, inside and out, removing it if feasible and remembering that bowl-shaped fittings in particular can collect a fairly generous layer of dirt and debris.
While it may be rare that you’ll look up to examine your pendant lights, the fact these overhead fittings are out of your daily eyeline is slightly, ahem, dimmed by the fact they are frequently illuminated, potentially highlighting all you wish you couldn’t see.
As such, lighting might be higher up your list for a wipe down or a dust to keep them cobweb-free and functioning well – especially if it’s as beautiful as the ones in this project by Stephen Turvil Architects.
Clean the entire fitting, inside and out, removing it if feasible and remembering that bowl-shaped fittings in particular can collect a fairly generous layer of dirt and debris.
Above your kitchen wall units
This is one that’s bound to spark a debate about whether or not such cabinets should extend all the way to the ceiling or not. We’ll leave you to battle that one out between yourselves.
But if your cabinets do stop before they reach the top of your room – and this neat, airy design by Black & Milk Interior Design is a great advertisement for how good that can look – you’ll thank yourself for venturing upwards now and then to prevent a potential build-up of grime.
You might also like How to Be More Green When You Clean.
This is one that’s bound to spark a debate about whether or not such cabinets should extend all the way to the ceiling or not. We’ll leave you to battle that one out between yourselves.
But if your cabinets do stop before they reach the top of your room – and this neat, airy design by Black & Milk Interior Design is a great advertisement for how good that can look – you’ll thank yourself for venturing upwards now and then to prevent a potential build-up of grime.
You might also like How to Be More Green When You Clean.
The tops of books
A bookshelf like this one by JLV Design is the dream. Fitted around the books it contains, you’d be hard-pressed to find much dust on top of these well-packed tomes.
If, however, you have a variety of book sizes on shelves that are taller than most of them, be poised with your duster and/or vacuum to ease away a fine layer that will almost certainly have settled atop the pages.
A bookshelf like this one by JLV Design is the dream. Fitted around the books it contains, you’d be hard-pressed to find much dust on top of these well-packed tomes.
If, however, you have a variety of book sizes on shelves that are taller than most of them, be poised with your duster and/or vacuum to ease away a fine layer that will almost certainly have settled atop the pages.
The cooker hood
This unassuming kitchen workhorse is easy to ignore. The bit you may note more often is the underside, perhaps when turning on the hood’s built-in lighting. But step back and take in the whole structure – the exterior of a hood will typically become caked with cooking grease over time.
Not only will your extractor look brighter after a good clean, like this sparkling example in a kitchen by BLOCK Design & Build, it will also be safer, as a build-up of oil on a surface so close to the hob can be a fire hazard.
Tell us…
Plant leaves? Venetian blind slats? Skirting boards? Which other areas are easily forgotten when it comes to cleaning? Share your ideas in the Comments.
This unassuming kitchen workhorse is easy to ignore. The bit you may note more often is the underside, perhaps when turning on the hood’s built-in lighting. But step back and take in the whole structure – the exterior of a hood will typically become caked with cooking grease over time.
Not only will your extractor look brighter after a good clean, like this sparkling example in a kitchen by BLOCK Design & Build, it will also be safer, as a build-up of oil on a surface so close to the hob can be a fire hazard.
Tell us…
Plant leaves? Venetian blind slats? Skirting boards? Which other areas are easily forgotten when it comes to cleaning? Share your ideas in the Comments.
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Door frame tops, behind-the-bed and the mattress........behind the toilet and the sink.......radiators.......I better go before I start going over the top.
Forgot to clean? More like don't have the time to clean it all as often as it needs.
The tops of doors..I don’t know they existed!😂