It’s almost time for spring cleaning! Before we get too carried away, let’s take a moment to try to remember the nastiest, filthiest parts of the home, some of which you surely haven’t cleaned in a while. Make sure to put these spots on your list!

Items You’ve Likely Forgotten to Clean

• Toaster: If you enjoy toast every once in a while, like me, and then don’t clean out the crumbs, you have a very dangerous fire hazard on your hands.
• Dish Rack: You may sense a theme with this list: A lot of the things that are the most dirty often aid us in cleaning. Every once in a while, you should disinfect your dish-drying rack.
• Dishwasher: Your dishwasher is always full of soap and running water, so how can it get dirty? Trust me; it does. Some recommend washing out your dishwasher with vinegar once a month. Run a cycle with vinegar and a cycle with baking soda using these instructions and you’ll be good to go.
• Laundry Machine: If you don’t always use bleach, your washing machine can be a dirty place. Start a warm cycle with no clothes and add five cups of white vinegar. Do this every six months.
• Under the Range Hood: This is a specific type of unpleasant grease that many people really don’t want to deal with. Pop out the filter and go to town with hot, hot water and baking soda.
• Refrigerator Parts: Black mold is very dangerous to the health of you and your family, and even if you don’t see any evidence of it, the fridge can be a breeding ground for other molds and hidden germs and should occasionally be cleaned. Pay special attention to the rubber sealant on your refrigerator door as well as fridge shelves and bins.
• Laundry baskets: Dirty laundry teems with bacteria, and if you’re like some of my relatives, who like to fold clean laundry in the same basket they used to carry the dirty laundry, maybe don’t. At the very least, disinfect it first.
• Between, Under, and Behind Appliances: These dust bunnies can be ugly, and they can also be a fire hazard.
• The Top of Your Cabinets and Fridge: How often do you go up there? I find that between cabinets and the refrigerator is where a lot of the worst dust bunnies live.
• Ceiling fan: Don’t keep blowing the same dust throughout your home over and over. Use this super-simple trick with a pillowcase to clean it without getting the dust everywhere.
• Pillows: Should you clean your pillows? Do you like sleeping on pests and dead skin? Dirty pillows can be very bad for respiratory health, and most people don’t realize they can usually just throw them in the washing machine. (Pay attention to the instructions for drying, and if they allow machine-drying, throw a few clean tennis balls in there, too, to keep them fluffy.)
• Coffee Makers: Drip coffee machines apparently are one of the kitchen appliances teeming with the most bacteria in many homes, probably because so few know how to clean it. Just run it with vinegar and hot water every once in a while.
• Makeup Brushes: Ladies (and some men), please don’t put bacteria on your face or in your eyes over and over. There are several methods to clean these brushes, but I’m told that baby shampoo works best.
• Yoga/Exercise Mat: Foot fungus, sweat, dirt, and bacteria hang out where you like to be spiritually centered. Use some detergent and water and hose it down, or, if you don’t have time before class, spray it down with water mixed with tea tree oil (because then, it will smell good, too, as you’re doing camels).
• Bath Mat: It’s holding all of that water from your shower collected in one rug; throw it in the laundry.
• Cleaning Items Themselves: When you’re absolutely done spring cleaning, consider taking the time to freshen up your vacuum and broom, as it will extend their usefulness and cleaning them will help prevent spreading illness. Remember to clean your vacuum’s filter, too.
• Garbage Pails: I clean these really frequently, myself. It might be time to break out the bleach.
• Shower Curtain and Rod: Don’t be cheap; replace your shower curtain every once in a while, and wipe down that rod, too. The top is where people often don’t clean, where there’s rust or soap buildup.

Items You Should Probably Disinfect More Often

• Doorknobs
• Toilet and faucet handles
• Light switches
• Your smartphone, tablet, or device (plus their cases and where you put them)
• Plastic credit cards
• Remote control
• Your purse (and where you usually set it down)
• Towel and toilet paper holders
• Bath towels
• Sponges (especially kitchen sponges)
• Kitchen knobs, switches, and buttons
• Pet bowls, beds, and toys
• Toothbrush cup/holder