The holidays are quickly approaching, which means you may be having lots of family and friends over to celebrate! That means it’s time to clean your house from top to bottom.

There are, however, a few places in your home that it’s easy to overlook when tidying up.

Consider this your reminder to give these spots an extra look before you have guests over this month!

  1. Your shower curtain. You may be cleaning your shower regularly, but what about your shower curtain? Shower curtains collect soap scum and mildew if you don’t wash them often enough. They are easy to clean, though—you can put them in your washing machine with regular detergent and baking soda to get all of those stains out!
  2. Your washing machine. Speaking of washing machines, many people also forget to clean theirs. This can affect how well your machine works. Once again, baking soda comes in handy, along with white vinegar. Mix the two together, put them in your washing machine, and run the hot cycle. Afterwards, your machine will be good as new.
  3. Your toothbrush holder. Of course, scrubbing your toilet is on your to-do list before house guests arrive, along with the shower, tub, sink, and floor. But don’t forget about that toothbrush holder! It’s easy for dirt and debris to settle into the crevices of this frequently used bathroom accessory, so when you’re cleaning your bathroom, make sure you wipe it down with soap and water.
  4. Your dishwasher. Just like your washing machine, it can be easy to forget to clean your dishwasher – after all, you’re running it regularly and you might assume that it cleans itself! Not true, though. First, clean out your dishwasher filter. Then run a dishwashing cycle with hot water and use a cup of white vinegar on the dishwasher’s top rack. This will help remove any hard water deposits, dish soap scum, and pieces of food that got stuck in there.
  5. Cleaning supplies. Scrub those toilet brushes and sponges so you don’t spread bacteria throughout your home.
  6. Grout. When is the last time you gave the grout in between your kitchen and bathroom tiles a good scrub? If you can’t remember …. It’s time. You can buy some tile cleaner at a local hardware store, or make your own cleaning solution with ¾ of a cup of baking soda, ¼ of a cup of hydrogen peroxide, and one tablespoon of mild dish soap. Scrub the area with a grout brush. An old toothbrush works, too. You should also avoid acidic cleaners that could dissolve the grout, or oil-based cleaners that could leave a film on the area.
  7. Your garbage disposal. You’ll want to make sure your garbage disposal is clean before the holidays, especially if you plan on cooking a lot! Here’s our favorite tried-and-true trick for cleaning your disposal:
  • Put a small handful of ice in the drain and run the disposal, which helps sharpen the blades.
  • Cut a few wedges of citrus fruit and add to the drain.
  • Run cool water as the disposal grinds up the fruit.

All of us at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing wish you and your family a very happy holiday season!