Keeping a house clean takes work.  And for most of us, it’s not work that we enjoy (kudos to those of you that do, we’re kind of jealous!).  There is an endless array of everyday tasks that we all know about – clothes, countertops, floors, toilets, etc .  But there are quite a few other things that can get easily overlooked, and many of them can have a serious impact on the health and safety of both your home and your family.  In addition to safety and health concerns, not cleaning major appliances regularly can reduce their lifespan by as much as half.

And so, without further ado,

here's 6 things that need cleaned too

Clean that washing machine.  This is an appliance that’s supposed to clean things for you – so shouldn’t it by default ‘be clean’?  Not at all.  Soap scum, mildew, mold, residue from dirty laundry, and even water itself all contribute to a melting pot of funk.  And without regular cleaning, these things can impact the effectiveness of the machine… and the cleanliness of the clothing coming out of it.  This is especially true for front loading machines.  We suggest doing this at least once a month.

Kitchen vents need love too.  From affecting indoor air quality to helping with fire safety, your kitchen vent is a vital piece of safety equipment.  And unless you’re eating takeout every night, it can take quite a beating in regard to buildup.  Grease, food particles, and chemicals can all get trapped in the webbing of metal vent screens – contributing to sizable risks if left unattended.  For those of you with recirculating vents (ones that don’t go to the exterior of the house), this is arguably even more important.  Depending on usage, this should be done every couple of months.

Doorknobs, drawer and cabinet handles, and light switches.  Not at all something many people would give a second thought to, but these things are some of the most frequently touched items in your home.  And they can be breeding grounds for bacteria.  Use caution regarding the switches (spray cleaner on the cleaning cloth and not on the switch!).  We suggest adding this to your weekly list.

Garbage disposals and trash cans.  The things we use to get rid of trash can end up being some of the absolute worst.  Garbage disposals not only run the risk of odors and buildup, they can fail prematurely without proper cleaning.  Trash cans – both inside the home and the ones you take to the curb - can be a virtual haven for bacteria and need to be disinfected on a regular schedule.

Refrigerator and freezer gaskets.  What’s a gasket you ask?  It’s the rubber seal that lines the doors and drawers of your fridge and freezer.  Food debris, dried liquids, and crumbs all get caught in it very easily.  Cleaning it so that it doesn’t have buildup is a huge benefit to energy efficiency of the refrigerator – but more importantly can help prevent food from spoiling early.  And make sure to do the bottom part of it too.  This can be done a couple of times a year but doing it once a month helps keep it a quick task.

Clean the dishwasher.  Not unlike the washing machine, you might think that this appliance gets clean in the process of cleaning things.  And you couldn’t be more wrong.  Dishwashers have filters that need emptied, gaskets that need cleaned, water-powered arms that get clogged, and can experience buildup just like any other thing.  Most dishwashers can have their drawers, spray arms, debris baskets/filters, etc all removed for cleaning.  And once those are clean, we recommend running a cycle with a cleaning agent (those of you on septic systems be careful what you use!).  Filters should be done weekly, with the deep cleaning effort done once a month.  Doing these once a month at a minimum will help reduce potential negative health impact considerably.