We all have those spots in the house that we can’t stand cleaning whether it be the corner behind the toilet that you pretend doesn’t exist or the oven. It’s all too relatable, and even professional cleaners have a few places that they dread cleaning, too.
That’s why we reached out to three cleaning experts to help us kick the bad cleaning habits and beat the procrastination. Not only did they dish about the spots they personally dislike cleaning, but they offered some helpful tips for tackling them too.
Meet the Expert
- Eliana Coca has over 20 years of experience in the cleaning industry and is the founder of professional cleaning service E.C. House Cleaning.
- Muffetta Krueger is the founder of Muffetta’s Housekeeping and has over 15 years of experience.
- Carolina Kazimierski is the co-owner and president of Sophia’s Cleaning Service.
Kitchen Range Hood
Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images
Kitchens are full of tricky-to-clean spots, and some of the most forgotten ones. For Eliana Coca, founder of E.C. House Cleaning, the vent hood is one of her least favorite spots to clean at home.
“Grease and grime build up there quickly, and standard methods often don’t suffice,” she says.
Not to mention, it’s not the easiest place to clean with its multiple parts, including the vent and hood, and where it’s located. Her DIY mixture—a vinegar and baking soda paste—helps blast through grime faster.
“Apply the paste to scrub the hood, then rinse with warm water,” Coca says. “It’s a simple, eco-friendly solution that works wonders.”
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Baseboards
Sometimes the worst areas to clean are the spots you rarely notice. Baseboards, which usually run around the perimeter of each room and don’t get much attention, are certainly subject to this forgotten frustration.
“Though they seem small, baseboards gather dust and dirt, often getting overlooked during regular cleaning,” says Muffetta Krueger, the founder of Muffetta’s Housekeeping.
She has two tips to prevent this decorative trim from becoming a painful chore. Start by making it a weekly habit, and use microfiber cloth or duster, as these can easily reach those hard-to-get spots.
Additionally, she suggests using a Magic Eraser, as it works wonders on grimy baseboards. “Just dampen it slightly and wipe away those unsightly marks effortlessly,” Krueger says.
Shower Grout
The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala
You may be adamant about squeegeeing shower doors and cleaning shower heads, but try not to forget the grout; this can be an especially challenging area.
“It tends to harbor mold in damp environments,” Coca says.
Unfortunately, sometimes using a large pad or brush doesn’t get into all the crevices. Her trick is dipping a toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide and water.
“This gently removes stains without harsh chemicals and helps keep bathrooms looking fresh,” she says.
Fan Blades
Baseboards aren’t the only spaces that are forgotten because they’re out of sight. Fan blades also accumulate dust and dirt over time, and go forgotten for long stretches of time.
“I admit I can forget to clean these spaces frequently, so they’re sometimes pretty gross,” Carolina Kazimierski, co-owner and president of Sophia’s Cleaning Service, says.
Her biggest piece of advice is having the right tools on hand.
“I’ve invested in telescoping microfiber cleaners for wiping off fan blades and high up windowsills,” she says. “Sometimes it’s worth the extra expense for a specific tool to make your life easier.”
High Shelves & Ledges
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Like fan blades, this is other area that Kazimierski says isn’t always top of mind and can be difficult to clean. “They’re just a pain to reach, I can end up bringing dust and dirt down into my face/eyes, and so on,” Kazimierski says.
As a professional, she has some tricks for making it more bearable. As she said for fan blades, it’s completely worth spending on the right tools, whether that’s a special duster or far-reaching cleaning pole with interchangeable heads.
“I tend to wear a mask when I clean high shelves and ledges now,” she adds. This stops her from breathing in dust and nasty particles when reaching high above her head.
The Oven
Most people dread cleaning the oven as it shatters the illusion of a job well done after laboriously making a meal.
“After whipping up a delicious meal, the last thing I want to face is the greasy, baked-on mess left behind,” Krueger says.
It’s another area she says that requires a deeper clean which makes it even more annoying to tackle. Her first method for taking on the oven is a good soak and scrape.
“If the smell of chemicals isn’t appealing, try a vinegar and water solution as a natural alternative to cut through the grease,” Krueger suggests.
She allows a baking soda and water mixture to sit on the greasiest spots for a few hours, then scrapes it all off.
