It’s time to face the fact, or dirty fact of cleaning a home – it needs regular attention and care, like most things in our lives (like a husband or kids)! There’s no easy way of lecturing anyone to turn their house upside down, cleaning areas of the house that are buried beneath layers of dust that are as old as you are. There are a number of cleaning tasks that as homeowners you are charged with completing at least a few times a year. It may not be as tedious as vacuuming every day, but these tasks are definitely top of the list of chores no one enjoys doing or to put it nicely ‘conveniently forget’ about.

So here are 4 house cleaning chores no one likes doing!

Cleaning behind the fridge and freezer

This is no easy job and definitely needs an extra pair of hands to assist. Altogether, the time it takes to complete this cleaning task could be anything from 30 minutes to one hour, depending on how thorough you are. Cleaning behind your fridge/freezer is a necessity to ensure the coils that run to the fridge are running efficiently. An accumulation of dust can mix with moisture from the air and create a blockage.

When cleaning your fridge freezer, pull it out using both sides, gently wiggling it towards you. If you’re fortunate to have a fridge on wheels, you won’t need to worry about this step. However if you need to manually pull it out, ask someone to help you. Once you have pulled it out, unplug the mains. Don’t panic as a short time unplugged, won’t affect your food. Start by vacuuming the floor behind where the fridge sits and dust around the condenser coils. Once you have done this, wipe down the back of the wall and any adjacent wall the fridge may sit next to. You can use a damp cloth and soap or surface spray. After you have completed all of these steps, wash the floor and leave it to completely dry, to avoid any skid marks if you put the fridge back too early. Once the floor is bone dry, place the fridge back to its original position –but remember to plug the fridge back in. Now you can begin clearing and cleaning the inside of the fridge, removing all food, containers and jars, wiping everything down and the shelves they sit on.

Photo credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock 

When to do this cleaning job: Couple of times a year

Cleaning out lamp shades

From the period of spring to summer, the increasing temperatures can attract an array of insects, from ants to flies to the incredibly annoying wasps that we all so loathe. Clearing bugs from a lamp shade or overhead fixture is not the most pleasant of cleaning tasks, but over the summer months, these corpses do pile up and though they aren’t dangerous to our health, it is grotesque for you to look at and for the company you entertain.

So first things first, like when you change a light bulb, make sure the switch is off for safety. If you’re climbing on a ladder or chair to reach the fixture, ensure someone is around you to spot. If you’re able to unscrew the dome which the light is attached to, it will make your life easier to take it to the kitchen to clean well. Otherwise, be careful when standing beneath the light and dusting from the inside. Take a damp cloth or anti-bacterial wipe/spray and gently dislodge the dust into a bowl or cloth.

When to do this cleaning job: However often you want – the more your house attracts bugs, the more you’ll have to clean.

Photo credit: Venus Angel/Shutterstock 

Cleaning the bins

You need to change the bin bags at least a couple of times of week, depending on how much waste you go through. But have you ever considered the state of the bin from the inside? Leaking bin bags and escaped crumbs can be the result of a poorly made bag or one that has been too full or too heavy for some time. So it is only natural that dirt can be found beneath the bin liner itself. This job doesn’t take too long if you put your mind to it. Perhaps take it outside and use the hose pipe to thoroughly wash it out, using washing up liquid and a clean sponge and gloves. Try cleaning it out two or three times with soap, to ensure all nasty and unwanted bacteria and the leftover stench is firmly removed. Once washed out, place the bin upside down on some newspaper indoor if the weather is bad, or if it is pleasant and sunny, leave the bin outside on a map to dry.

When to do this cleaning job: At least once a month – think about how often you use your bin.

Photo credit: Suphaksorn Thongwongboot/Shutterstock 

De-crumbing your toaster

Who would have thought you needed to de-crumb your toaster? Besides making a total mess making a slice of toast, think about how many crumbs are generated after every use. It is essential to clean out your toaster from time to time, as the more you use it, your toaster will fill with crumbs and could be at risk of smoke and setting off your fire alarm.

Begin with unplugging the toaster. You will then have a few options. You can either take your toaster outside and shake vigorously until the majority of the crumbs escape from the bottom. Or if you don’t want to go outside, do this process over your sink to avoid an unnecessary mess. Unfortunately due to the way a toaster is made, you cannot clean it out using water and soap as this could be extremely dangerous once turned on again. However, you can clean the outside, the knobs, buttons and the surface of the grills.

When to do this cleaning job: Every month is best to avoid safety risk.

Photo credit: Anastasiia Holubieva/Shutterstock

Feature image credit: Bee Boys/Shutterstock