# Things you didn't know you were supposed to clean



## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

The other cleaning thread is interesting and deep, but I thought it'd be fun to have a more light-hearted one. A few people in the other thread expressed sentiments like, "You're supposed to clean baseboards?!?" Knowing that I've had similar thoughts when friends have mentioned certain cleaning feats, I thought this could be a fun thread.

So what are some things you didn't know you were supposed to clean?


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

I'm a clean freak when I'm feeling good. You're supposed to clean everything!!

When I was pg with dd I was on bedrest. My dh mentioned one day that he had to clean the water cooler "almost every day, it gets so dirty lately!" Um, dude? It's always gotten dirty, you've just never had to clean anything before. Dork


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I haven't found any new ones in a long time, but I do remember getting bawled out for not cleaning the curtains before I left my first rental, and thinking, "you can clean curtains?". I always assumed they had to be sent away for professional cleaning, and that property owners/managers took care of that. (I think that's because I remember my parents sending come curtains out for cleaning - but I think they were some kind of specialty fabric.)

I can't think of anything else. We were always taught that everything can/should be cleaned...baseboards, window tracks, tubs, sinks, toilets, counter tops, range hood, inside the fridge, under/behind the major appliances, etc. etc. etc.


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## goinggreengirl (Nov 7, 2009)

I never thought about cleaning the top of the fridge until it was time to leave my first rented apartment and realized I hadn't cleaned it while I lived there!


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

The arms on wooden chairs, the blades of the ceiling fan, the heater grate.


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

My grandma starting talking about how the curtains I bought would be so easy to clean and I was like... wait.. I'm supposed to take them down and wash them?! Never crossed my mind!

Same with baseboards and around doors/windows. I've never pulled out a stove to wash behind either. The top of my fridge could use a dusting. I always forget about windows although I know they are supposed to be cleaned hahaha. I also hate pulling out big furniture to clean under.

oh! WALLS. I was reading about... which cleaning organization program is it... and cleaning the walls was in it and I was like 'wait... people clean walls?' I get if there are like spaghetti sauce hand prints on them or something... but as a part of normal cleaning... to just scrub the whole wall? it was such an unusual idea to me!


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## lach (Apr 17, 2009)

LOL, cleaning walls was new to me, too. When I started doing FlyLady and it was one of the things that you're supposed to clean I thought "but they're vertical! Dust doesn't settle on them. Why would I need to clean them?" LOL.


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## Aeress (Jan 25, 2005)

We do spring and fall cleaning, where we tackle those areas, but yeah hubby was clueless about cleaning. The first time he mopped the kitchen floor, he used the dirty water from the bathroom I had just mopped.


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *lach*
> 
> LOL, cleaning walls was new to me, too. When I started doing FlyLady and it was one of the things that you're supposed to clean I thought "but they're vertical! Dust doesn't settle on them. Why would I need to clean them?" LOL.


Thats exactly how I see it! Plus the fact that my whole house is walls. How the heck do I clean floor to ceiling walls all the time?? Everywhere I turn is more wall.. Its definitely not a chore I could do in a day. I think I'd rather just paint them every so often with a new pretty color....


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## tracymom1 (May 7, 2008)

I never realized that the vents that the (forced air) heat and central air conditioning comes through can be removed and cleaned. Every once in a while I would look at them and say 'wow, it sure is filthy in there!' and then one day I saw DH pop one out and vacuum up some snacks that DS threw down there. Genius!


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Yeah, for me it's pretty much all the vertical surfaces -- walls, cabinet faces, baseboards, doorframes, doors. I wipe up fingerprints, grease marks, splatters, etc., but I don't just walk up to a clean-looking vertical surface and go at it with a rag. The little ledge on top of the baseboards I do clean occasionally, because it's horizontal and collects dust. We paint ours about once a year or once they start looking too scuffed up, but other than that I really don't clean them.

In our new house, the counter tile goes up onto the wall behind the counter for about 6 inches, and somehow I didn't notice that for about 5-6 months. By the time I did notice there was quite a bit of dust there (on the tiny ledge on top of the tile). Same thing with the teeny little ledge on top of electrical plates, like light switch covers. Once I noticed, I could easily see how dirty they all were. But I guess it never occurred to me to look.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

I read, laughed at, and promptly returned to the library, a cleaning book once that had tricks about stuff like treating the bottom of your rugs to make them easier to clean--WEEKLY. Same book suggested hands and knees with a brush and bucket as the best way to do the monthly wall to wall carpet wash. Wish I could remember the book because I'm sure it was full of that sort of thing, but I can only remember those two items.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> I read, laughed at, and promptly returned to the library, a cleaning book once that had tricks about stuff like treating the bottom of your rugs to make them easier to clean--WEEKLY. Same book suggested hands and knees with a brush and bucket as the best way to do the monthly wall to wall carpet wash. Wish I could remember the book because I'm sure it was full of that sort of thing, but I can only remember those two items.


Oh. my.

I rent a steam cleaner and do my carpets about once a year (hard to say exactly, because my pregnancies have thrown that off a bit). I only do it that often because we have the stupid carpeted dining room and it gets gross. (Mind you, I'd probably do it 2-3X a year, if it weren't so expensive and such a PITA to rent, transport, clean and return those things. I hate gungy carpets.)


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

Where I grew up, I would estimate 90% of the families kept very, very clean houses - walls were washed down at least every spring/fall, baseboards/window sills/screens/wood trim was vaccumed each time the floors were done, which was at least once a week, all surfaces were dusted every week, bathrooms scrubbed at least weekly, etc. Interestingly enough, I would describe most of these homes as being at least moderately cluttered. The other 10% were really dirty homes, I am talking letting dogs pee on the rug, food built up on the counters and tables, bathrooms that were never cleaned - that type of dirty.

So yeah, the washing of walls, vacuuming of air vents, dusting on top of the fridge is completely normal to me. I can't wait to read other responses to see if there is some cleaning issue I don't know about!


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> I read, laughed at, and promptly returned to the library, a cleaning book once that had tricks about stuff like treating the bottom of your rugs to make them easier to clean--WEEKLY. Same book suggested hands and knees with a brush and bucket as the best way to do the monthly wall to wall carpet wash. Wish I could remember the book because I'm sure it was full of that sort of thing, but I can only remember those two items.


Ha! That reminds me, whenever I pick up Martha Stewart's magazine my favorite thing to read is her calendar -- she's always doing stuff like that. Hold on, I have this month's issue, let me see if there's anything ridiculous in there.

Hmm, there's nothing too crazy, because the cleaning stuff is all things you would do just once a year, so it's not as bad as the above where they expect you to do this stuff weekly or monthly. Here are some tips from this month's Martha calendar:

Sharpen and oil all garden cutting tools

When storing your candles, wrap each in craft paper to prevent dye bleeding

Clean the outside dryer vent with your vacuum

Use a battery-operated pill remover to defuzz sweaters

Organize your linen closet and print labels for each shelf/drawer


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Toys.

I mean, I understand that if a toy gets grubby or dusty or barfed on, then it needs to be washed. But I've run into mothers who go through every single toy on a regular basis and clean it, "just because." And they buy those toy sanitizing machines. What's up with that? I think they have the idea that germs pile up on toys, and need to be removed. Yes, but aren't the germs from YOUR kids, so clearly the kids have already been exposed, right? My whole house I'm sure is filled with microorganisms, but their OUR microorganisms, and we live in happy harmony with them without the aid of sanitizing machines.

I think it comes from the fact that daycares clean toys-- but daycares have lots and lots of kids from different households, all playing with the same toys. I don't feel the need to clean and sanitize them on a weekly basis, no sir. And clearly my kids have survived through early childhood without any awful diseases caught from unsanitized toys. So I guess we're doing okay.

One that really got me, though, was my kids' crib. There were these little places along the bottom of the rails, between the slats, that got horribly dirty. In the first year or so of DD1's life, I guess I was just too busy or oblivious to notice. (I am not the kind of person who notices dirt, anyway.) Then we went to move the crib out of our room, when DD was 15 months old, and I finally noticed how horrendously grubby it had gotten. I had wiped down the tops of the rails, often, but it never occurred to me to clean the BOTTOM of the crib.


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

Dryer innards. I had to repair my dryer last year (I did it myself! Woohoo!), and when I took it apart to get to the part, I was shocked and terrified by the amount of lint there was UNDER the drum. Where the open flame from the gas heat is. If you pull the cover off that's in front of your feet you'll see it. Vaccuum it out before it catches fire!


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## by-the-lake (Jul 2, 2008)

There is this trap like thing in the dishwasher. I was trying to figure out while my dishes looked like crud, so I took the bottom of the dishwasher apart. Uggg...apparently it needed to be cleaned.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

I'm some sort of freak because I do all of this stuff. I don't have labels on my linens, vacuum the dryer vent (but maintenance does a few times a year and my garden tools just get stored in a bucket of oiled sand.

The vents get vacuumed when I dust once a week, the top of the fridge gets washed when I deep clean the kitchen every week and dh does the fan blades and trim about once a month.


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

If you have a microwave above your oven and the microwave has the vent underneath it? Never thought to clean that in my old house, then we moved into the house we live in now. The first time I turned on the fan I thought I was going to throw up. Makes me wonder why this one was gross, but 10 years in the previous house I never had a problem? What say you previous owners?









I have to wipe and sanitize my toys daily because I am a daycare, but it always cracks me up when this makes people self conscious. Hey, if I didn't have 10 other kids here I wouldn't clean my

toys this often!


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## miami mommy (Mar 1, 2010)

The inside of the pump for my cat's water fountain. I would clean the outside of it, but one day I was messing around with it and discovered that it pops open. There was 4 years of slimy nastiness in there. I decided then and there to go back to using an ordinary water bowl where there is no hidden nastiness.


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

The underside of the refrigerator can be shockingly dirty, especially if you have pets.









I'm well aware that there is NOTHING in the home that couldn't 'use a good cleaning now and again.' And my mom did, she cleaned everything. My perspective is a little different. Just because something can be cleaned doesn't mean it has to be cleaned. None the less, if I feel the need to humble myself all I have to do is look around. Where ever I look there's something that could be cleaned.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ecoteat*
> 
> Dryer innards. I had to repair my dryer last year (I did it myself! Woohoo!), and when I took it apart to get to the part, I was shocked and terrified by the amount of lint there was UNDER the drum. Where the open flame from the gas heat is. If you pull the cover off that's in front of your feet you'll see it. Vaccuum it out before it catches fire!










Good job you! Dh just did the same thing a few days ago, he's really proud of himself. And YES, he discovered the same thing -a huge layer of lint piled up around this heating element (ours is electric, not gas) that gets red hot. Yikes! He vacuumed it out completely.


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

I thought of another one! The very top of doors can get surprisingly dusty. It doesn't seem to happen as much in this house because our house is really surrounded by finished lawn, my old house though was only like 30 feet from the dirt road, yikes! I was painting a door that DD had so beautifully decorated. When I got to the top I was standing on a stool and holy crud it was dusty up there! Never would have occurred to me.


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## ChristyMarie (May 31, 2006)

Glass shades on light fixtures and the chains that hold them up. I looked up one day and was totally grossed out so I ended up doing them all. Oh man. BIG difference.


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## StoriesInTheSoil (May 8, 2008)

I always notice things that need to be cleaned but I forget to do it. I am terrible about cleaning baseboards and cabinets and walls. I also didn't really comprehend quite how often cleaning needs to take place to keep a house inhabited by four people and two cats tidy and not grungy.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ChristyMarie*
> 
> Glass shades on light fixtures and the chains that hold them up. I looked up one day and was totally grossed out so I ended up doing them all. Oh man. BIG difference.


Same here. I recently cleaned the chandelier in the dining room, and I can see cobwebs on the one over the entry way/stairs - but I would need a ladder to get to it. By I, I mean, DH. The most I do is stick the vacuum hose with attachment up there to see how far it reaches - definitely not far enough. I can't get to the skylights, either.

Our ceiling fans all need to be cleaned right now. I keep meaning to do it, but I hate it.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why the a/c in my bedroom last summer had pretty much quit working. I started to take it out of the window, figuring it was time to replace it and I found a little slidey thing that I could take out of the front. That is when I discovered that a/c's have a dust/lint trap that needs to be cleaned out occasionally. It was like a whole new air conditioner when I turned it back on! Magic!!


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

Phones. It never occurred to me to clean a phone until someone else mentioned it. Granted, I hadn't owned a phone all that long at the time. It doesn't get that bad with light use from one adult.

I grew up with the chore list including "door knob duty," wiping all the door knobs off with windex and a rag.

I've been out of the habit of cleaning the top of the fridge since tall people stopped coming over, lol, but I was just thinking I should do that soon. And I used to have to pull out the fridge and stove to clean under them a couple times of year when we'd get a house mouse, but we didn't get any mice this year so I haven't done that since spring.

If you use dryer sheets, it's important to really clean (with soap and water) the thing that catches lint because the residue builds up on it. But I don't use dryer sheets...


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *4evermom*
> 
> *Phones. It never occurred to me to clean a phone until someone else mentioned it. Granted, I hadn't owned a phone all that long at the time. It doesn't get that bad with light use from one adult. *
> 
> ...


And remote controls! I read in a magazine that the germiest places in a house/office are the phone, remote, kitchen sink, and phone. I hadn't really thought of this thread in the terms of germs until I saw phones...popped that article back into my mind.


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Agatha_Ann*
> 
> And remote controls! I read in a magazine that the germiest places in a house/office are the phone, remote, kitchen sink, and phone. I hadn't really thought of this thread in the terms of germs until I saw phones...popped that article back into my mind.


And keyboards! I took all the keys off ds's keyboard once, wiped the keys off and used a q-tip to get in all the cracks. Dh's keyboard is absolutely disgusting. I shook it upside down and you don't want to know about all the crud that fell out. I started going over it like I did to ds's but haven't finished.


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *4evermom*
> 
> And keyboards! I took all the keys off ds's keyboard once, wiped the keys off and used a q-tip to get in all the cracks. Dh's keyboard is absolutely disgusting. I shook it upside down and you don't want to know about all the crud that fell out. I started going over it like I did to ds's but haven't finished.










I meant to type keyboard too! I must have gotten distracted by the fact I am typing on a keyboard and wondering if it is majorly gross. Thanks for pointing out I missed that!


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife*
> 
> Same here. I recently cleaned the chandelier in the dining room, and I can see cobwebs on the one over the entry way/stairs - but I would need a ladder to get to it. By I, I mean, DH. The most I do is stick the vacuum hose with attachment up there to see how far it reaches - definitely not far enough. I can't get to the skylights, either.
> 
> Our ceiling fans all need to be cleaned right now. I keep meaning to do it, but I hate it.


We have a little window like that. From the top of the stairs, I can see that the windowsill is gross, but I have no idea how we can get to it. We don't have an extension ladder, and I don't think we could angle it widely enough at the bottom of the stairs, anyway. I try not to look at it on my way down the stairs, because it looks nasty, but I have other things that need to be dealt with first., and I don't know how to reach it, anyway.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamalisa*
> 
> You're supposed to clean everything!!


What she said!


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *4evermom*
> 
> And keyboards! I took all the keys off ds's keyboard once, wiped the keys off and used a q-tip to get in all the cracks. Dh's keyboard is absolutely disgusting. I shook it upside down and you don't want to know about all the crud that fell out. I started going over it like I did to ds's but haven't finished.


http://xkcd.com/237/


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## limette (Feb 25, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Caneel*
> 
> Where I grew up, I would estimate 90% of the families kept very, very clean houses - walls were washed down at least every spring/fall, baseboards/window sills/screens/wood trim was vaccumed each time the floors were done, which was at least once a week, all surfaces were dusted every week, bathrooms scrubbed at least weekly, etc. Interestingly enough, I would describe most of these homes as being at least moderately cluttered. The other 10% were really dirty homes, I am talking letting dogs pee on the rug, food built up on the counters and tables, bathrooms that were never cleaned - that type of dirty.
> 
> So yeah, the washing of walls, vacuuming of air vents, dusting on top of the fridge is completely normal to me. I can't wait to read other responses to see if there is some cleaning issue I don't know about!


See that seems excessive to me. Do they have time to live their lives?

I don't clean most of the things on these lists on a regular basis. Top of the fridge, once a year maybe? Walls only if the kids get something on them. My house is clean enough, nobody would call it dirty. I have dust allergies and asthma and my house doesn't bother me. Wall to wall carpets are so gross though and no amount of cleaning them makes them clean. We just ripped out some in the bedroom (this a new to us house) and it was moldy under the pad and my daughter got a fungal rash from it. Guh-ross.


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Can I say "all of the above"?  I have an uncanny ability not to notice dirt. Oddly enough, I do clean walls from time to time. Ours get really fly-specked. And I have this routine - OK, my one housekeeping routine - where I throw a microfiber cloth into the washing machine with every load I do. So I often wander around the house with said cloth in hand, looking for something simple to clean... and it often ends up being a wall. 'Cause they're everywhere!

This thread is reminding me uncomfortably of about a million spots of grunge in my home. My light shades, for instance, are in a sorry state indeed. Pregnancy's partly to blame, though!


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> Can I say "all of the above"?  I have an uncanny ability not to notice dirt. Oddly enough, I do clean walls from time to time. Ours get really fly-specked. And I have this routine - OK, my one housekeeping routine - where I throw a microfiber cloth into the washing machine with every load I do. So I often wander around the house with said cloth in hand, looking for something simple to clean... and it often ends up being a wall. 'Cause they're everywhere!
> 
> This thread is reminding me uncomfortably of about a million spots of grunge in my home. My light shades, for instance, are in a sorry state indeed. Pregnancy's partly to blame, though!


Yeah. Our dining room light fixture is in dire need of a cleaning. I should get on that soon.

That said...there's a difference between not knowing things can/should be cleaned, and not actually cleaning them. I'm overdue on a lot of these things, too.


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

1. The back of framed pictures/paintings hanging on the wall.

Not too long ago I took some down to move them and the amount of dust hiding there was very surprising. It never occurred to me to regularly take them down and dust the backs and the wall behind them.

2. The seal on the refrigerator door should be cleaned occasionally.

I can't think of anything else that it never really occurred to me to clean.


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## skreader (Nov 19, 2008)

I think keeping one's home clean is an important part of life. Dusting and cleaning the bathrooms once a week does not seem at all excessive by the standards I grew up w/ or in my community. But then I also cleaned houses in high school for money - so perhaps my viewpoint is biased towards the clean-niks. 

What thing did I learn needed to be cleaned, later in life? In college I cleaned the dorm laundry rooms (for $) and I was amazed by how dirty the outsides of the washing machines got & how filthy and clogged the detergent intake spouts could get.

Oh, yes, when we moved into our present flat there was (and is) a standing shower stall (not just a curtain) and I was surprised by the amount of dust and dirt that can be caught on the top of that (a metal frame w/ a groove that seems built to catch dust).

When I became a mother, I was surprised by how dirty toys could get, especially the pretend-and-play garage and the castle.

After marriage, my kitchen saw a lot more Cantonese cooking and I saw that even w/ the extractor fan on, that the implements that I kept in the jar on the kitchen counter had to be washed at least once a months or else there would be grease build-up, even if we didn't use them.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *limette*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Quote:


> 1. The back of framed pictures/paintings hanging on the wall.
> 
> Not too long ago I took some down to move them and the amount of dust hiding there was very surprising. It never occurred to me to regularly take them down and dust the backs and the wall behind them.


But... but.... and I'm no doubt outing myself as a slob here, but I have to ask... does it matter? I mean, is the dust bothering anyone back there?

I feel that way about a lot of things, actually.  We rent, and have moved three times in four years of marriage. And every time we move house, I think "Wow, it's gross under the fridge", feel briefly guilty, and then clean it. But I'm still not convinced it's worth it to haul the fridge out, clean underneath and then put the fridge back. Chances are it'll still need to be done again when you move house, so you're not really saving any time... and in the mean time, no-one can see it. So, is there any really good reason to do it? I've never been able to convince myself that there is.

This thread did inspire me to clean one of my walls free of fly-specks today, though.  If I can find that pesky microfiber cloth that keeps going AWOL, I may even attack a lightshade tonight as well!


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## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

I was in the Navy and have had to clean more than one house/barracks room for inspection, so I must say that I've never been caught by surprise by something that needs cleaning. I didn't, however, know about the lint in the dryer that someone mentioned. I guess I've never used the same dryer for more than a few years, so it's never been my problem.

That being said, I don't notice every speck of dust the way some people do. I dust/vacuum my baseboard heaters occasionally, but my baseboards, not so much.

Someone upthread talked about washing behind the stove. I've lived in this house for three years, and this is the longest I've ever lived at one address for my entire adult life. I have thought about pulling the stove out several times to clean behind and underneath, but I'm freaked out because it's a gas stove and I don't know how long the connection hose is. It's also in a very tight spot and I'm afraid of destroying something or blowing up the house. Any suggestions?


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## Magelet (Nov 16, 2008)

I definitely had a "OMG, you have to clean baseboards?!!!" moment in my first apartment. It was a HUGE shock to me.

That said, I feel like I get an F in housekeeping skills. I grew up with housecleaners and it's so overwhelming and daunting to me. While the dust really bothers me, my house is NEVER even close to dust-free. At the moment, a light coating of dust is pretty decent. Heck, if I get 1/2 the spiderwebs, I feel fairly satisfied. It's just so daunting. I've tried starting fly-lady a few times and I get hung up on shoes every time. We don't wear shoes in the house, and only occasionally outside the house.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *2xy*
> 
> I was in the Navy and have had to clean more than one house/barracks room for inspection, so I must say that I've never been caught by surprise by something that needs cleaning. I didn't, however, know about the lint in the dryer that someone mentioned. I guess I've never used the same dryer for more than a few years, so it's never been my problem.
> 
> ...


Lint in the dryer should be cleaned every time you do the laundry. Or every couple of loads at least. I'm not kidding either, it becomes a fire hazard pretty quickly. Plus it help the dryer work faster. (So does washing the actual lint trap BTW, but that doesn't really pose any threat).

As for the stove, you should be able to move the stove just enough to see how long the hose is before trying to pull it out. If the hose does disconnect, the biggest worry is inhaling the gas, unless you're stupid enough to being doing it with a lit cigarette in hand. If it does disconnect, the only thing you have to do is get out of the house and call an emergency number. Unless the stove is bolted to the floor it should slide out with a little effort, and maybe some wiggling.


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## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MusicianDad*
> 
> Lint in the dryer should be cleaned every time you do the laundry. Or every couple of loads at least. I'm not kidding either, it becomes a fire hazard pretty quickly. Plus it help the dryer work faster. (So does washing the actual lint trap BTW, but that doesn't really pose any threat).


I'm not talking about the lint trap. I'm talking about taking the front of the dryer apart to clean under the drum. Post #17.

Also, getting out of the house is not so simple when there are pets involved. We have three floors and lots of hiding places. I'd rather not deal with a gas leak if at all possible.


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## SuburbanHippie (Aug 29, 2008)

The gas hose will be long enough so you can pull out the stove. They are made quite long.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

I always catch my cats and put them in my van, when I'm going to be doing something like moving the stove, where I might have to get out quickly if something goes wrong. It's easier to catch them if I plan ahead for it, so I have lots of time to let them relax so I can sneak up on them. Because you're right-- it is so hard to think of having to leave the house quickly, with three kids and three cats.


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *limette*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


It was definately excesssive. Their lives were their house and keeping it clean, to a fault. I grew up way, way out in the country and most women were stay at home moms that apparently had a lot of time on their hands to clean house. No one was involved in playgroups or kid activities, most families just had one car so the women were just at home all the time. My grandmother said she definately felt the cleanliness of her house was a reflection of her worth as wife and mother. (sad)


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## Emmeline II (Feb 16, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Storm Bride*
> 
> Oh. my.
> 
> I rent a steam cleaner and do my carpets about once a year (hard to say exactly, because my pregnancies have thrown that off a bit). I only do it that often because we have the stupid carpeted dining room and it gets gross. (Mind you, I'd probably do it 2-3X a year, if it weren't so expensive and such a PITA to rent, transport, clean and return those things. I hate gungy carpets.)


We bought a steam cleaner when we got our dog (on clearance it was about $150). We had it about 5 years before the detachable hose (for upholstery) broke. We clean the downstairs carpet about every two months and the upstairs (where the dog doesn't go) about every six months. We had a Kirby salesman come by a few years ago and he was disappointed at how clean our carpet was







.


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## lonegirl (Oct 31, 2008)

LOL well, I did know, but always forget about the ceiling in a tub enclosure. I usually have a bath without my contacts so I never see way up there.


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## SuburbanHippie (Aug 29, 2008)

Mini blinds for me! I didn't realize it until I moved out of my first apartment and I got money deducted for having dirty blinds. I remember feeling both shocked and humiliated.


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## sugarlumpkin (Dec 20, 2006)

Sigh this thread is reminding me of several areas that need to be cleaned. We've lived in this house for approx 1.25 years and it is time to haul the fridge and the stove out to clean behind them again. The inside of the fridge needs some cleaning, too. And now I need to go vacuum my dryer!


----------



## CowsRock (Aug 1, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lach*
> 
> LOL, cleaning walls was new to me, too. When I started doing FlyLady and it was one of the things that you're supposed to clean I thought "but they're vertical! Dust doesn't settle on them. Why would I need to clean them?" LOL.










That is what I thought too until one day I was washing something visible off the wall and noticed there was a bunch of dust there too that I didn't even notice. Every once in a blue moon I wash our walls. I wipe down the walls in the bathroom every few months I guess...that is different though, the dust combo with water makes it seem more "necessary". My hubby and friends think I'm nutty for wiping down our ceilings. This makes me sound like a really good housekeeper but I'm so not.


----------



## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *CowsRock*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I never thought about walls either until I took a little side job cleaning apartments after people moved out. There was one that the walls were supposed to be white, but the people smoked so much that they were yellow! Yuck! I rarely wash our walls. Kitchen and bathrooms yeah, but not the rest of the house other than spot cleaning.


----------



## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SuburbanHippie*
> 
> The gas hose will be long enough so you can pull out the stove. They are made quite long.


Thanks. I will probably attempt it sometime this week.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Llyra*
> 
> I always catch my cats and put them in my van, when I'm going to be doing something like moving the stove, where I might have to get out quickly if something goes wrong. It's easier to catch them if I plan ahead for it, so I have lots of time to let them relax so I can sneak up on them. Because you're right-- it is so hard to think of having to leave the house quickly, with three kids and three cats.


Hmm. Do you have a psychotic cat who, while normally very sweet and docile, turns into a devil-possessed crocodile who thrashes and wails and immediately craps in the crate? lol


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Another one I just noticed this morning-- there's this little gap between my bathroom mirror cabinet, and the top of the sink. Looking at it from a standing position, it looks clean. I wipe it down often. But I glanced over when I was lying in the tub, and OMG from that perspective, it sure isn't clean. Yuck.








After first running into this thread, I think I've started looking at my house with new eyes. I'm noticing all sorts of things I've been apparently neglecting to keep clean.


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

Cleaning behind the gas stove: on the gas pipe attached to the stove there might be a turn-off valve. Like on a water faucet. More likely you have a gas meter outside somewhere. It should have a turn-off valve to the whole house. I agree with the above posters, you should be able to pull the stove out far enough to clean back there. After all, when it was being installed the gas line had to be hooked up before the whole thing was shoved up against the wall.

But you could definitely get some piece of mind if you just shut the gas off at the main.


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## LionessMom (Mar 12, 2008)

i defintitely want to deep clean my house. now. this thread has inspired me 

i barely clean anything that isnt laundry or dishes.


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> But... but.... and I'm no doubt outing myself as a slob here, but I have to ask... does it matter? I mean, is the dust bothering anyone back there?
> 
> I feel that way about a lot of things, actually.  We rent, and have moved three times in four years of marriage. And every time we move house, I think "Wow, it's gross under the fridge", feel briefly guilty, and then clean it. But I'm still not convinced it's worth it to haul the fridge out, clean underneath and then put the fridge back. Chances are it'll still need to be done again when you move house, so you're not really saving any time... and in the mean time, no-one can see it. So, is there any really good reason to do it? I've never been able to convince myself that there is.


I'm not hauling my pictures off the wall every day to dust behind them but now that I know how much dust can build up back there I'll probably do it every once in awhile just like I would clean furry ceiling fan blades occasionally or under my bed.

The reason I would clean an area no one would see is mainly because of allergies. If you are not sensitive to indoor allergens then maybe it wouldn't bother you to leave it alone because it is out of sight.


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

I'd be concerned that a thick layer of dust under the fridge would gum up the works or make it over-heat or work too hard or something. This might be less of a problem if you don't have pets that shed prolifically.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

The bottom of the toaster! I was quite old before I realized you could pull out the little thing on the bottom and empty all the crumbs out.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Caneel*
> 
> Where I grew up, I would estimate 90% of the families kept very, very clean houses - walls were washed down at least every spring/fall, baseboards/window sills/screens/wood trim was vaccumed each time the floors were done, which was at least once a week, all surfaces were dusted every week, bathrooms scrubbed at least weekly, etc. Interestingly enough, I would describe most of these homes as being at least moderately cluttered.


I think this is a leftover from the days when people heated with coal/wood. If you heat your house with something other than radiant heat or forced air, your walls get grimy. Add kerosene lamps into the mix and it got really ugly. That's why spring cleaning was done -- after you'd had all this coal grease building up over the winter, you had to clean house!


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## Nitenites (Jan 23, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Caneel*
> 
> Where I grew up, I would estimate 90% of the families kept very, very clean houses - walls were washed down at least every spring/fall, baseboards/window sills/screens/wood trim was vaccumed each time the floors were done, which was at least once a week, all surfaces were dusted every week, bathrooms scrubbed at least weekly, etc. Interestingly enough, I would describe most of these homes as being at least moderately cluttered. The other 10% were really dirty homes, I am talking letting dogs pee on the rug, food built up on the counters and tables, bathrooms that were never cleaned - that type of dirty.
> 
> So yeah, the washing of walls, vacuuming of air vents, dusting on top of the fridge is completely normal to me. I can't wait to read other responses to see if there is some cleaning issue I don't know about!


I vacuum daily, and dust each room weekly. I clean the bathroom 3x/week. (I have 6 people using 1 bathroom, and 4 of them are male!) I use the brush attachment on my vacuum to vacuum the walls weekly- maybe it's a northern thing, but the furnace tends to blow dust up the walls and onto the ceiling. I have to keep on top of it or I can get some pretty impressive cobwebs. It really doesn't take that long - every room has its own day, so I spend roughly 1/2 an hour per day. (The kitchen takes longer because there are so many surfaces. But I can do little jobs, like wiping down the inside of the microwave, while something is in the oven or on the stovetop.) I vacuum the couch (including under the cushions) and clean under/behind the furniture weekly. It's no big time commitment if you have a routine. And yes, dust matters, even if you can't see it (like behind frames.) That's mostly dead skin you're picking up on your dustcloth. Who wants to breathe that in all day? YUCK!


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## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

LOL...."no big time commitment" means different things to different people. And an open-mouth kiss is far grosser (on a pathogen level) than inhaling dead skin. Dust is unsightly but it really doesn't bother me at all. My daily battles involve scattered cat litter, tumble-furs, and kibble.

What's worse....four males using one bathroom, or three males using three bathrooms? I live with two teenage boys, plus my hubby. We have two full baths and a half-bath, and they all get used regularly. I'd rather have just one bathroom to clean.

No, I don't have it in me to devote a half-hour per room at this point in my life. Between kids, husband, pets (one who needs daily medication), employment, my studies, and dance class, we're lucky to all sit down to dinner together. Maybe someday.


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Quote:


> And yes, dust matters, even if you can't see it (like behind frames.) That's mostly dead skin you're picking up on your dustcloth. Who wants to breathe that in all day? YUCK!


Yeah, but if it's safely clinging to the back side of a picture frame, you're not breathing it in. Start dusting, and you might be. 

I do get that it's more important for people with allergies, and/or pets; but we have neither, so I need more convincing on this back-of-the-picture-frames issue. I did end up cleaning some more walls and two light fittings last night, though. The latter were nasty. Fortunately, tomorrow night I'm having a very critical woman over for dinner. Her eyesight isn't great, but should she spot anything untoward she will no doubt bring it up. So tomorrow, however briefly, my house will be CLEAN.


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## Nitenites (Jan 23, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *2xy*
> 
> LOL...."no big time commitment" means different things to different people. And an open-mouth kiss is far grosser (on a pathogen level) than inhaling dead skin. Dust is unsightly but it really doesn't bother me at all. My daily battles involve scattered cat litter, tumble-furs, and kibble.
> 
> ...


I guess it's all in each person's perspective. Some people have yoga or their coffee habit. I have cleaning. It's my stress relief. I really, really like a clean house, and the process of cleaning relieves stress for me. And believe me - you may rather have just one bathroom to clean, but trying to coordinate six people using one bathroom is no mean feat!









Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> Yeah, but if it's safely clinging to the back side of a picture frame, you're not breathing it in. Start dusting, and you might be.


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## alicia622 (May 8, 2005)

I just thought of one! I was scrubbing out the kitchen trashcan and DH looked at me funny and confused and said "it never occurred to me to clean the trash can!!

Anyway, I am amazed at the people who clean all these things. I am cleaning up continually and I never get around to half the stuff that is mentioned.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I don't know how often other people clean most of these things, but a lot of them are very once in a while items for me. I probably clean the top of the fridge about once a year, for instance. It's not a high priority, but it does get gross if it's left for really long periods of time (I'd probably do it 2-3 times a year, but we have a lot of stuff up there and moving it all is a pain). I clean under the fridge and stove about as often...and mostly because I want to fish out any pens, small toys, etc. that may have ended up there. I don't dust often, and I should do that, because it's become really unsightly in a few spots. I haven't done our light fixtures in a long time, and they need to be done, too...but in a perfect world, they'd probably be on my 2-3 times a year list, too. Most of these aren't really things that need cleaning all the time, imo.

alicia: Trash cans can get soooo gross! I buy toilet paper in the giant packs (24-30 rolls), and then use the empty bags to line our bathroom trash cans. So, I don't clean the cans themselves very often, but they still need it occasionally. Without the liners? Blach.


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## fresh_veggie (Jan 27, 2009)

When we moved in, apparently the people who clean the apartments between tenants have no idea about this stuff. And at my last place too.

For example, I pulled out my fridge the other day (we've been here about 4 months - my dog barfed and got a little under the fridge) and dsdGFJgklsefjklghsrkejgnomg. YEARS of dust, cheerios, alphabet magnets, and mystery spills. I would've much rather just cleaned up the dog barf.

Another example - the vent in the kitchen with the slats...it's been bothering me since we've moved here that I can walk by it and SEE cheerios in it. And about a cm of dust...I'm too scared to take the darn thing off, but I KNOW that's a contributing factor as to why there's so much dust in my house (how does a bathroom get so freaking dusty in one day?!)

My last apt had nowhere near as much dust as my current one. I vacuum 4x a week when I have the time, and my container in my vac is almost always filled with dust when I'm done.

Does anyone vacuum their mattress regularly? We have a washable cover thing, but I'm really wanting to switch to shikibutons that are thinner, aired out daily, and sunned outside occasionally.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fresh_veggie*
> 
> Another example - the vent in the kitchen with the slats...it's been bothering me since we've moved here that I can walk by it and SEE cheerios in it. And about a cm of dust...I'm too scared to take the darn thing off, but I KNOW that's a contributing factor as to why there's so much dust in my house (how does a bathroom get so freaking dusty in one day?!)
> 
> My last apt had nowhere near as much dust as my current one. I vacuum 4x a week when I have the time, and my container in my vac is almost always filled with dust when I'm done.


Are you talking about the big intake vent? Changing out the filter in that will definitely help cut down on the amount of dust. I don't do a lot of stuff mentioned in this thread, but changing out the intake vents was something I got used to doing every 3 months when we had a dog. I buy 4 at a time from Home Depot, and those 4 last for 1 year.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *2xy*
> 
> What's worse....four males using one bathroom, or three males using three bathrooms? I live with two teenage boys, plus my hubby. We have two full baths and a half-bath, and they all get used regularly. I'd rather have just one bathroom to clean.


Honestly, I've often thought that it would be SO MUCH EASIER if I could just send DH and DS outside to pee. Seriously.







If we lived farther away from our neighbors, I might consider it...


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## childsplay (Sep 4, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lach*
> 
> LOL, cleaning walls was new to me, too. When I started doing FlyLady and it was one of the things that you're supposed to clean I thought "but they're vertical! Dust doesn't settle on them. Why would I need to clean them?" LOL.


I thought the same thing until I started repainting. My walls are freakishly dusty. I wish they were canvas rather than wood/gyproc/etc.....then I could just give them a good shake and be done with it.


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## childsplay (Sep 4, 2007)

The toothbrush holder thingy. I've never had one until I met DH so I guess I was ignorant to the mysteries of the toothbrush holder. One day I caught a whiff of something nasty in our bathroom but passed it off as well....just normal bathroom stuff. It persisted. Turns out it was the rotten, spitty, toothpasty, water in the bottom of the fancy little cup of which toothbrushes so jauntily sat.

Now I clean it every couple days. It was rank. Seriously rank.


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

oh oh I know (I only read page one, so this might have been mentioned) but apparently you need to clean your washing machine occasionally. That NEVER occurred to me before. I cleaned out under the rim of the washer tub, and it was indeed kinda gross.


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Ewwww! Subbing...


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## goinggreengirl (Nov 7, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *childsplay*
> 
> The toothbrush holder thingy. I've never had one until I met DH so I guess I was ignorant to the mysteries of the toothbrush holder. One day I caught a whiff of something nasty in our bathroom but passed it off as well....just normal bathroom stuff. It persisted. Turns out it was the rotten, spitty, toothpasty, water in the bottom of the fancy little cup of which toothbrushes so jauntily sat.
> 
> Now I clean it every couple days. It was rank. Seriously rank.


I was just cleaning the bathroom yesterday and I always rinse the outside of it because it gets all spotty but this time I actually peered in there and it was so gross! Ours has little holes for each brush and I had to get the bottle brush out of the kitchen to get all the gunk out. I'll be cleaning the inside of it more often!


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Storm Bride*
> 
> Oh. my.
> 
> I rent a steam cleaner and do my carpets about once a year (hard to say exactly, because my pregnancies have thrown that off a bit). I only do it that often because we have the stupid carpeted dining room and it gets gross. (Mind you, I'd probably do it 2-3X a year, if it weren't so expensive and such a PITA to rent, transport, clean and return those things. I hate gungy carpets.)


For the cost of a couple of rentals, you could probably buy one and have it on hand.


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

FYI, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is so not NFL, but is so awesome for cleaning walls and bathtubs. Really!


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## ramama (Apr 13, 2007)

When moving out of my very first apartment, I received a rude reminder (in the form of a security deposit reduction) that the cooktop of a stove does, in fact, lift up and should be cleaned under. I had no idea. Luckily, we lived there for maybe 2-3 months and it couldn't have been embarrassing-dirty. It's not like I did much cooking back then.

We bought a steam cleaner (was not that expensive at all) and I do use it on a weekly basis, at least (not always for full-carpet cleaning, but for high-traffic areas and accidents). I don't know how I ever lived without one!


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

Lots of things like the tops of door frames and picture frames take me by surprise as to how dusty they are when I do clean them, doesn't seem to remind me to do it any more often though!

I run the toothbrushes and mugs we keep them in through the dishwasher which always seems to strike DH as funny. He has been known to vacuum the toaster, I just take it outside, turn it upside down and shake it. I can never get the crumb tray back in if I take it out.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ramama*
> 
> When moving out of my very first apartment, I received a rude reminder (in the form of a security deposit reduction) that the cooktop of a stove does, in fact, lift up and should be cleaned under. I had no idea.


This happened to my DH too.









I admit that I never really knew that the stove could be pulled out. I've never in my life cleaned underneath a stove -- I always considered it a built-in appliance.







The first time it ever occurred to me was about 8 months ago after we sold our house. We cleaned really, really well before leaving, but not under the stove, and then a few weeks later the new owner called and said that she had some mail for me and I was welcome to swing by and pick it up. So I did, and she invited me in and I noticed that she had all new kitchen appliances, and right then and there this horrifying thought rushed into my head: "OH MY GOD, WHAT DID SHE SEE UNDER THAT STOVE THAT SAT THERE FOR 7 YEARS???!?!?!?!?!"


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Irishmommy*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


I've thought about it, but I have nowhere to put it. As it is, our vacuum cleaner lives in the dining room, tucked in beside the china cabinet.


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Today, I cleaned my kitchen cabinets (the doors)... I've done that before, but this time I made sure to wipe the top of the cabinet doors, and EW! Apparently I hadn't thought to wipe the top of the upper ones, before.


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## triana1326 (Aug 8, 2007)

We have hotwater baseboard heat radiators in our house and it didn't occur to me to clean behind them until I painted the living room. We've only lived here for 2 years, so there was some serious dust build-up.

I also didn't think about cleaning the pots that our houseplants live in, but they were seriously gross and dirty. Also a result of painting the living room...


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

My husband is a cleaning fanatic. I cannot think of all he does because it has become our norm over the past 20+ years. But I realize it is strange when someone else sees/hears what he does.

· He pulls out and cleans behind the kitchen and laundry appliances monthly.

· He scrubs the sump pump hole (not often; probably once a year).

· Squeegees the garage floor daily (sometimes every time I pull out of the garage) when it is snowy or slushy out.

· He washes the kitchen/bath cans weekly or more often if something is on the can. He also washes our outdoor trash can and recycle can weekly.

· During the summer, he sweeps the curb and a couple of feet into the street - We have 225 foot of sidewalk/curb in front of our house! This is not a quick sweep - it takes forever and he collects a huge amount of rocks, salt, dirt, etc. Especially in the spring when all the winter grit is in the road.

· He's the best bathroom cleaner I've ever seen. I feel guilty that I SAH and he still cleans the bathrooms - but he is much better at it and would probably re-clean after I do anyway.

· He scrubs our floor grout with a small brush.

· Today he walked around the house with the vacuum hose and a small brush attachment. He was vacuuming the tops of the doors, windows, picture frames, air vents, etc.

The sad thing is&#8230;I can look around the house and still see things that need to be cleaned. He's relaxed his standards a little since having children; I've relaxed mine a little more than he has







.

He jokes that he needs to wear a bio-hazard suit to ride in my car - but my car isn't that much different/worse than most people's. The inside of his truck always looks like it was just driven off the new car lot.

My husband is also the king of preventative maintenance - a whole other thread!


----------



## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dbsam*
> 
> My husband is a cleaning fanatic. I cannot think of all he does because it has become our norm over the past 20+ years. But I realize it is strange when someone else sees/hears what he does.
> 
> ...


holy moly, how does he have time for all that?? (and would he like to come clean my house?







)


----------



## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Juvysen*
> 
> holy moly, how does he have time for all that?? (and would he like to come clean my house?
> 
> ...


Many of the neighbors have said they want him at their house too...but there is a downside. He is a slave to the house/yard and as we get older he is liking it less but still feels it all needs to be done and no one we hire can do it as well as him. He normally works six days/week, ten hours/day plus his commute but because he works construction, he is sometimes off because of weather, etc. Luckily, my children like doing projects with him and he is the type that can make most things an opportunity for learning or fun. We've been in this house 19 years and lived in a condo and a townhouse prior to this. There was no outside maintenance and less inside work but we still managed to make projects - like gutting the condo. I think it is just some people's personality to work around the house. I see that in this thread.

Sorry for getting OT...


----------



## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dbsam*
> 
> Many of the neighbors have said they want him at their house too...but there is a downside. He is a slave to the house/yard and as we get older he is liking it less but still feels it all needs to be done and no one we hire can do it as well as him. He normally works six days/week, ten hours/day plus his commute but because he works construction, he is sometimes off because of weather, etc. Luckily, my children like doing projects with him and he is the type that can make most things an opportunity for learning or fun. We've been in this house 19 years and lived in a condo and a townhouse prior to this. There was no outside maintenance and less inside work but we still managed to make projects - like gutting the condo. I think it is just some people's personality to work around the house. I see that in this thread.
> 
> Sorry for getting OT...


I've gotten *better* at puttering around taking care of little things, but man... not like that.

Actually, this thread makes me really want to take apart the dryer and check for lint nasties. We've had it 7 years (though it's had work done on it once or twice and usually they at least move some of the junk inside... hmm).

oh! One thing I never thought to clean but maybe should have was around our dishwasher. When we pulled it out to put in a new one it was *NASTY* Omg, there was so much dust.


----------



## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Juvysen*
> 
> Today, I cleaned my kitchen cabinets (the doors)... I've done that before, but this time I made sure to wipe the top of the cabinet doors, and EW! Apparently I hadn't thought to wipe the top of the upper ones, before.


Our upper cabinets are almost, but not quite, flush with the ceiling. There's basically a crack. I can't get in there with anything i've tried, and I don't even like to think of the crud that's probably in there...built up steam, fat & dust. Blech. I wish they were flush, but it's a textured ceiling, so I guess that's why they're not.


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

I don't even know what a sump pump hole IS....

at any rate, I tried scrubbing baseboards today thanks to this thread and I have to say... I felt right ridiculous. i guess there was some dust but I think the only thing that happened was I removed it from the tiny ledge of the baseboard and put it in my lungs... and things don't LOOK any different unless you are really close anyway.

I don't think i'm cut out for this cleaning thing... when I keep the dishes and laundry cleaned and the floor vacuumed, I feel I've done well haha


----------



## kristandthekids (Feb 15, 2011)

.


----------



## zebra15 (Oct 2, 2009)

Dbsam- Wow... Does your hubby have a brother, cousin etc? Some poeple are just born putters.

It never occured to me to clean the standing fans. Now I live in AZ and they run 24/7. Its dusty here and we have dogs... you can see the dust plastered to the back of the tower fans. EEEWWWWW They need to be wiped down monthly.

Also I still need to clean my sons glasses every morning. he is 10 and still cant clean them. maybe one day...

Growing up my family cleaned.. THE FREAKIN MAIL BOX Every couple weeks my father would go out to the mailbox and just wash it down,







This is the same mailbox the snowplow would take out at least 2x a winter.


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## bluebackpacks (Nov 5, 2010)

I am teased for my OCD tendencies and for regularly cleaning the following:


 Coffee Maker
Humidifier
De-humidifier (in basement)
Dishwasher drain
Dryer
Washing Machine (sani-cycle and wipe-down)
Garbage cans
Crown molding
Picture frames and clocks
KitchenAid mixer, bread machine, food processor
Icemaker and dispenser
Toilet reservoir
Air ducts and vents
Gutters!!! (2-3 times a year)
Compost pail
Fixtures (need a good polish)
Electronics (with a safe cleaner and a pressurized air can!!!)
Drawers (vacuum and dust)
Can openers (I guess I am strange for washing them after every use)
Changing bed linens and duvet cover 1-3 times a week (depending on weather... we sweat more in the summer at night)
Cellphones
Remotes
Books (need to be dusted)
Pillows and area rugs (baking soda, vacuum, vinegar spray)
Kitchen cabinets (clean and dust)
All windows (yay! spring cleaning!)
Bulk storage bins
thermometers
key chains
leather couch (polish)
exterior of the house (scrubbed and rinsed)
winter coats (get washed frequently... though this does kill the water-proofing)
back patio (sweep and spray down)
recycling containers
Bed frames (collect so much dust!)
litter boxes (get hosed out and sanitized)
sewing machine (wipe down and sprayed with pressurized air can)
hairdryer (wipe down and vacuum lint out of trap)
Linen closet
alarm clocks (wipe down)
vacuum cleaner (our Dyson comes apart for thorough cleaning; same with the shop vac)
Furnace and air conditioner filters (complete with wipe-down of the machine)
Bathroom throw rugs washed weekly
Lampshades (dusting)

... and so many more. I am that strange bird that LOVES to clean. It's like therapy-on-the-cheap. I finish a full day of cleaning and feel like I am living in the lap of luxury!!!!!!


----------



## CookiePie (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok mine isn't a house thing...DH & I are actually pretty on top of the house cleaning stuff. Although I think we are over due to pull the kitchen appliances out to clean behind them!

When DD 1 started school, she liked to bring soup in a stainless steel thermos...I never knew you had to take the rubber gasket off until my friend was telling me how she hated cleaning in. So then I took it of f & ICK I couldn't believe what had collected there!


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## Nitenites (Jan 23, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bluebackpacks*
> 
> ... and so many more. I am that strange bird that LOVES to clean. It's like therapy-on-the-cheap. I finish a full day of cleaning and feel like I am living in the lap of luxury!!!!!!


Are you sure you're not my long-lost twin?


----------



## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

When I was pregnant with DD I realized that the inside of the toilet tank was pretty grotty (thanks to one of the boys lifting the lid off to peek inside). So now I clean that every couple months. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I can't sleep at night knowing that it's so dirty.And I'm not even a clean freak! Our biggest annoyance is the range hood, it collects dust and dirt like no other place in the house. It has to be wiped down pretty much every day.


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## delightedbutterfly (Oct 5, 2006)

So many of these things have been on my list previously...

The one thing that I can't believe gets so dirty and I never realized you had to clean until a few years ago was Doors. They all get so grimy so FAST!

And I keep reading about dusting and while my Neatnik mother always reminded us "Don't Disturb the Dust", I find our house gets SOOOO Dusty (finally figured out that it was our two old horrible vacuum cleaners.. You should SEE the dust in the cup from just the HALLWAY! (I just got the new vacuum yesterday)...

But are you guys DRY dusting? Because then I could see how it gets in the air... But I was always taught (when we did distrub the dust) to WET dust. It's like dusting and cleaning at the same time AND nothing in the air!


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

so after reading everyone's lists... I've determined my house will never be fully clean. I'm suddenly seeing a million things to clean (doors now! ack!) and I just can't do it. holy butts I just can't do it. I'm in awe.


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

I wet dust. It still needs dusting two minutes later. I think I need to replace my vacuum filter (or shake it off/clean it? I think I'll try that first)

So... thanks to this thread, I finally decided to lift up my cooktop and clean underneith. EW. ew.ew.ew.ew.ew. EWWWWW. Glad that's over. I'd been meaning to for about FOREVER, so it was good, just... gross.

Anyone have a good suggestion on cleaning the drip pans once they've gotten so baked on that they're crusty black?


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## delightedbutterfly (Oct 5, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Juvysen*
> 
> I wet dust. It still needs dusting two minutes later. I think I need to replace my vacuum filter (or shake it off/clean it? I think I'll try that first)
> 
> Anyone have a good suggestion on cleaning the drip pans once they've gotten so baked on that they're crusty black?


Yes it probably is your vacuum, mine just spit dust back out until I got a new one!

At that point I would just buy new ones  They are fairly cheap to replace, I think $3-5 an element... Sometimes cheaper!


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

I have a gas stove... I think they're more like $20 each.... at least when I looked before...


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *delightedbutterfly*
> 
> And I keep reading about dusting and while my Neatnik mother always reminded us "Don't Disturb the Dust", I find our house gets SOOOO Dusty (finally figured out that it was our two old horrible vacuum cleaners.. You should SEE the dust in the cup from just the HALLWAY! (I just got the new vacuum yesterday)...
> 
> But are you guys DRY dusting? Because then I could see how it gets in the air... But I was always taught (when we did distrub the dust) to WET dust. It's like dusting and cleaning at the same time AND nothing in the air!


I never thought about wet dusting - good idea. We put a really soft brush on the end of our vacuum hose and lightly vacuum up the dust off the furniture rather than using a cloth and possibly scratching furniture. But I bet wet dusting would prevent scratching too and be easier than dragging the hose around the house.

We have a central vac system with the canister in the garage instead of a regular vacuum but we still manage to have quite a bit of dust in the house. Recently, my husband removed the electronic collectors from the electronic dust collection system (not sure of the real name) and put in two really good regular filters. I cannot believe how much less dust is in the house.


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## kristandthekids (Feb 15, 2011)

.


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## zebra15 (Oct 2, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Juvysen*
> 
> I have a gas stove... I think they're more like $20 each.... at least when I looked before...


Check Amazon but I got mine at walmart and they were only a few dollars. When I owned my home I replaced those drip pans annually. Yes i was a very messy cook. This house has a flat top?? stove, much easier to clean up the messes from.


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## lonegirl (Oct 31, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bluebackpacks*
> 
> I am teased for my OCD tendencies and for regularly cleaning the following:
> 
> ... and so many more. I am that strange bird that LOVES to clean. * It's like therapy-on-the-cheap*. I finish a full day of cleaning and feel like I am living in the lap of luxury!!!!!!


LOL I saw that list and thought if I started obsessing over cleaning that much *I* would need therapy!









I admit I need to be a better house keeper....but I know I will never be that clean/organized. good on you though.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Juvysen*
> 
> Anyone have a good suggestion on cleaning the drip pans once they've gotten so baked on that they're crusty black?


I'm not worried about my drip pans, but what are everyone's best tricks for gettting cooked-on crap off the stovetop itself? We have a nasty mess around one of the elements (dh homebrews, and he had a bad boil over once, and it was thoroughly cooked on by the time he finished the brew). I've tried to clean it multiple times, but it just doesn't come off.


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## lonegirl (Oct 31, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Storm Bride*
> 
> I'm not worried about my drip pans, but what are everyone's best tricks for gettting cooked-on crap off the stovetop itself? We have a nasty mess around one of the elements (dh homebrews, and he had a bad boil over once, and it was thoroughly cooked on by the time he finished the brew). I've tried to clean it multiple times, but it just doesn't come off.


I found a baking soda paste rubbed in well helped to lift sticky baked on stuff....as well as an amazing paste cleaner I have but i have to look for the name.


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## CookiePie (Jan 9, 2009)

Over the last 2 days this thread has me scrubbing down my house like crazy!


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lonegirl*
> 
> I found a baking soda paste rubbed in well helped to lift sticky baked on stuff....as well as an amazing paste cleaner I have but i have to look for the name.


I haven't tried baking soda paste. I'll do that soon. I have tried a cleaner called "Cerama Brite" or something like that. I usually get good results with it, but it barely touched this mess. Honestly, the stove isn't in great shape, and I think the landlord is going to have to replace it when we move (if not before), anyway...but the front burner really does look bad.


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

For me, it's kind of a new concept to have to move major appliances to clean underneath and sometimes take pieces out to clean them. Maybe it's because I grew up in a house with no animals so it was never part of the routine. The dog hair I found under my stove and behind my fridge was startling - to say the least.

I deep clean the kitchen once a week, take care of the floors (electric broom) at least once a week, and clean the bathroom regularly, but forget about dusting. Um, once a month? Possibly every 6 weeks







And mopping the tiles, maybe the same. Strangely enough my house generally appears clean.


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

I find as long as things are picked up and organized with no obvious spills or major clutter, houses will look pretty clean. I don't dust often either. fortunately I don't have much dust in my house but still...

and... what is an electric broom? is that like a vacuum?

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hoopin' Mama*
> 
> For me, it's kind of a new concept to have to move major appliances to clean underneath and sometimes take pieces out to clean them. Maybe it's because I grew up in a house with no animals so it was never part of the routine. The dog hair I found under my stove and behind my fridge was startling - to say the least.
> 
> ...


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *treeoflife3*
> 
> I find as long as things are picked up and organized with no obvious spills or major clutter, houses will look pretty clean. I don't dust often either. fortunately I don't have much dust in my house but still...
> 
> and... what is an electric broom? is that like a vacuum?


This is an electric broom, I guess also called a stick vacuum http://www.vacuumcleaners.net/vacuum_cleaners/categories/electric_brooms_stick_vacuums_hou.html

I don't have carpet, I have all tile and pergot, so this is all I need, and it fits well into corners and such.

About two years ago, I fantasized about having a cleaning service. I went so far as to call one that my (higher-earning) co-workers use. They emailed me a list of what they do monthly and it included such things as the top of the fridge, light fixtures and fan blades. We kept that list and dh and I have tried to remember to do those things, although not all once a month. But before seeing that list it wouldn't have occurred to me as often.

I swear, if I made a few thousand more a year, then I would splurge on a cleaning service. What a luxury!!!


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