Overlooked household germs can lurk in obvious places

They are on top of the refrigerator, hiding under the sink, teeming in the garage or hanging in plain view on the shower door. They are germs, and they are lurking in places commonly missed during routine cleanings.

If germs and dirt are left untouched and festering in forgotten places of a home, a person could get sick, according to Luis Oucapina, a co-owner of Gogo, a cleaning service in East Hampton.

“The germs can get out from a lack of cleaning,” he said.

Germs hang out in the usual places, like toilets and sinks, but there are also some not-so-obvious spots where dirt and dust collect. According to those in the know, there are many places that collect a lot of dust and germs simply because they are out of reach and sight, and therefore, out of mind.

“People in the house, they don’t consider cleaning them,” Mr. Oucapina said.

According to Mr. Oucapina, some of those places include the top of the kitchen cabinets, ceiling fans and air ducts. Those spots are often overlooked during routine cleanings because they are out of reach, he said.

“They are too close to the ceiling and don’t get cleaned often,” he said. “They are too high. People need a stepladder.”

The dust and dirt around air ducts can accumulate quickly and blow through a home if left uncleaned, said Amy Olson, director of marketing for The Maids Home Service, which has Long Island offices in Brentwood and Plainview. To clean these areas, use the vacuum’s brush attachment, take off the metal vents and wash them with warm, soapy water. Let the vents dry before reattaching them to the wall, Ms. Olson suggested.

The top of the refrigerator is another spot where germs and dirt can easily colonize, said Freddie Pellman, who runs Hamptons Heavenly Housekeeper in East Hampton.

“Most people cannot see the top of their fridge so [they] never clean there,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. “Get a step stool and take a peek for a surprise.”

Light fixtures are also forgotten because they are above our heads, reported Ms. Olson. The best way to clean them is to shut off the lights and remove the light bulbs and casings. Soak them in a warm, soapy bath, she wrote.

There are many places in the home that people might use and see everyday, but never think to clean. Those places include storage areas, showers and bathrooms, under the sink and behind or under furniture.

Mr. Oucapina pointed out that people often use garages and basements as storage areas, but never bother to dust them up after they collect dirt.

“People collect so many things in garages and keep them for years and years,” he said. “It collects a lot of dust. People don’t actually take care of it.”

The same goes for basements, another neglected area of the house that can host bugs and other vermin if left unchecked.

Common spots, such as the inside of the refrigerator or inside kitchen drawer, might be used many times a day, but are often neglected when it comes to cleaning.

“Even though food is top of mind for most people, the refrigerator is often the last on the list of cleaning priorities,” Ms. Olson said.

To thoroughly clean out the fridge, Ms. Olson advised to go through it and toss out old food first, then remove the shelving and drawers and use a mild detergent to clean them.

Mr. Oucapina agreed that inside the refrigerator is often overlooked. “You find moldy cheese, left food,” he said.

Additionally, overlooked germs and dirt often build up inside kitchen drawers, according to Ms. Olson.

“Kitchen draws often collect dust and crumbs when drawers aren’t quite shut during food preparation,” she said, adding that cleanup is simple. Just remove the contents and the drawers, vacuum and wash the inside of the drawer.

Under the sink, which Ms. Pellman described as “usually ghastly,” is another spot that is often missed during cleaning. Germs and dirt can easily build up there.

Mr. Oucapina said it’s ironic that under the sink is so filthy.

“People collect cleaning equipment [there] and many times it’s the dirtiest area in the house,” he said. “It’s funny.”

Bathrooms are also cozy breeding grounds for germs. Dirt congregates behind and around the toilet bowl, “especially if there is a man in the house,” Ms. Pellman warned. “No one ever looks there and it gets really gross,” she wrote.

The shower, though usually used every day, can also host hordes of germs and dirt, Mr. Oucapina said. Soap scum builds up on glass shower walls and can leave an unsightly mess.

Ms. Pellman agreed. “Spots on glass become a permanent part of the glass if not removed promptly after showering,” she wrote.

Ms. Olson warned that germs and dirt also lurk on, under and around furniture.

“You might vacuum your floor regularly, but what about your upholstered furnishings?,” she asked. “Dust and dander can collect and be a real pain to allergy sufferers.”

People should take the time to vacuum the upholstered furniture because keeping it clean also prolongs the life of it, she said.

It’s no surprise that germs and dirt also congregate under large furniture like beds (especially when they have skirts on them) and couches, which also collect germs under cushions from dropped items and food, Ms. Pellman wrote.

Closet floors are also neglected and host dirt and dust, she added. “Especially under shoes,” she wrote. “Too much trouble to move them.”

Other places in plain sight, which can be easily missed when running a vacuum though the house, include baseboards and windowsills, according to Ms. Olson.

“Despite being exposed and out in the open all the time, people often forget to pay attention to their baseboards and windowsills” Ms. Olson said. “These horizontal surfaces catch a lot of dust and dirt over time if not cleaned regularly.”

Overall, the real trick to keeping a spic-and-span home is to keep in mind where the dirt, dust and germs congregate and remember to clean them, Ms. Pellman wrote.

“There are no magic products for the situations I described. Just regular cleaning products and elbow grease,” Ms. Pellman wrote. “It’s more of a question of awareness. People simply don’t see these trouble spots because they are not immediately visible to the eye.”