If you ask about the dirtiest area of the home, most people would suggest the toilet, inside the front door or a child’s bedroom floor. Surprisingly, none of these top the list. These places are known for being dirty, so you think to clean them often. The worst offenders are the ones you don’t consider.
These are the four dirtiest parts of your home, in no particular order:
Light switches/door knobs/handles. These surfaces get touched by everyone who comes in and out of your home, multiple times a day, every day. If your dogs are big enough, they can get their paws on door knobs and handles too. The cold and flu posters in the restrooms at work may tell you to open doors with a paper towel, but who does that at home? That means that those surfaces are covered with all kinds of germs, bacteria and various sticky residues. The best way to keep up is to frequently clean them with an antibacterial cleaner.
Refrigerator. It’s so easy to spill liquids, which attract dust and crumbs until they dry. Food spills and varying humidity levels can encourage mold growth. Fruits and vegetables can go from ripe to slimy quickly, causing odors and a mess. Cloth refrigerator liners absorb spills and go into the laundry. Get into the habit of checking on fruits and veggies once a week, maybe before grocery shopping. Use vegetables in a salad or soup. Soft fruits can go into a water infuser. Clean the refrigerator once a month with a kitchen cleaner.
Utensil drawer. Your cutlery gets washed frequently, but how often does its storage place get freshened up? Dust and crumbs from the counter can fall in every time it’s opened. Then there are all those hands reaching in for a knife for peanut butter, a spoon for cereal, and so on. It all adds up to a dirty, germy mess. Clean the utensil drawer once a month by taking out the cutlery and washing the organizer with soapy water. Dry, and then replace the cutlery. This is a good time to take stock of any that might be missing, or any extra that may have shown up after a party.
Stove hood. The exhaust hood over your stove is great for pulling cooking odors and moisture from your kitchen and venting them outside. Take a closer look and you might see thick layers of grease and grime that have been pulled up too. Dirt can be sucked up too, and that will discolor the hood. Using a strong degreaser will help keep your stove hood looking its best.
Sometimes your home needs a good, professional cleaning. It’s hard to keep on top of everything with busy schedules, and having the experts at ServiceMaster DAK Enterprises give it the once-over is one thing off your party or holiday to-do list. We get the hidden dirt you might not think to clean, as well as remove odors, stains and germs. Our professionals will revitalize your home in Buffalo Grove, IL so it’s clean and ready for anything.
The cost to clean a home varies; some charge by the hour or by the square foot. According to HomeAdvisor.com, the national average is $130 for a typical single family home and a typical apartment averages $100.
