11 household jobs you’re not doing – but should be

How clean is your home really? Provided that, on a regular basis, you wipe the surfaces, run the vacuum round, put product down the toilet basin and change the bedsheets, your answer will probably be “perfectly clean, thank you very much”. Yet most of us are overlooking some of the dirtiest parts of our home simply because you never realised they needed cleaning (or at least, not until they start to smell or stop working properly). Ann Russell, a professional cleaner and author of the books How to Clean Everything and How to Be an Adult, knows this all too well. Here, she reveals the household jobs most people don’t realise they ought to be doing – and exactly how to do them properly… Clean your curtains “Curtains are almost invisible – which is why people forget they need cleaning. But given that they really hang on to dust, dirt, grease and smells, they should be cleaned more regularly than you think. This is particularly true for curtains anywhere near where you cook or eat, as well as ones hanging in a room with a fire or log burner. Dust, dirt and grime can easily build up on curtains (Photo: Olga Pankova/Getty) “Run a vacuum over your curtains at least once a month to stop dust building up. Then, wash them – or have them dry cleaned – every six months to a year. Make sure you check the care label before throwing them in your washing machine: linen, velvet and lined curtains are generally safer at the dry cleaner because these fabrics can shrink and the linings can get weakened. Smaller, washable curtains can go through the machine on the appropriate gentle cycle, then be air-dried and ironed before rehanging.” Wash your washing machine “People assume a washing machine cleans itself because it spends its life full of detergent and water, but the inside can get full of grime and gunk – all of which can affect how well it operates. Shorts “So, every three or four months, run it on a cleaning cycle using one of the proprietary washing-machine cleaners – they’re inexpensive, so always worth buying rather than trying to make your own. While you’re at it, take the detergent drawer out too and give that a good scrub. “The rubber door seal also needs separate attention because the cleaning cycle doesn’t necessarily reach into all its folds. If it’s mouldy, use a little cream cleaner and a toothbrush, get right into the nooks and crannies, then rinse thoroughly. Most importantly, never shut the washing-machine door when it isn’t in use. Leave it ajar so the seal can dry rather than sitting damp and developing mildew.” Deep-clean the dishwasher For clean crockery, clean your dishwasher regularly (Photo: Super Scout/Getty) “The dishwasher is another machine we expect to clean itself, right up until everything suddenly starts coming out dirty. I recommend giving it a proper clean roughly once a month. Don’t just put a cleaning sachet in and press a button though – take the filter out and clean it thoroughly, wipe around the interior and the door seals, then remove the spray arms (the bits that spin). Depending on your model, they’ll normally unclip or unscrew. “Check every hole in those arms because it only takes something the size of a piece of sweetcorn to block one. If a hole is blocked, that particular area of the dishwasher gets less water. Clear anything stuck in there, put everything back, then add your dishwasher cleaner and run the hottest cleaning cycle. It makes an enormous difference.” Tackle the toaster “Toasters are very easy to ignore because we only see the outside, while inside them lurks an extraordinary number of crumbs. Apart from being unhygienic, old crumbs can smoke and, occasionally, cause a fire. “Every time I clean the kitchen, I use the hose attachment of the vacuum to hoover up any crumbs lying around on the surfaces – and do the toaster while I’m at it. But I also would recommend giving the toaster a proper clean at least once a month. Unplug it, empty the crumb tray if it has one, then then gently tip and shake it in different directions to loosen the crumbs either into a bin, or outside for the birds. “For stubborn crumbs caught on the internal grills, I use a little stiff artist’s brush to loosen them very carefully. Don’t poke at the heating elements themselves because they’re fragile. And before you put it back, clean the worktop behind and underneath where the toaster was, as chances are it is grimy.” Steam the microwave Steaming your microwave is a surprisingly easy and effective way to keep it clean (Photo: dikushin/Getty) “The microwave is another thing people don’t necessarily notice getting dirty because so much of the splatter ends up on the roof, but you should be cleaning it monthly, or even weekly if you use it a lot. If it has that vague smell of stew every time you open the door – regardless of whether you have been cooking stew – then it is time to give it a deep clean. “You can make the job much easier with steam. Put a microwave-safe mug or bowl of water inside and microwave it for about three or four minutes. Then leave the door shut for around 10 minutes so the steam has time to soften all the dried-on splatters. Afterwards, carefully remove it and wipe the ceiling, sides, base, door and turntable with a cloth.” Scrub the extractor fan “Extractor fans get nasty really fast, but people forget them because we tend to clean the kitchen by looking down at the worktops rather than up. The whole point of the extractor is to capture grease, steam and grime from the air, so all of that has to end up somewhere. “Quite a lot of that ends up in the filter. I’d check yours every month or two and clean it as soon as the mesh starts looking greasy. Most modern extractors have aluminium mesh filters that simply unclip and can go through the dishwasher – check your manufacturer’s instructions first. “If you don’t have a dishwasher, take the filters out and soak them in hot water with a little laundry detergent, which is very good at breaking down grease. Give them a gentle scrub if necessary, rinse thoroughly and let them dry completely before putting them back.” Vacuum your mattress Russell recommends vacuuming your mattress once every year (Photo: Fenton Roman/Getty) “Mattresses are forgotten because once the sheet is on, you don’t see them. The first thing I’m militant about is using a mattress protector. Mattresses are expensive and take forever to dry; if you spill a mug of tea, I’d far rather wash a protector than deal with a wet mattress. “Wash the protector every couple of months – or every couple of weeks if you sweat heavily. About once a year, strip the bed and vacuum the mattress very thoroughly, including the sides and, if it can be turned, underneath. Check your manufacturer’s instructions about rotating or flipping it, because while some require it, many modern memory-foam mattresses shouldn’t be turned.” Dust your light bulbs “Light bulbs are one of those things you can go years without consciously looking at. Dust gradually builds up on the bulb and fitting and eventually you find yourself thinking, ‘I can’t see anything,’ without quite knowing why the room has become so gloomy. “Every six months, switch the lights off and let the bulbs become completely cold – never wipe a hot bulb with a damp cloth. Dust or vacuum the shade and fitting, then gently wipe the bulb itself with a slightly damp cloth and let everything dry. Once you’ve cleaned them, switch the lights back on. You will be amazed at the difference.” Descale your toilet cistern “People clean the toilet bowl constantly but almost never think about what is happening inside the cistern. If you live in a hard-water area, limescale can build up around the internal mechanism and stop the valve closing properly. That’s when you get those loos that constantly trickle water down the back of the bowl – wasting water and depositing even more limescale as they do it. “I descale mine about once a month. You do need to follow the advice for your particular toilet and whatever descaling product you use, because toilet mechanisms and seals vary. In my own cistern, I add a suitable descaler last thing at night so it has time to work before the toilet is flushed again in the morning. Also keep an eye out for that tell-tale trickle. Dealing with scale before the mechanism becomes badly clogged is much easier than waiting until something stops working properly.” Disinfect your bins Bins can start to smell quickly without regular attention (Photo: triocean/Getty) “Just because you use liners doesn’t mean the inside of your bin stays clean. Things leak, bags split and tiny bits of food and liquid end up underneath them, attracting fruit flies and leaving an unpleasant smell. Which is why you should wipe kitchen bins whenever you change the bag, and give them a proper wash every few weeks. “Take the bin outside or into the bath or shower, use hot water and ordinary washing-up liquid or household cleaner, paying particular attention to the bottom, lid and any grooves, then rinse it and allow it to dry completely before putting another liner in.” Check your vacuum cleaner filters “The vacuum cleaner is another appliance that people use to clean everything else while completely forgetting that it needs cleaning itself. Filters gradually fill with fine dust, and if you neglect them you can reduce the machine’s suction and make the motor work harder. “Exactly what you need to do depends on the model, so always check the manual. Some have washable filters, in which case remove them and rinse them as the manufacturer specifies – normally with water rather than detergent – until the water runs clear. Then leave them to air-dry completely, ideally for at least 24 hours, before putting them back. Never put a damp filter into the vacuum. “If the filter isn’t designed to be washed, tap or brush it clean or replace it according to the instructions, and you will probably need to replace every six months or so depending on how much you use it.”