The neglected areas in your home you should clean now to make your home sparkle for spring, according to a pro

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As the year transitions from winter to spring, now is the best time to give your home some much-needed TLC.

With the annual spring clean lurking around the corner, there are plenty of cleaning tasks you can do around the house now to make the dreaded task go much more smoothly. 

Laura Mountford is a cleaning content creator behind the account @lauracleanaholic, which boasts over a million followers across Instagram and TikTok, and has shared her tips and tricks for where to get scrubbing to make your home shine.

‘There are a few areas in the home that many of us (me included) often forget when doing a regular clean of our homes, so getting ahead and ticking them off the spring clean list now will help you get ahead,’ she told the Daily Mail. 

She revealed the neglected areas of the home that deserve attention, from light switches and door handles to behind the radiator.

Laura warned against making common cleaning mistakes like using too much product and mixing chemicals.

The self-described ‘cleanaholic’ also shared the deep-cleaning tasks people often overlook.

Below are Laura’s best March cleaning hacks, as well as her must-have buys to shop to make the dreaded task a whole lot easier.  

Six neglected areas in the home Laura says to clean now

1. Light switches and door handles

‘We touch them daily, but when was the last time you cleaned them?

‘All you need to do is give them a quick spritz with an antibacterial spray and wipe with a clean microfibre cloth.’

2. Extractor fans and vent covers in the bathroom and kitchen

‘These can become very dusty and greasy, but can be cleaned really quickly by removing them and washing in warm soapy water.’

3. The bin

‘We’ve all done it; changing the bag and calling it a day, leaving spills and leaks to become a science experiment lurking at the bottom.

‘A five-minute job simply rinse your bin outside with hot water and disinfectant, then leave to dry before replacing with a fresh bin bag.’

4. Remote controls and phones 

‘Probably the most touched items we own, yet the least loved when it comes to cleaning.

‘This job will literally take you less than one minute to complete using a quick spritz with an antibacterial spray and wipe with a clean microfibre cloth.’

5. Behind radiators

Dust regularly builds up behind radiators that can reduce their efficiency and cause your home to smell when the heating comes on. 

A quick blast of the hairdryer will get rid of any loose cobwebs and debris, then use a long-handled duster like the Flash Dust Magnet to trap and lock that dust away.

6. Door frame and tops of doors

Another area we often forget to dust because we can’t easily see the buildup, but a quick wipe down using a duster will get this job ticked off your list. 

Laura’s three deep cleaning jobs to tick off in March

Give the washing machine a ‘spa day’

‘Your washing machine works hard on the daily for us, so she deserves a spring spruce up!’ Laura said. 

‘My five-step washing machine deep clean is quick, easy and will ensure that your appliance is smelling divine and working effectively to clean your laundry.’

First, Laura said to unscrew and empty the filter. 

It can be a messy job as water can spill out on the floor, so Laura recommended putting a towel down before you get started. 

Secondly, remove the detergent drawer and wash it in warm, soapy water to get rid of soap scum and limescale. 

Then scrub behind the drawer to remove any buildup of limescale and mould. 

‘I use Viakal to do this as it is brilliant for removing limescale,’ Laura added. 

The fourth step is to clean the door seal where mould often hides. 

Finally, Laura adds a washing machine cleaner to the drawer and starts a hot, empty wash. 

‘My favourites are the Vamoosh washing machine cleaner and the M&S Washing Machine Descaler,’ she said. 

Clean the windows

With the weather getting less dreary by the day, now is the ideal time to spruce up your windows to  ‘let the spring sunlight shine through into your home’, according to Laura. 

‘I just use warm soapy water and my top tip is to use a mop to clean my windows to make it as easy as possible,’ she said. 

‘I then use my Karcher window vac to remove the soapy residue to leave them streak-free and shining.’

Shine up the sofa

‘Fabric sofas can be magnets for dust and dirt, so now is the perfect time to give them a reset,’ Laura said. 

She said to pull the sofa out from where it usually sits and vacuum up the dust, dirt and debris that has accumulated underneath or down the back.  

‘Don’t forget to dust the skirting boards and everything you can’t normally access behind it,’ she added. 

Then vacuum the sofa and use a spot cleaner to give it a deep clean and rid it of dirt, germs and stains. 

‘Bissell, Vax and Shark all make some fantastic, great-value spot cleaners that are really versatile to use on upholstery and carpets around your home,’ Laura said. 

‘You will honestly be shocked at the colour of the water once you have used one!’

Cleaning mistakes to avoid

Using too much product

According to Laura, it’s wise to be sparing with the spray as it not only can leave surfaces dirty, but will save you money in the long run.  

‘Overusing product can leave a sticky residue which attracts dust. It is also very wasteful and can cause more of a mess,’ she said. 

Cleaning with a dirty cloth

‘If your cloth looks or smells dirty, then it’s time to wash it as you will just be spreading bacteria around,’ Laura said.

Mixing cleaning products 

Laura warned: ‘Cleaning products are chemicals and mixing them can be dangerous and toxic.’

‘Particularly avoid mixing bleach with vinegar or ammonia; we are spring cleaning, and it’s not a science experiment!’

March cleaning buys