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These are the things you should be cleaning in your home, but probably aren’t! Essentially, you want to think about cleaning the things you use to clean other items.
I’m talking about things like the filters of your dishwasher, washing machine gasket, garbage disposal, drains, etc. And you’ll be able to deep clean most everything with baking soda and vinegar.
When we think of spring cleaning, we often think of deep cleaning things like windows and flipping our mattresses, but there are some hidden places in your home you likely haven’t cleaned in a long time that may make your everyday cleaning less effective.
Don’t Forget to Clean These Things in Your House
Spring is a great reminder for us to do some deep cleaning in your home. Just don’t forget to clean these things in your house:
Front Loading Washing Machine
- Add baking soda to the drum
- Spray door seal with vinegar and wipe with a cloth
- Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the detergent/softener compartment
- Run a hot cycle
- Vinegar can also be used instead of fabric softener to help clean and soften clothes (and no, it doesn’t make them smell)
Washing Machine Front Gasket
- Always pull back and remove and foreign objects that could get caught in the gasket (think pennies, LEGOs and bobby pins)
- Spray with a homemade lemon vinegar cleaner
- While holding back the rubber gasket, wipe and clean with a dry cloth
TIP: Don’t close the door of your front-loading washing machine after a cycle; allow to air-dry first.
Bathroom Drains
- Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda on drain, then pour 1 cup of cleaning vinegar and cover with a smal towel for 10 minutes, then pour hot water down the drain
Dryer Lint Trap
- It should go without saying, but make sure you clean your dryer’s lint trap after every load, not just to help clothes dry faster, but to prevent home fires.
- Use this vacuum attachment I found on Amazon for under $10 to clean the area that holds the trap
Sliding Door Tracks & Window Frames
- Use a empty toilet paper roll that you squish flat at one end and put the other end on your vacuum hose to clean out debris in between the tracks
- You can also use the vacuum attachment above to do the same thing!
- Cut slits in a sponge that mimic the tracks, then spray with a homemade vinegar clean and clean those deep grooves
Dishwasher (& don’t forget the filter!)
- Remove filters from base of dishwasher and soak in hot water & dish soap in kitchen sink
- Put ½ cup of baking soda in base of dishwasher
- Replace clean filters, then place 1 cup of white vinegar in a glass cup or bowl in the top rack of your dishwasher and run a hot sanitizing cycle
- Plus you can use straight vinegar as a rinse aid!
Garbage Disposal
- First of all, the garbage disposal should only be used for scraps you can’t get off your plate
- Periodically run the disposal with ice cubes and citrus peels to keep it clean and smelling fresh
- Grease is worst offender – and don’t use hot water to try to clear it up (that just makes it coat your pipes)
The 3 Household Items You Need to Make Most Cleaners
With just 3 household items, you can make almost every cleaner you need for your home
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Citrus (especially lemon)
Here are just a few examples of how to use them:
- Lemon rinds and vinegar plus warm water for a multi-purpose cleaner
- Baking soda and lemon juice as a kitchen scrub
- Baking soda and lavender essential oil as a carpet & mattress deodorizer
You can watch me on Talk of the Town demonstrating all my tips above with Meryll Rose. Or watch my segment from The Sami Cone Show below:
For more homemade cleaning recipes and frugal cleaning ideas, check out these articles:
