There are a few things that hardly ever get cleaned in your home, yet when they get forgotten, they make your home look neglected. To make sure your home looks and feels cared for, take a few extra minutes to clean glass light fixtures and overlooked items at least every three months, or more often if you’ll be entertaining.
Light fixtures
When light fixtures are clean you really don’t notice them, but when they are foggy and filled with cobwebs and dust they definitely let your guests know you’re not paying attention to the little things. The best part about cleaning your light fixtures is that you have an appliance in your home that’s willing to do this job for you – just pop the fixtures in your dishwasher.
Wipe any dried on water spots with a damp microfiber cloth. If you can’t take the fixture down from the ceiling, use a microfiber cloth on an extension rod to remove the dust. Also clean glass globes from chandeliers and sconces in the dishwasher after removing them from the fixture.
Glass shelves
Glass shelving is beautiful inside cabinets and showcases. Even though they’re inside a cabinet they still get dirty. Dust and dirt work their way inside the cabinet and turn those beautiful shelves into a dusty foggy mess. Clean glass shelving by removing the items on the shelf and using a fine woven microfiber cloth designed specifically for glass.
Make sure the cloth is damp, not wet. After wiping the cloth over the glass shelf, finish with a dry microfiber cloth which will make the glass look perfect. If It’s been awhile since you’ve cleaned the shelves, you may want to take a minute and wipe the underside of the shelf as well.
Hardware
Door handles and drawer pulls are another often-overlooked item when cleaning the kitchen cabinets, but they’re some of the grimiest places in your home. Hand oils mix with dirt and dust to create a thick residue that can remove the finish on your hardware, so this hardware should get cleaned every three months to prevent damaging buildup.
Clean the handles and pulls with some soapy water and a gentle cloth to wash away oils and leave the pulls looking like new. For severe buildup, spray some rubbing alcohol onto a microfiber cloth and wipe them down to break up the grease and grime. Then finish by washing with warm soapy water, a cleansing rinse and towel dry.
Fan blades
Have you ever leaned back to relax in your recliner only to notice a huge amount of dust on the blades of your ceiling fan? Ceiling fans collect dust whether they are moving or not. People think that turning on a fan will remove the dust. Not so. Even a moving fan paddle collects dust on the front edge of the paddle. A quick trick to removing the dust from a ceiling fan is to use a pillow case. Put the open end of the case over the fan paddle. Hold the pillow case against the paddle and pull it off. The dust on the top and sides of the fan paddle will come off inside the pillow case to avoid getting dust all over the room. Then simply take the dusty pillowcase to the wash.
About Leslie
Leslie Reichert is a cleaning expert that uses her sparkling personality, great sense of humor and contagious passion to encourage her fans and followers to think differently about what they are using in their homes. Leslie is known as a Green Cleaning Coach and she is changing the world – “one spray bottle at a time”. She is a national lecturer, a frequent homekeeping expert on The Dr. Oz Show, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Maid Brigade’s DIY Cleaning Expert and author of the book: The Joy Of Green Cleaning. She works with Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, Today.com and other national publications. You can find her at www.greencleaningcoach.com
