Problem areas in houses share similar challenges

— Everyone’s home is different. One person may not like to clean his bathroom, while his neighbor may hate cleaning the kitchen. That means every home will be different in terms of the areas that need the most cleaning in the springtime.

Closets and garages are two common areas that often need a bit of extra attention during spring cleaning, according to Suzi James of Spectrum Organizing LLC.

“Wet areas” like bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and mud rooms pose the biggest challenge, according to designer Daniel Grady Faires. “The wet areas in your home take consistent daily abuse, so they require a lot more focus and elbow grease to clean,” he says.

There are problem areas common to many, if not all, houses.

Dust bunnies aren’t your friend. “Probably the number one thing that’s neglected in the home is dusting,” says Vanessa Hearnsberger, owner of Uneedamaid Cleaning Services in Little Rock. “Some homeowners will do all the hard work cleaning the bathrooms and cleaning the kitchen, but they most often neglect dusting throughout the house.” Check the tops of your doorways, windowsills and the kitchen cabinets, as these are among the dustiest well-hidden spots in the home, according to experts.

Don’t forget the window treatments. “That’s really something people forget when doing spring cleaning,” says Meg Caswell Holladay of HGTV’s Design Star. “Vacuum them, dust them — or, if you need to, wash them or have them dry-cleaned.”

De-junk your junk drawer. “We all have drawers that become ‘storeall’ spots,” Faires says. “These areas are so neglected that you may be surprised, when you start digging, at some of the useless stuff you’ve accumulated over the years.” Faires suggests dumping the contents of your junk drawer onto a towel or sheet to sort through it. “Also, be sure to wipe down and disinfect the drawer before returning only the contents you need,” he says.

Toss out old makeup and medicine. Prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and cosmetics have a shelf life. “The active ingredients in most health and beauty products lose their effectiveness over time,” James says. “Most lotions have a shelf life up to 12 months — two years if unopened — and products with antioxidants or vitamins A, C or E expire quickly because of their sensitivity to light.” Likewise, most medications should be thrown out after a year.

Break out — and clean up — the welcome mat. “Vacuum both sides of interior mats or throw them in the wash if possible,” Faires says. “Beat the snot out of exterior mats.”

Do the heavy lifting. Be sure to clean under large furniture like beds, sofas, dressers and tables, Faires says. “Spring cleaning is the time to move these bigger items out of the way and clean them,” he says.

HomeStyle, Pages 36 on 03/24/2012

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