Keeping you house clean is an important task. Not only does it keep your home looking fresh, tidy and inviting for your guests, but it gets rid of unsightly and unhealthy dirt, dust and dander that can be home to all sorts of bacteria and allergens.
When it comes to vacuuming, we’re all on top of our game. Or are we?
Here are the 15 places you’re forgetting to vacuum regularly.
In the bedroom
1. Under the bed
Have you ever looked underneath your bed and been shocked at what’s looking back at you? We’re not talking about monsters, but those clumps of dust and dirt certainly can take on unsightly shapes in the shadows.
Cleaning underneath your bed is incredibly important, as a build-up of dust and dirt can irritate asthma or allergy sufferers.
To ensure the underside of your bed is left spotless, we recommend using a cordless vacuum or handheld vacuum for that extra reach. Or, if your bed is easily moved, your traditional corded model will do.
2. Mattresses
Talking of beds, your mattress needs to be vacuumed regularly, and by regularly we mean at least once a week.
No-one wants an infestation of bed bugs or dust mites, and regularly vacuuming can take care of this as well as the build-up of dust that isn’t always seen, but is usually there.
To get the best clean, and to make sure all those nooks and crannies are left dust-free and smelling fresh, grab your vacuum’s best soft furnishings or upholstery attachment and give your mattress a good once over.
TIP: check that your mattress is able to be vacuumed before you whip out the attachments!
3. Pet beds
Pet beds are easily forgotten, but deserve as much attention as anywhere else in your home, particularly if you suffer with any allergies.
As well as cleaning your pet’s bed in the washing machine every so often, it’s wise to vacuum it too get rid of excess pet hair, bacteria and dander that comes from your beloved pet.
Do this easily with your vacuums brushroll or upholstery attachment and make sure you don’t miss any nooks and crannies.
In the living room
4. The sofa
Giving your sofa a once over is a weekly affair that shouldn’t be forgotten given how much it’s used. If you’ve got kids who regularly forget to take their shoes off, or pets who like to jump up and shed hair or rest their dirty paws, you’ve definitely got some dust, dirt and allergens working their way into your sofa’s material.
Give the entire sofa a once over with your vacuum’s specially created upholstery cleaner and make sure that you don’t miss the cracks, where crumbs like to escape and accumulate.
Once you’ve started giving your sofa a regular clean, you’ll be able to tell the difference in the cleanliness of the air in your house, but also in the sofa itself, which will keep its shape and look better for it.
5. Underneath the sofa
Just like the underside of your bed, the underside of your sofa is often easily ignored or forgotten about but an important place to vacuum.
With the build-up of dust, food particles and allergens, underneath your sofa can easily become a germ paradise or your worst nightmare.
If you’ve got a nifty new-age robot vacuum, this can easily be sorted and you can forget about worrying what you’ll come face to face with should you ever dare to look.
If you don’t have the luxury of a robot vacuum though, a quick sweep through with your handheld vacuum or a cordless number will make the task quick and painless.
6. Ceiling fans
Another easily forgotten space, your ceiling fans will take most of the build-up of dust on the side that’s impossible to see without standing on a chair or set of ladders.
Clean once a month for best results, and do it with an extendable hose to capture all that nasty dust easily.
7. Windows
Everyone gives their windows and window sills the once over with a wet cloth, but do you also ensure that all that harder to reach dust and dirt is gone?
Dust and allergens accumulate in the upper corners of your windows, especially if they’re too high for you to reach.
This is when a good handheld vacuum or a cordless vacuum can work wonders, and help you reach up high to make sure nothing is left where it shouldn’t be.
8. Blinds and curtains
Speaking of your windows, where do you think a lot of that dust comes from, or goes to if it’s settling on your sills?
Curtains and blinds are easily forgotten, especially those with pleats or any that are used just for decoration and aren’t usually opened and closed. Grab your soft furnishings attachments to really give these areas a once over though, and your lungs will be thanking you for the foreseeable future.
9. Bookshelves
Often used for décor and of course, books and other trinkets, your bookshelves could have a layer or dust on them where you’re least likely to look.
The shelves, the books themselves and even the top of the bookshelf are all places where dust will lie and be forgotten about, so it’s time to bring out your soft dusting brush to ensure nothing gets knocked from a great height or knocked out of place.
Overall, your bookshelves should be vacuumed once every few months.
Other easily missed spots
10. Drawers and cabinets
The insides of our drawers and cabinets can become filthy when left for too long, but they’re easily forgotten areas.
Your clothes drawers will collect dust and your food drawers collect spilled food, and often, some pretty nasty bacteria.
Don’t panic though, simply empty your drawer or cabinet, and get out your best crevice or brush tool and get to work on your space, including the corners where build-up can be tricky to remove.
11. Keyboards
Possibly the most horrifying of all places to suddenly remember to clean, due to its everyday use and build-up of unsightly grime and dirt, your electronic keyboards also need a good clean from time to time.
Whilst most of us remember to get out the wet wipes and remove the built-up grunge that comes from our fingers, a lot of us forget that dust will also come to lay between the keys. It’s easily missed, especially if you are already cleaning your keyboard, but that extra dust is leaving allergens in the air and making it harder to breathe.
Grab your best brush tool and gently run it over your keyboard, ensuring that all the keys are left dust-free.
12. Dryers
Your dryer turns into a fire hazard with a build-up of dust and dander from the clothes you dry, so it’s important to keep yours free from anything that could begin a fire in your home.
Pay special attention to the inside of your dryer, its lint trap and any exhausts that lead outside and vacuum them thoroughly with the hose nozzle from your vacuum.
13. Vent covers
They’re easily forgotten about but vent covers in your walls or floors can become a trap for unsightly dust and debris.
Cleaning it every six months will ensure that air flow is free and fresh and not full of nasty bacteria and allergens.
Don’t worry though, your vent covers can easily be vacuumed with a soft brush, to make sure everything is gotten rid of quickly and easily.
14. Stairs
Whether your stairs are covered in carpet or hard floor, they need to be kept free of dust build up.
With a carpeted staircase, it can be difficult to tell if there’s dust or dirt there at all, but on a hard floor, it’s more visible, and also more of a slip hazard for you and your family.
Luckily, stairs are easily cleaned, and can be done so with a handheld, canister, stick or upright vacuum, so there’s no excuse! Your staircase should be vacuumed at least once every 6 months, if not more regularly for best results.
15. Your brush or broom
It may sound absurd, but these are two items that we easily miss – other cleaning items.
Although brushes and brooms are usually used to get rid of dust and dirt, they also hold onto it unlike your vacuum cleaner which can easily be emptied or cleaned.
To make sure you’re not harboring any unwanted dust and allergens, give your brushes and brooms a once over with the vacuum during your cleaning regime. You’ll find it does its job much more easily, and you won’t be spreading dust around when you next pick it up to use.