10 places in your NYC apartment you're probably forgetting to clean
It's officially spring, but not yet warm enough to spend all your weekends outdoors, so now's as good a time as ever to get started on that spring cleaning. We've advised you on how to clean every room of your apartment as well as which products to use when doing it, and recently, we checked in with Kadi Dulude, founder of Wizard of Homes, and Bryn O’Connor, "chief cleaning officer" of MyClean, to get the lowdown on which nooks and crannies are often forgotten about altogether. If you really want to deep clean your place, make sure you hit these spots:
1. Under the appliances
This is where cereal, vitamins, hair ties, dried pasta pieces, and lots of dust come together, says Dulude. "People are always so suprised to see what's collecting under the oven and fridge," she says. Start by sweeping, but since things can get greasy, especially under the oven, you may need to scrub with hot water and dish soap.
2. Tops of kitchen cabinets and top of the fridge
These should be cleaned twice a year, but people often forget to do so. Usually, hot, soapy water is enough, though you'll need to use elbow grease, too, says Dulude. "In addition to accumulating a considerable amount of dust, you’ll likely find the space accumulating things that you just don’t need. Those fourteen Tupperware containers that you keep 'just in case' you make too much pasta? Get rid of them," says O'Connor. "The meat grinder that your in-laws gifted you three years ago? Donate it.
The reduction of clutter will help to prevent further dust accumulation, and the newly available space is not bad on the eyes, either."
3. Spot behind the toilet
When you crouch on your hands and knees and inspect the area between the wall and your toilet, you'll find that it looks forlorn and forgotten—and dirty. "I always teach our cleaners to look there," says Dulude.
4. Ceiling fan blades
Stand up on a chair or ladder and you'll see that the blades of your ceiling fan are in sore need of dusting. "Use a dry Swiffer then a wet rag," advises Dulude. (Dry Swiffer gets rid of dust and then the wet rag wipes off any grime.)
5. Air-conditioner filters
Before you get ready to turn on your A/Cs for the summer, be sure to clean the filters. "They get clogged up and can get moldy," advises Dulude, who washes them in the sink, dries them, and then puts them back. (You can, as we've told you before, pay someone to do this, of course.)
6. Under the rugs
Dust collects underneath, and lots of other odds and ends can end up under there. Be sure to sweep under there as often as possible, Dulude says.
7. Headboards, tops of paintings, mirrors, and door thresholds
Okay, technically this is a lot of spots grouped into one, but you can see the similarities, right? People often forget to dust and clean places that are above eye level. Again, a dry Swiffer and wet rag can make a world of difference (just make sure to use care if cleaning wooden picture frames with water).
8. Showerheads
Every time you clean your shower, do a quick swipe of the showerhead, too, says Dulude. Grime and gunk can easily collect there.
9. Light switches
"When our cleaners do a deep cleaning, people notice that what was once gray is now white," says Dulude. Clean the areas around the switch with all-purpose cleaner. "Sometimes you can use a Magic Eraser if it’s been neglected for a long time."
10. Window sills
"Dusting window sills is another important task that often gets overlooked as just detail work, but it makes all the difference," says O'Connor. If you open your windows after a long day of cleaning and you’ve missed this step, all of your hard work will go to waste when even a small gust of wind blows all of that dust back into your home."
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