9 Overlooked Areas To Deep Clean Before The Holidays

If you're not one of the 119 million Americans projected to travel this holiday season, there's a good chance you'll be at home hosting. While it's always nice to have loved ones over for a special occasion, it can also come with the stress of making sure your home is as clean as possible. While there are some areas in your home, such as bathrooms, dining areas, and living rooms, where a deep clean goes without saying, there are other areas that are often forgotten or easily overlooked.

Some of the overlooked areas to deep clean before the holidays include high-traffic surfaces like staircase railings. Others are spots where dust can build up to an unsightly (and unhealthy) degree, such as around air vents. If you want your home to look its best, it's important that these spaces get the time and attention they deserve. Not only will cleaning these areas make your home look, feel, and smell fresh, but it'll also make your guests feel comfortable and welcome as they gather to enjoy the magic of the holiday season. Grab your cleaning caddy (if you don't have one yet, here's how to stock a cleaning caddy for on-the-go tidying) and read on to find out which areas deserve some extra attention this season. 

Did you know that you should clean your ice maker and replace your water filter every 6 months? If you haven't tackled either one of these tasks within that time frame, prepping for the holidays is the perfect opportunity. If you plan on hosting a big holiday meal or simply having a few loved ones over, your ice maker and water dispenser will probably be getting more use than normal, and you'll want to make sure they're working as well as possible. After all, the last thing you want is to be serving beverages and hear complaints that the icemaker is malfunctioning and the water tastes funny.

Keep in mind that it's best to read the manual for your specific appliances so you can ensure you're cleaning correctly. In general, though, a thorough cleaning will involve wiping out the ice bin, scrubbing build-up from the water nozzle, and using vinegar to flush out the water dispenser. Be sure to check your refrigerator manual before taking anything apart to be sure you use the correct parts and don't void your warranty, if applicable.

Light fixtures can easily trap dust and other debris, which can make your lights look dim and dull. When light bulbs or shades are covered in dirt or dust, they put out less light. Deep cleaning your light fixtures and light bulbs before the holidays is a great way to make your home feel brighter and more welcoming.

When cleaning your light fixtures, it's important to ensure that the electricity to the lights is turned off and all light bulbs have had time to cool. Before starting a deep clean, you may want to dust your fixtures to remove any loose debris. Many light fixtures can be cleaned with mild soap, warm water, and a cloth, then left to dry completely. However, it's always a good idea to look into the best cleaning methods for the material your specific light fixtures are made from. For instance paper shades are not going to mix well with water, and should only be dusted. Alternatively, you can blow dust out of hard-to-reach areas using a hair dryer set to a cool temperature.

Just like light fixtures, your windows play an important role in your home's lighting. In addition to impacting your home's natural light and being unsightly, dirty windows can also lower the air quality in your home. Over time, windows can trap dust, pollen, and other allergens, which can be stirred up when windows are opened and/or closed and when the HVAC system runs. In order for your home to truly feel clean and bright, cleaning your windows is a must.

Before spraying your windows with cleaning solution and wiping them down, you should dust each window and sill to remove loose particles. You can then use soap and warm water to wipe your window frames. Once you've done that, spray a microfiber cloth (don't spray the window directly) with your cleaning solution of choice, and wipe your windows from top to bottom. Once you've cleaned your windows, you should quickly dry them with another microfiber cloth to prevent streaking.

Even though guests probably won't be peaking behind your couch or under your favorite accent chair, these areas tend to accumulate things like dust, crumbs, and pet hair, which can easily be stirred up as people move around your home. Plus, a big part of deep cleaning before the holidays is taking the time to clean those areas that are typically out of sight so that your guests — especially ones with asthma or allergies — will be comfortable. It will also keep your floors safe for your smallest visitors, including crawling babies and curious pets. Thoroughly cleaning under and behind furniture also ensures you won't have to deal with any unpleasant surprises during your holiday festivities.

When cleaning these areas, it's important to move furniture properly to avoid straining your back. If you need to slide furniture, you can place towels or pieces of cardboard under the legs to make it easier to move. You can also order furniture sliders that are made just for this purpose (if you want try some, here's our roundup of the best furniture sliders for hardwood floors). Since your home will probably be getting a lot more traffic during the holiday season, it's also a good idea to do a quick clean of these areas after guests leave.

Taking out the trash is probably a part of your weekly routine, but when was the last time you actually cleaned out your trash cans? Despite your cans being lined with plastic bags, bad odors, spilled liquids, and sticky substances can still be left behind. Smells coming from your trash can quickly become noticeable, especially when you have guests in your home and your cans are being opened and closed more than usual.

In order to get your trash cans smelling as good as possible, you'll need to empty them completely. From there, you can wipe them out and scrub the inside with dish soap and warm water. Once you've given your cans a good wipe down, you should dry them thoroughly. To deodorize your trash can, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a cotton ball and place it in the bottom of the cans. Keep in mind that if you have a trash can with a swing top, you'll also want to wipe down that area to get rid of any grime that may have accumulated.

You're probably already well aware that your floors should be cleaned before the holidays, but it's important to remember that also includes your stairs. Thoroughly cleaning your stairs means that people will have a spotless pathway as they travel between the levels of your home. Clean stairs make high-traffic areas look more polished and inviting as you welcome people into your home.

If your stairs are carpeted or have soft treads, you can start your cleaning by vacuuming each step, including the corners. Then you can use a carpet cleaner to thoroughly shampoo your stairs. If the carpet is particularly stained, you may also want to use a steam cleaner. Those with wood or vinyl flooring should sweep and mop each step with the appropriate cleaning solution for your floor type. As you clean, remember to dust and wipe down your railings as well. Pro tip: If you have stairs outside of your home, it's a good idea to sweep those off, too — and keep them safely salted if you live in a snowy area.

When air vents get dirty, they can circulate dust around your home and lower indoor air quality, which can cause coughing, sneezing, and other respiratory issues — especially for people who have allergies or asthma. As if that weren't bad enough, dirty vents can also lead to musty smells spreading throughout your home. Needless to say, keeping them clean is important, particularly before the holidays, to ensure your guests are comfortable.

To clean your air vents, turn off your HVAC system and remove your vent covers. Use a handheld vacuum or vacuum attachment to remove dust, hair, cobwebs, etc., from the inside of the vent opening. You can then clean your air vent covers by using a microfiber cloth or duster to wipe them down. Depending on how dirty they are, you may also need to wipe them with soap and water and use a brush to scrub the stubborn areas. Once the covers are clean, allow them to air dry before reinstalling.

In many households, the coat closet can quickly become a catchall for all kinds of items. This can lead to them feeling messy, cluttered, and unorganized, which can be a problem during the holiday season (especially in colder climates). Guests will need a place to easily hang their coats so they won't have to pile them all over your furniture.

In order to deep clean your coat closet, you'll need to remove everything. Once you've emptied the closet, you can assess your items and decide if there are items you want to discard or donate. With the closet empty, you can sweep or vacuum the floor and dust all corners. If your closet has shelving, those areas should be wiped down and sanitized. Once the interior of the closet has been cleaned, you can organize your items and place them back inside. You may also want to consider adding an air freshener to your closet. If you have a coat rack instead of a coat closet, it's still a good idea to remove all of the coats, decide if there's anything you'd like to get rid of, and hang everything in a neat and organized way. 

Ceiling fans are great for helping to circulate air in a room. This means that they can help improve the movement of air, dilute odors, and keep rooms cooler. For these reasons, many people may choose to have their ceiling fans running during the holiday season, even more so when you have guests. However, you don't want your guests to be greeted with dust and debris when the fan starts spinning. With that said, it's a good idea to give those ceiling fans a good deep clean before the holidays.

Believe it or not, using an old pillowcase is the best way to clean your ceiling fan. Use a ladder or step stool to reach your ceiling fan and slide the opening of the pillowcase over each blade of the fan, squeeze the pillowcase against the blade to trap dust and dirt, and slide the pillowcase from the blade. Once you've done this, you can also wipe each blade with a wet cloth, dampened with a cleaning solution made from equal parts water and white vinegar or plain water with a drop of dish soap.