Let’s just start with one fine point before you feel waves of judgment: I am not telling you that you’re a bad mom if you don’t wash your walls or that I’m better than you because I clean my dishwasher filter. I had to learn all of this somehow; a lot of it came from my mom, but some came from friends and blew my mind. Others showed up on a random internet list, and I frantically ran and checked if that did, indeed, come apart (cue the mold cringe.) Also, don’t be sitting there wondering how on Earth I remember all this ish; I put monthly, quarterly, and yearly calendar reminders into Google, and I sync it to Alexa so she cheerfully chimes in, “Good Morning, Molly, don’t forget to clean the washing machine.” Having a scheduled routine is what works for me; that doesn’t mean it fits you and your family.
Let’s be honest, and sometimes I forget to zip my pants or turn off the faucet in the kitchen, so in the spirit of the new year and new beginnings. You probably forgot to clean that.
Did you know that your washers need washing?
Yes, yes, they do. These beautiful workhorses clean and sanitize your dishes and your clothes. They run every single day. In a perfect world, they would be, well, cleaning themselves while they clean your belongings, but they are actually enclosed wet spaces that are breeding grounds for mold and gunk. In most dishwashers nowadays, there is a removable filter in the bottom of your machine that can be twisted and removed. Don’t look too closely. Just drop it in some hot, soapy water and let it sit. I like to use dawn powerwash in the bottom, door, and the seal around the outside and let it just fizz away.
Most of the time that does the trick, but if it’s your first time cleaning, you may need a little elbow grease a-la toothbrush or scrubber. Once you get that clean- throw some baking soda in the bottom, make sure the big gunk is off the filter and pieces, and throw them in the top rack with a bowl full of vinegar. Run that thing on the hottest cycle you have (I have a sanitize button) and give it a chance to clean itself without the dirty dishes. Your washer is almost identical, except your filter is likely at the bottom of your machine (it can be twisted and pulled out, but make sure you have a tray or bowl handy because water is going to come out) or if you have an agitator the top of that likely twists off. You will likely need to use a toothbrush to clean the rubber ring around your drum. The outside probably looks clean, but check in between the layers. Your detergent drawer comes out as well, I have to push down on the sides and pull it out, but even with monthly cleaning, it is usually growing something black or red. Replace your tray or fill up your rinse depository with vinegar and, you guessed it, run it on hot and let it go. Wipe up the outside while they both run and, voila! So don’t forget to wash your washers!
Did you move into your house and immediately acquire a plethora of window coverings?
New curtains, blinds, shades- they go up, and they likely haven’t come down. I’m sorry, I truly am, because this is not a fun task. They should come down about twice a year to be cleaned. Throw your curtains in the wash! To avoid ironing them, I dry them on low for five minutes, hang them back up, and let gravity do its thing. While they’re down, make sure to dust your curtain rod and prepare to be amazed. While we’re talking about curtains… throw your shower curtain in the wash and replace your plastic liner; the same steps for drying! Blinds, even the wood-look vinyl ones, pop out of their brackets and just go into a tub filled with hot, soapy water. Swish them around and let them soak. I tend to do these in batches and then empty the tub for the rinsing. You can let them dry in the tub until they’re no longer dripping, but then hang them back up, extend them all the way, and let them dry.
Light switches and doorknobs.
You probably touch these hundreds of times a day, especially if you have kids. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about these things in the course of my life, so I often forget to clean them! Grab a spray bottle with warm water, a couple of drops of dawn, and two tablespoons of vinegar. I use a microfiber cloth, and I grab a magic eraser. Go room by room, wipe them down, and pay attention to the areas around them on the wall and on the door; constant touching leaves behind dirt that you haven’t even noticed because you were too busy hollering to everyone to turn off the lights!
When I was first married, I went to hang up some wedding pictures months later, and while I was up close and personal with my hammer and level, I noticed that my wall looked a little…fuzzy. This is usually something that is noticeably worse in carpeted rooms and ones that have ceiling fans running often. I know this seems extreme, but it’s actually changed the color of my paint before (bleh), and your walls are actually harboring a ton of dust and allergens! I usually just “mop” my walls with a Swiffer, either the dry pad or just a damp microfiber added like you would a regular pad. If you’re feeling your podcast or those 90’s jams, you can actually just mop your walls with warm water and a little vinegar (sometimes I add lemon essential oils) just make sure you don’t have a dripping mop. The bonus of this method is that you can just mop those pesky baseboards instead of crawling around on your hands and knees.
Most ovens have a self clean and I heartily encourage you to work smarter, not harder and just leave that task to the machines.
Unfortunately, you will likely have to remove your oven racks for the self-cleaning, and I have always just given up on those. They don’t fit in the sink, they’re awkward, and your husband has permanently adhered pizza to them. Guess what? After dinner, grab them and bring them to the bathroom. Lay a beach towel on the floor of your tub; your racks will lay on top, and this avoids scratching your tub. Now, this is where it gets weird: lay some good ol’ dryer sheets on top of the towel, put an oven rack down, lay some more dryer sheets, and then layer the next rack. Fill your tub with the hottest water it can manage, and sprinkle in a couple more dryer sheets. Then, walk away, go to sleep, and tackle it when you get a chance; when I say tackle, I mean grab one of those dryer sheets the next day and just wipe them down with the dryer sheet. Every once in a while, I have to scrub a bit with a dryer sheet, but most of the time, they are just…clean. I don’t think about how or what on Earth is in a dryer sheet to perform such sorcery. I just appreciate it and move on.
Do I get to this stuff every time I should? Certainly not. I do try; calendar reminders help, and I also let the other members of my household know that they are welcome to pitch in. Whether you forgot or you didn’t know, sometimes cleaning needs to be learned and certainly needs a reminder. So there are some tips and tricks. There are a lot of things in my life and house that I just forget to clean. They are meant to be helpful, not to be another thing you need to do or not do.
