IN EVERY HOME there will always be some areas that are cleaned less often… or never at all.
Some are hard to reach, while others go unnoticed as they are out of sight. Some are simply forgotten.
The good news is that you won’t need a host of nasty chemicals to get them property cleaned. You’ll mainly need washing up liquid, microfibre cloths, warm water and vinegar.
Here are the most common areas we often forget or neglect, and how to clean them properly.
1. Dishwasher door and oven door: These are some particularly dirty areas in the kitchen that we tend not to notice. They gather crumbs and dirt daily and are often left to sit for months. This can attract mice and also damage the effectiveness of the seals.
To clean these, use a thin nozzle and hoover on a low setting. These seals are super important, so don’t damage them with a strong suction or by rubbing the nozzle along them, you just want to hover it above the door joint, hinges and seal, to suck up anything lurking.
2. Fridge handle and seal: These are areas where bacteria can rapidly grow -and that is not what you want near your food. As these seals are super fragile, use only a damp microfibre cloth to clean in between the folds of the seals.
Don’t use any harsh products, as it can eat away at the rubber, and make sure the cloth is non scratch. Never forget the fridge door handle, especially the part you don’t see!
3. Seal on shower screen: A dirty shower screen can let the whole room down. Shower screens usually have folds of rubber or plastic that can trap water and soap scum – which can grow limescale and mould. Never a good look.
But don’t think you have to replace these, as they are easily cleaned, which is also better for the environment.
Push the door off the edge of the bath where it normally sits, so that the seal is free to be pulled down and off. Leaving the door in its regular position and trying to slide the seal towards you is a ‘mare, trust me. Run a shallow bath of warm water and three cups of vinegar and allow the seal to sit in it for an hour – or use a mould remover here if you wish. This should loosen the dirt enough that if you hold the top opening of the seal against the tap or shower head and run cold water with stronger pressure through it, it will lift and run out.
You can use a microfibre cloth to wipe through any folds. You may have to repeat this a few times. If dirt is very stuck in the tube part, massage the area with two thumbs to loosen it, and run water through again. If it is really stuck, untie a wire hanger and push a wee ball of tissue paper through it to get the dirt out.
4. Under appliances and heavy furniture: Not so much an item as an area, but definitely one of the toughest spots to clean. Again, untie a wire hanger or use a broom handle, then wrap it with a DRY microfibre cloth and use it to sweep underneath anything that a hoover can’t reach.
Avoid starting this process off with a wet cloth or anything that can break apart, like tissue paper. The first wipe should be a dry one, pulling out dirt and dust. Once you are confident it is cleared, you can then use a slightly damp microfibre cloth around the broom handle. If the object is fabric, either avoid any moisture or make sure it doesn’t touch it as it may not dry properly and cause mould.
5. Knife block: Many newer knife blocks are easy to clean because they come apart, but wooden knife blocks can harbour bacteria and mould that you will never see. To clean these, there are two stages, a dry clean and a wet clean.
Take out the knives and store them safely. Starting off with the dry clean, tip the block upside down and shake out any debris over an old tea towel. This will remove the first layer of dirt. Next, hoover the slots in the block. Lastly, take an old metal straw cleaner (you know, the long thin bristle brush) and brush the slots thoroughly.
You should now have removed all debris and are ready to wet clean. Set up a goddess bath (warm water, washing up liquid, and two cups of vinegar) and wash down the block completely, making sure that the slots are cleaned out. Go through these again with the straw cleaner. Rinse the block off an pat it dry.
Leave the knife block to dry with the slots facing down so the water is not sitting in them after. Make sure you leave it 12-24 hours so it will thoroughly air dry as it can actually be worse for the block to sit knives in it when it’s still wet.
6. Toaster: We all know toasters gather crumbs, but how often should you be removing these? It depends on how often you use yours. I would be emptying the pull-out tray once a week if you toast daily.
For a deep clean, sit the toaster on some newspaper (make sure it is plugged out and is cold), pull out the tray and shake the toaster a little to remove any lodged crumbs. Pop the tray only in a goddess bath and wash this down. Make sure it is thoroughly dry before slotting it back in.
Then wipe down all surfaces with a microfibre cloth that has been spritzed with a water, washing up liquid and vinegar mix.
Toasters are exposed to so much airborne grease due to being stored on counter tops, and this often means they are sticky to the touch. This mix will cut through the grease and leave it like new, because the washing up liquid and the vinegar will kill most bacteria. But make sure that the cloth is only slightly damp and only plug it back in with dry hands, please.
7. Shower head: These can gather a lot of limescale and bacteria, but this is mainly within the holes. To clean these, sit the shower head a basin or bowl of vinegar and soak it overnight (make sure your shower head is okay with vinegar, some are not). If your shower head is fixed, fill a sandwich bag with vinegar, dip the head in it, and tie a rubber band around it so that it can sit in the vinegar overnight. Then scrub the shower head with an old tooth brush and spray hot water through.
8. Sliding door tracks: On showers, patio doors, wardrobe doors, etc. These can trap A LOT of dirt and dust. A dry clean first is essential here as it is usually so dusty that any moisture will create a paste of dirt. Vile.
Hoover on a high setting through a thin nozzle attachment thoroughly. Then use a dry old toothbrush to remove anything stubborn. Hoover again, and lastly, wipe out with a damp microfibre cloth. If you cannot get in to some parts, turn the toothbrush upside down, wrap in the cloth, and run it inside the thin slots.
9. Venetian blinds: There are many ways to clean theses down, but this one is my favourite. Wrap the heads of a set of bbq/cooking tongs in two microfibre strips of cloth and use it to slide along each slat, left to right, gathering dust as it goes. This method means dust will spread less than using a feather duster and it will clean every surface. Change the strips after a third of the blind to ensure there is not too much build up.
Laura de Barra’s book, Gaff Goddess, will be published in February 2020 by Transworld Ireland. Pre-order it here – and follow her on Instagram for even more cleaning and lifestyle tips.
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