If you are like many Americans, you probably have a lot on your plate. You might work, keep up on fitness goals, shuttle children all around town, be responsible for grocery shopping and all the other tasks that life throws your way. Amongst all the busyness, understandably so, deep cleaning in hard to reach areas can sometimes take the back burner. We tell ourselves, "I will get to it next time" when in reality we keep pushing it off further and further. Below we have compiled a list of the dirtiest places that you've overlooked and where all those dust and germs are hiding.

1) Underneath Appliances - You might be quick shocked to see what is hiding if you were to pull out your oven or your fridge. Even checking under you washer and dryer for lint balls and lost socks is important. Recommended cleaning at least quarterly.

2) Ceiling Fans - We all know how important indoor air quality is for lung health. Cleaning off the blades of your ceiling fan will help keep you from recirculating all that dust and dander. Removing this dust entirely should help keep other areas dust free too. Recommended cleaning at least monthly.

3) Shower Curtains or Shower Door Tracks - Soap scum is really part soap and part germs. Changing out your shower curtain quarterly will help keep your bathroom smelling fresh. But if you're like me, you have showers doors and a track that they slide in. Cleaning out these tough to reach areas is so important. You can use vinegar and an old toothbrush to get into those tough to reach areas. If you notice any build up or funky shower smells, it is time to get at it again. Recommended cleaning at least quarterly.

4) Light Switches and Door Handles - You might not notice it at first but take a closer look. You will notice build up from the oils on your hands mixed with dust and dirt.  You can also include door frames into this category. Easy to take care of and recommended cleaning at least monthly.

5) Curtains - Your curtains are fabric. Fabric absorbs odors. Fabric also attracts dust via static electricity. Pull them off he curtain rods and wash them every other month to keep living areas fresh. Recommended cleaning at least quarterly.

6) Baseboards - If you are like me and have pets, baseboards are my least favorite thing to clean. It doesn't really matter how often we clean them, pet hair ends up there again... Pro Tip: When vacuuming, run the attachment across the tops of your baseboards while you are already cleaning the floors. Recommended cleaning as needed or monthly.

7) Trash Cans - Washing out the inside of your garbage cans with some vinegar or soapy water and letting it sit over night. Then rinse and let air dry before putting a back inside it. Juices and germs slip through the bags sometimes and this build up can get very smelly. Recommended cleaning at least quarterly.

8) Air Vents and HVAC - If you have a ducted heating or cooling system installed in your home, you know where the air flow comes out of the registers. When the warm air of your home and cool air of your A/C meet, it can create a little bit of moisture. These vents combined with the small amount of moisture are DUST MAGNETS! Recommended cleaning at least monthly. On top of that, you HVAC air intake system will suck dust and allergens into the system. Recommended filter replacement monthly and having a HVAC system tune up and component cleaning yearly (in peak seasons, HVAC contractors are more expensive and its more difficult to schedule so plan ahead).

9) Window Blinds - We already covered curtains but blinds are an entirely different beast. I cannot tell you how many times I have shown homes to potential home buyers and when we look at the quality of windows, they always point out how dust and dirty the blinds are. You might not be selling your home any time soon (or maybe you are) but good air quality is important in any home. Get that dust off the blinds with a damp towel or microfiber cloth. Recommended cleaning twice per year.

These home cleaning tips are brought to you by AJ Brungardt at Front Door Realty. Come back for more home tips or reach out to us at (360) 904-4956 for more info about buying or selling a home in the Portland/Vancouver Metro Area.