5 Things Almost Everyone Forgets to Clean

 Can Opener

First up is that can opener in your kitchen drawer. According to studies, most can openers harbor bacteria like salmonella and e.Coli. Here's how to clean a can opener the right way. 

  1. After every use, wash the can opener with hot water and dish soap, making sure to clean the gears and cutting wheel. Then (this is the important part!) dry it with a dish cloth, and let it air dry with the handles open to allow air to circulate and prevent rust. 
  2. If you haven't kept up with cleaning your can opener regularly and gunk has built up on it, clamp the wheels onto a layered piece of paper towel and turn the handle to help remove any residue. 
  3. To disinfect, combine 1 teaspoon bleach with 1 gallon of hot water. Spritz this mixture onto the can opener, including the gears, and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping away with a cloth. Rinse, and then dry the can opener. 
  4. Once the can opener is completely dry, prevent rust by applying a small amount of food-grade mineral oil to the gears using a clean cloth.

Toaster Crumb Tray

Up next, it's time to decrumb your toaster! As many people on TikTok have recently learned, the standard 2- or 4-slice toaster oftentimes has a removable crumb tray. But if you don't know about this hidden compartment, you may still be shaking your toaster upside down to remove crumbs. Follow these steps to clean out your toaster's crumb tray.

  1. Look at the bottom of the toaster for a handle that pulls out. Carefully remove the tray and dump the crumbs into the garbage. 
  2. If needed, you can wash the tray with warm water and dish soap before drying thoroughly and replacing the tray.

Plant Leaves

You water your houseplants and make sure they're getting enough sunlight, but do you clean their leaves? Dusting the leaves of your houseplant not only makes them look clean and shiny, but it can also help them get more sunlight, aiding them in photosynthesis. Here's how to clean plant leaves for a beautiful, healthy houseplant.

  1. The easiest way to clean plant leaves is to wipe them gently with a damp cloth while holding the underside of the leaf to support it. For plants that don't have large leaves, like succulents, you can mist them with water using a spray bottle. 
  2. To make the plant leaves shiny, skip anything oily that can actually attract more dust. Instead, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a pint of water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and use it to clean the leaves. The lemon juice is acidic and will help prevent mineral deposits from drying on the leaves, leaving them beautiful and shiny.

Light Bulbs

If hearing someone tell you to dust the light bulbs in your home makes you roll your eyes, I don't blame you. But you might be surprised how all of the dust that accumulates on light bulbs can dim their glow over time, especially if you're using long-lasting LED bulbs that you may not change for years. 

  1. When the light is switched off, dust each bulb with a dry cloth first.
  2. If there's any stubborn residue, unscrew the bulb and wipe it with a barely damp cloth, being careful not to get water into the electrical workings of the bulb. Dry the bulb thoroughly before replacing it.

Air Vents

The last thing almost everyone forgets to clean is the air vents in their home. Here's how to properly clean an air vent to avoid wafting dust around the room.

  1. Use the nozzle or brush attachment on your vacuum to remove the dust from the outside of each air vent. 
  2. For a deep cleaning, turn off your heating or air conditioning before unscrewing the air duct cover. Dust both sides of the grate with a microfiber cloth or a soft brush. Rinse and carefully dry each vent cover before replacing it, so that dust won't cling to it.

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