Site last updated: Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Log In

Reset Password
MENU
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Dirty Secrets

Cleaning your home's hidden grime and germs

You keep a pretty clean home. Sure, sometimes your rigid cleaning schedule has to bend here and there to accommodate life, but your house/apartment/condo stays pretty darn tidy.

You’re not bragging or anything, but you certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. You clean all the usual suspects: kitchen sinks, counters and floors. Bathroom countertop, toilets, showers. You vacuum the carpets, dust the furniture, and maybe even hit the blinds and curtains now and then.

Good to go? Maybe, maybe not. There’s a whole host of everyday objects and high-use home appliances that may often go overlooked during cleaning jags. And failure to be a completist when it comes to cleaning may not have that many obvious repercussions, but it can cost you in terms of appliance and electronic performance, allergy attacks and general hygiene.

So go ahead. Grab a bucket, a can of compressed air and a little extra bleach. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to expand that household chore list by a couple of items.

Toilet brushesDifficulty: Minimal. Some grossness factor, though.You religiously clean your toilet, because, y’know, ewww. But do you make sure to clean the mechanism that cleans the toilet?“Your toilet brush should be cleaned every time you use it,” cautions Shana Cowart of Bed Bath & Beyond. “Rinse it after every use and replace the head when needed.”Not doing so could mean growing a little Petri dish of germs in the corner of your bathroom.Cowart doesn’t recommend doing anything extreme. “Just rinse it after every use. If you feel like it’s still not clean, pour some bleach on it.”

Ceiling and attic fansDifficulty: Varies, from rather simple to a little bit complex.Fans pose a little bit more of a challenge than toilet brushes because they’re quite a bit less accessible.That being said, “if you stay on top of keeping ceiling and attic fans clean, it’s a pretty easy process,” says Bryan Dunning, assistant store manager of the Lowe’s in Gladstone, Mo.Ceiling fans are rather simple, though you may need a long duster or stepladder to really get the job done (“with a vaulted ceiling, it may not be as feasible,” Dunning said).The key is dedication. Hit the ceiling fan blades with disposable dusting pads every couple of weeks, and you should be fine. Naturally, if you wait significant stretches between cleanings, expect a lot of dust falloff when you finally do get around to it.Attic fans are a bit trickier.“Step 1 is to definitely make sure you have your breaker turned off. Since the switch is usually below the fan, you don’t want to be near one when someone turns it on,” Dunning said. “They can put out a lot of power.”Cleaning attic fans is fairly similar to ceiling units.“You can use a mild cleaning solution and wipe off the metal blades,” Dunning said. “And with the motor, you can use a can of compressed air to clean out any dust and dirt.”Dunning suggests syncing attic fan cleaning with your furnace filter changing. Cleaning both kinds of fans gives the same benefit: less debris in the air and a longer appliance life span. Dunning also notes that dirty and dusty motors run hotter, meaning less efficient cooling.

Homer audio speakersDifficulty: Simple. And a light touch is definitely preferred.Jennifer Braniff-Harmon of Best Buy’s Geek Squad, says that if noticeable dust is building up on the exterior of your speakers, it’s time to clean them.Gentleness is the key.“Remember not to spray the speaker case or grill directly and especially avoid using harsh chemicals,” she cautions. “A dry or water-damp cloth is the ideal cleaning method.”

Keyboard and mouseDifficulty: More time-consuming than you might think, especially if you eat near your computer.A quick rule of thumb from Braniff-Harmon, when it comes to cleaning tech equipment: “You don’t have to overspend on cleaning products, as most devices can be cleaned with common household ingredients. Eyeglass cleaning wipes are cheap and contain rubbing alcohol for sanitizing, making them my favorite for cellphone, keyboard, headphone and monitor cleaning.”And the computer keyboard (and sometimes mouse) “are some of the dirtiest gadgets in your tech lineup.”Braniff-Harmon recommends sanitizing after any illness or at least every three months. If you eat near your keyboard and it’s growing fairly crumby, take care of it sooner.

Refrigerator ice makerDifficulty: Involved. Varies with model.Dust isn’t likely to be a significant issue with your refrigerator ice maker, but other concerns may arise.“If you look at your ice, and it’s getting discolored, that’s a sign that it’s a good idea to clean your ice maker,” Lowe’s Dunning said. First, check your owner’s manual.Typically, Dunning said, it will involve turning off the ice maker and shutting off the water to the water line. You’ll probably have to let the water run through, then use a mild detergent to clean the line. A mild detergent solution can also be used on the various parts of the ice maker.“A lot of units now have a filter with the ice maker. These filters can last for different times, and some will give you an indication when they need to be changed,” he said.

More in Undefined

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS