37 Things You Forgot to Clean! Gross!

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There are some places in your home that you forgot to clean. Or you remembered to clean them, but who has time for that, really?

I’ve got a list for you that you can go through and tick off and feel so much better about having a really clean home.

Don’t feel like you have to do them all today. You can tackle a couple a day and by the time you’re through the list, you’ll probably be ready to start at the beginning again.

37 Gross Things You Need To Clean

The Sink

It makes sense you would forget to clean the sink because, it’s where you do a lot of cleaning. Why isn’t is just clean on it’s own? Well, I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s not as clean as you think. Especially the drain area. So get in there.

The Top of the Microwave

If you’ve forgotten to clean this area, you are going to be totally grossed out. Especially if your microwave is above your stove. It’s grease city up there. You’ll never forget to clean it again.

Underneath the Fridge

I know this sounds like a pain in the butt, but you should be cleaning under the fridge. Tons of dust and yuck gets under there. And all that dust and yuck can actually make your fridge run poorly. So give it a good vacuum every now and then.

The Doorknobs

All.The.Germs on the doorknobs. You can really avoid touching them and whatever grossness is on your hands is getting on the doorknobs. It will take you 10 minutes to run through the house with some Clorox wipes and knock this job out.

The Top of Your Picture Frames

There’s dust above your picture frames. Think about it. You put this stuff on the walls for people to look at. And then you don’t dust it. So they go to look at the picture of your cute kid and are immediately drawn to the inch of dust up there. No bueno.

Your Baseboards

This is the worst job every. That’s a lie, cleaning the tub is the worst, but the baseboards are a close second. However, it will go a long way to making your house look really clean if you do this fairly regularly.

Your Dining Room Chair Seats

My cat loves to sit on the dining room chairs when they are tucked under the table. Then suddenly it’s Thanksgiving and the chair seats look like they are fur lined. But it’s just the cat hair. Maybe yours are covered with food smears from little hands. Either way, give them a cleaning.

The Chandelier

You have that beautiful chandelier, but it is a HUGE pain to clean, isn’t it? Grab a Swiffer and give it a dusting every now and then.

The Window Crevices

I’m talking about whatever the weird space is between the glass window and the screen. Why is it so complicated in there? There’s ridges and wells… I don’t get it. But I know it needs to be cleaned.

The Curtains

You won’t notice that your curtains need to be cleaned until it’s too late. I mean, it will be Christmas Eve and you’ll be getting the dining room ready and you’ll go OH MY GOD what is that on the curtains?? Work these into the cleaning routine and that shouldn’t happen.

The Blinds

Coming in third place on the “worst thing to clean” list is the blinds. It’s not fun. I’ve seen tons of hacks on how to clean these, but no matter what, it’s not fun. So dust them and spot clean them regularly and hopefully it never becomes a huge job.

The Inside of the Light Fixtures

You know what I’m talking about, right? The bug graveyard? Probably in your hall and bathroom light fixtures. Give them a little cleaning. You and your guests will be happy.

The Mattress

Would you rather just buy a new mattress than clean your old one? Then you aren’t cleaning in the right way. Luckily we have a whole tutorial on how to clean your mattress the right way.

The Coffee Maker

Your Keurig needs to be cleaned! Did you know it gets something called “scale”? Sounds gross, right? It also prevents the machine from working properly. It needs a vinegar shower. You can find instructions here.

The Light Switches

Much like the doorknobs, you’re touching light switches constantly. With all your germs. You can do these while you’re running through the house cleaning the doorknobs.

The Walls

UGGHHHHH. Right? No one wants to clean walls. But a Magic Eraser is a GREAT tool for cleaning the walls. (Check an inconspicuous spot first). It gets all the muck and grime and fingerprints.

Underneath The Counters

You would never think to clean UNDER the counter, like where it hangs over at your island. I mean, how dirty could that get? Well, one day I found my son rubbing his hands on the underside of the counter while eating BBQ ribs. So, it can get pretty dirty. Also, if your kids like to color, don’t be surprised if they have colored this spot, too.

Underneath the Toilet Seat

You probably didn’t forget this, especially if you have little boys in your house. Because they never put the seat down, so it’s in your face all the time. But just in case you have a house of girls or well trained boys, clean the under side of the toilet seat.

The Toothbrush Holder

Things You Forgot to Clean - Toothbrush Holder

This thing gets disgusting which is not fun to think about when you realize it is holding the thing you put in your mouth to clean your teeth. Give it a cleaning, ok?

Your Hairbrush

Could you make one of those Barbie hair mannequin things our of the hair in your hairbrush? You should probably clean it then.

The Shower Curtain and Liner

The shower curtain and liner should get tossed in the laundry every now and then. Or simply replace the liner if you buy a cheapie from the dollar store. But they are breeding grounds for mold and mildew, so keep it clean!

The Corners of the Floors

Do you ever sit in a room and look at the corners? Probably not, but try it. You’ll see there is a build up dirt in the corners and it kind of looks like mud because you DO wash your floors, but it’s hard to get the corners and so the muck builds up there.

The Exhaust Fan in The Bathroom

What is all the STUFF that gets in the fan in the bathroom? Dust, I guess. Whatever, it’s gross and it accumulates like it’s a dust blizzard, so you’re going to have to do this more often than you think.

The Headboard

Look at your headboard real quick. I’ll wait. If it’s fabric (even if it’s wood, possibly), can you see the outline of your head on it? Gross, right? Give it a clean.

The Pillows

Pillows are easier to clean than you think. And they most definitely NEED to be cleaned. Here’s an easy tutorial.

The Closet Floor

Do you kick your shoes off into the closet? Do you also walk on the dirty ground outside? Then you get where I’m coming from. Give the closet floor a vacuum and cleaning.

The Trash Can

The trash can will start to smell eventually no matter how meticulous you are about never letting yuck get outside the trash bag. Once a month or so, give it a good disinfecting clean.

Your Plants

Decorative green Hosta houseplant with stone pot

Your plants are dusty! They don’t like it. Give them a dusting.

The Sponge

I clean the sponge I use every time I do the dishes. I throw it in the dishwasher right along with the dishes. You can also toss it in the microwave as long as there’s no metal in it. I toss it after a few uses, but in between, I’m happy to have a clean sponge.

The Rubber Thing Around Your Dishwasher and Fridge

I don’t know what they are called, but I know they get gross. And they are a pain to clean. But give it a try. You’ll love to see all the gunk that comes out of there.

Ceiling Fan

LOTS and lots of dust up there, pal. Like, tons of it. It’s not fun to clean, but you need to.

The Remote Control

Another thing you are touching constantly and never cleaning. You can add this to the Doorknobs, light switches routine, ok?

Under the Couch Cushion

You will find mysterious treasures under your couch cushions. I’ve considered writing a post about the crap under my couch cushions. But it would be utterly embarrassing. Vacuum these, ok?

The Vacuum Cleaner

Your vacuum cleaner needs it’s bits and pieces cleaned. How you do this will depend on your vacuum. So look for the manual. Or Google it.

Your Phone and Other Electronics

Your phone needs to be cleaned, your laptop keyboard. YOUR MOUSE! NEEDS to be cleaned. For real.

The Toilet Paper Roll Holder

Clean this, please. Don’t you hate seeing all the lint built up from soft toilet paper!

The Pets Stuff

Clean your dogs bowls and don’t forget their toys! The plastic stuff you can stick in the dishwasher. Maybe not with your dishes.

How Many Did You Miss?

Were there things on the list that you DID remember to clean? GOOD FOR YOU! If you missed some or all of these, then you know what your mission is. Get your Clorox Wipes and Magic Eraser and get cleaning.

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