Spring cleaning: Brandon Pleshek shares tips with Fox News Digital
Cleaning expert and TikTok creator Brandon Pleshek gives cleaning advice for unconventional spaces around the home.
When the weather gets warmer and the flowers start blooming, it's the perfect time to clean for many homeowners.
Annually, Americans use spring as an opportunity to freshen up their homes ahead of the hot summer months.
Spring-cleaning often includes going through old items and getting rid of them, tidying up areas that include build-up, and scrubbing places that are often missed.
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While things like your floors and shelves may seem obvious, there are other spaces in your house that require a good cleaning.
These 10 spots are important to add to your spring-cleaning list, as you probably haven't cleaned them in a while … or maybe ever.
Don't forget these less obvious spots to clean around your house. (iStock)
- Refrigerator vents
- Dryer vents
- Dishwasher filter
- Mattresses
- Curtains
- Toys and gaming devices
- Door knobs, light switches and handles
- Furniture
- Inside light fixtures
- Drains
1. Refrigerator vents
Most people are unaware that the trim at the bottom of the refrigerator is fully detachable – and most likely collecting dust bunnies. While not all refrigerators have this vent, those that do can be vacuumed with a brush-head attachment.
Additionally, pull the refrigerator away from the wall and clean the now-exposed floor (which most likely needs a good vacuuming or mopping itself) – and locate the smaller vent at the back or on the side of the fridge, Brandon Pleshek, cleaning expert, third-generation janitor and founder of Clean That Up, shared with Fox News Digital in an interview.
This vent is also prone to attracting dust and can be vacuumed with the same brush attachment.
The inside of the refrigerator should not be ignored either. Now is a good time to take out all food items and detach drawers and shelves to give the interior a good wipe-down.
It's important to clean the inside of a refrigerator, as well as the vents. (Jim Lane/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
2. Dryer vents
Cleaning out a dryer’s lint filter after every (or a few) loads of laundry is a must – but what about the gunk that’s stuck in the machine’s vent tubes?
To reach down the long tubing, a dryer vent cleaning brush attached to the end of a drill is the best tool to use. The nylon rods that lock together can reach deep into the vent from the outside of the home to pull out stuck lint and residue.
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The use of a shop vac or garbage bag to catch dust remnants outside will prevent you from having to pick up small pieces off the ground later.
You can also push out any lint from the vent on the inside of the home with a leaf blower, according to Pleshek.
3. Dishwasher filter
Not every dishwasher has a secret filter, but newer models have one located at the bottom-middle of the machine. And, yes, it needs to be cleaned.
The cylinder-shaped filter will twist and pull out of its base – and it can then be scrubbed or soaked in the sink with dish soap and warm water. For any odors, soak and rinse with vinegar.
In the case of a stinky dishwasher, placing a cup of vinegar inside the machine during a cycle can also help neutralize odors, according to Pleshek.
Be sure to clean the dishwasher, as it can contain dirt and bacteria. (iStock)
4. Mattresses
There might be a few different methods to the mattress-cleaning madness, but there’s no doubt hydrogen peroxide works just like magic, Pleshek advised.
Misting the top of a mattress with some hydrogen peroxide and wiping it down with a microfiber towel will do the trick for a full clean, he told Fox News Digital.
As we sleep, we’re bound to leave spots on our mattresses from sweat, drool – or maybe some other (better-not-to-mention) yellow spots from little ones or pets.
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Pleshek’s best tip for spot-cleaning stains is to spray hydrogen peroxide and then lift the stain with a spotter machine.
"It’s kind of amazing, hydrogen peroxide," he said. "You spray it on a drool mystery spot on your mattress – you’ll just kind of watch it over a minute just start to disappear."
You'll be able to sleep soundly knowing that your mattress is nice and clean. (iStock)
While you're cleaning your mattress, give the under-the-bed a good look. It's most likely going to be filled with dust bunnies, rolled up socks and maybe even a shirt you thought you lost.
Also, don't forget to run your sheets through the wash every couple of weeks to keep them clean.
5. Curtains
Depending on the type of textile they’re made from, cleaning curtains can be tricky.
For the most part, window curtains will be dusty, so taking a vacuum with a brush-head and sucking up any dust and debris is a good start.
If you are looking for a deeper clean, you can fill a bucket with a drop of dish soap and water and soak the curtains, according to Pleshek.
If your curtains have a tag, check the cleaning instructions first before submerging them in water.
In the shower, your plastic curtain liner can also be thrown in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar to knock out mildew spots. Then, re-hang to dry.
6. Toys and gaming devices
Toys around the house (whether they've been lying on the floor or "tasted" by a toddler) are almost certainly in need of a deep clean. The simplest tip is to throw any plastic or rubber toys into a mesh laundry bag and soak the entire bag in dish soap and water in the sink. The bag can then be rinsed off and air-dried in the sun outside.
Some toys can be thrown right into the dishwasher onto the top rack for a deep, sanitized clean.
As for video game controllers, they can get gunked up from being held by lots of greasy hands.
Video game controllers can be cleaned off with a rubbing alcohol-water mixture. (Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
To clean them, start by combing out residue from the controllers’ crevices with a toothpick and then spray them down with a 50-50 rubbing alcohol-water mixture, Pleshek told Fox News Digital.
After that, they can be wiped clean with a microfiber towel.
7. Doorknobs, light switches and handles
Little things around the house like doorknobs, light switches and handles can often be overlooked.
Don’t forget to simply wipe these down with a disinfectant wipe to keep them clean.
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While you're at it, remember to scrub down your countertops, too.
8. Furniture
Before cleaning your furniture, make sure that you take a look at the material it is made of so that you can use the proper products.
Before you get to that point though, take a vacuum to your furniture to pick up any debris.
To find out how your furniture can be cleaned, check the label. A lot of furniture has a label that includes cleaning codes, which will instruct you on proper cleaning techniques.
Before cleaning furniture, make sure you know you are using products that won't ruin the fabric. (iStock)
It’s vital to do some research beforehand so that you know exactly what is safe to use on your furniture. Even after you research, clean a small area of the furniture first before scrubbing the entire thing to make sure the products you are using aren’t ruining the piece.
Also, while cleaning your furniture, take this as an opportunity to vacuum underneath, another spot that can be forgotten in daily cleaning.
9. Inside light fixtures
Dusting light fixtures is easy and can be done on a weekly basis, but cleaning the inside gets a bit more complicated and can sometimes be forgotten.
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Similar to furniture, the way you clean the inside of your light fixtures is going to depend on the kind of fixture you are cleaning.
The first step is going to be to unscrew the light bulbs and put those to the side.
For light fixtures that can be completely removed, you can scrub them with some soapy water, but for those that cannot, some water and a microfiber cloth should do the trick.
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When cleaning light fixtures, make sure you shut off the lights and give plenty of cool downtime before touching the bulb and beginning the cleaning process.
10. Drains
Cleaning the drains in your house can be done in four simple steps with ingredients you probably have at home.
All you need is baking soda, vinegar and water, according to Liquid Plumr.
You can clean your drain by simply using baking soda, vinegar and water. (Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The first step is to pour boiling water down the drain and follow that up with a homemade solution of 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar, according to the source.
After that, it’s time to wait.
Cover the drain with a plug and allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
To finish up the job, pour some more boiling water down again, according to the source, and you’ll be left with a nice clean drain.
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