It’s almost October and we are finally getting some cooler weather and less humidity. I like that! Our cleaners like it too; cleaning in hot weather is no fun.
Something else that is not fun is trying to clean places in the home that are difficult to reach. Such as under the bed, behind appliances, high objects and tight spaces.
Our cleaners here at Covenant Cleaning Services face these situations every day. So I thought I would give you some tricks and tips on how to clean and reach difficult areas of your home.
Use the right cleaning tools
To clean hard to reach places, it helps a lot to get some basic cleaning tools to do the job. One of the most helpful and versatile is a long, telescoping microfiber duster.
It will really come in handy for many hard to reach places. Other cleaning tools that will help a lot are swifter mops or rectangular microfiber mops, good vacuum attachments and brushes.
Cleaning high places
Most homes have high ceiling fans, vents, ledges and shelves that are hard to reach. A step ladder helps a lot in those situations. However many don’t want to use them for fear of falling.
Using a telescoping microfiber duster will clean most high places without a ladder. We wrote a full article on how to clean ceiling vents. Click that link to read all about it.
We also wrote a full article on how to clean ceiling fans using a fan duster, rags and even using a pillowcase hack! Check out that link for full details on getting your ceiling fans clean. 🙂
For dusting light fixtures, high ledges and the tops of tall objects the telescoping microfiber duster will clean them all with ease. Spray it lightly with your favorite cleaner.
Cleaning behind appliances
Dust and dirt accumulates over time under and behind appliances such as your stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer. These days most are made with little wheels on the bottom.
If you firmly hold your appliance and pull straight outward it should roll or slide out without too much trouble. Older ones may give you a harder time to move unfortunately. A helper is good in that situation!
Be careful not to pull it out too far as it may unplug the cord or stretch a water hose on a washer or the water line for an ice maker on a refrigerator.
Once you can get behind it use a vacuum crevice tool or brush attachment and vacuum up all the dust and loose dirt. A handheld vacuum works great also.
Clean the back of the appliances well, getting all the dust off and wiping it down with rags or microfiber cloths with cleaning solution. It will help keep the appliance running well.
Mop the floor clean with a rectangular microfiber mop or use rags with soapy water. Once dry push the appliance back in place, being careful not to crush any wires or water lines.
Cleaning under beds
It’s amazing how much dust and dirt you can find under a bed! I think beds are some kind of dust magnet that tries to gather as much as they can! I think so anyways. 😀
If you have a hardwood or solid floor, use the vacuum extension to reach as far under as you can to get the loose dust first. You will have to use both sides of the bed to get it all.
Then use a swifter mop and push it under the bed to clean. Or use rags on the end, a rectangular microfiber mop or even a telescoping microfiber duster. Use light cleaning solutions on them.
If the floor is carpeted try to use the vacuum extension to vacuum all the dust and dirt up. Use a dry mop or broom to push objects out from under the bed.
Cleaning under furniture
Cleaning under couches and furniture follows much of the same rules as cleaning under beds. If you can move the couch or furniture do that for ease of access.
For solid floors vacuum up loose dust and dirt and/or sweep with a broom. Followed by mopping it clean or wiping with a rag with cleaning solution. Wipe down the furniture legs.
For carpets use a vacuum or vacuum extension with a rolling brush to get all the dirt. For stains use cleaning rags or microfiber cloths, spray the area with cleaning solution and wipe.
Finally for tight corners and odd places that are hard to reach, use a soft microfiber duster with light cleaning solution on it and push in, under or out to get as much dirt as you can.
Hopefully these tips will help you clean those hard to reach places in your home. If it sounds like too much work or time consuming, Give us a call for a free cleaning quote and we will do it all for you! 🙂
