How to Clean Hard
to Reach Places

When it comes to time-consuming household chores, cleaning those hard-to-reach places in your home has to be near the top of the list. Whether dusting ceiling fans or scrubbing behind the toilets, overextending your reach can be a dangerous activity, leading to falls, sprains and other injuries. Although it’s tempting to overlook areas that are difficult to reach, allowing dirt, dust and grime to accumulate only leads to a tougher cleaning job down the line. The following timesaving tips can help you clean every corner and crevice of your home quickly and efficiently.

Tools for Hard-To-Reach Places

While you don’t have to invest in a fancy new vacuum with a dozen attachments to get hard-to-reach surfaces clean, ensuring that you have the right tools at hand saves you time and effort. A low-cost duster with an extendable handle is extremely useful. Thin flexible dusters are great for cleaning tight spots like the spaces between electronic components in home entertainment centers. Pick up a stack of microfiber cloths too. They’re far more effective at picking up tiny particles than ordinary dust cloths.

A step stool is a must-have piece of furniture for a clean reach that won’t leave you teetering on an unstable chair or table. If you have high ceilings, you’ll need a sturdy ladder and a helper who will make sure it stays stable while you work. It’s never a good idea to scale a ladder when you’re home alone.

Brush It Off

Painters’ brushes are useful tools for hard-to-reach places too. Tied to the end of a mop handle, they make it easy to sweep away dust from ceilings and crown molding. Brushes are perfect for cleaning chandeliers as well. They’re also great for dusting pleated lampshades, window blinds and shutters.

Ceiling Fans

Dusting ceiling fans with an attachment designed to fit around the blades is the easiest way to keep them clean and shining, but if it’s been a while since you cleaned the fan, try this clever trick. Slip a pillowcase over each blade and use it to remove the dust. This will prevent dust from flying all over the room.

Cabinet Tops

Dust and grime build up on hard-to-reach surfaces like cabinet tops, forming a sticky substance that can be tough to get clean. Wiping the area with a dry cloth only makes matters worse. Use a grease-fighting dish soap and damp sponge to lift the grime, and then wipe the mess away with a clean rag.

Behind the Toilet

This disagreeable job becomes even more unpleasant the longer you postpone it, so resolve to include the task every time you clean the toilet. Regularly wiping the area with a damp cloth means you won’t have to spend extra time scrubbing and disinfecting the space later. To prevent mold and mildew, wipe the area dry after each cleaning.

At The Maids, our professionals understand that those hard-to-reach places require as much attention as any other surface to keep your home clean and healthy. If you’d rather be out pursuing your favorite activities than stuck at home learning how to clean hard-to-reach places, just give us a call at 1-800-THE-MAIDS. We’ll make sure that everything gets that deep-down clean you crave.