How Clean Are YOU? Test Yourself Against These 11 Cleaning Hotspots

It's time to find out just how clean you really are. Today we're giving you a 'test' of sorts - we've picked out 11 hot-spots that only the cleanest of cleaners keep spotless. 

Do you? Time to find out! Use your eyes and hands to check your house against the following criteria.

Check these hot-spots with your hands

Are you dusting thoroughly? When we clean, it's easy to concentrate on the surfaces at eye-level and forgot those above.

1. Photo frames & mirrors

Is this you? Wipe your fingertips over the tops of photo frames, mirrors and door frames to find out.

If you find dust, you're probably forgetting to clean lots of other high-up places too. Make a mental note to pay more attention in the future.

2. Bannister

Think the bannister doesn't get dirty? You may be surprised. 

Wipe a hand over your stair rail and you may get a shock. Is it sticky or tacky to the touch? Clammy or dirty hands - kids, we're looking at you - will soon leave a build up on your bannister, which can be surprisingly germy!

As the bannister is somewhere most of us touch regularly - on the way to the kitchen, for example - it's really important to keep it clean.

Use a general cleaner and cloth each week to keep it free of grime.

3. Sink & shower

Your sink and shower may look clean, but your hands are the real judge.

Wipe your hand over shower tiles and around the sink basin - is the surface smooth, or grimy? Hard-water and products can build up easily and form a layer over your sink and shower.

Use the rough side of a sponge, washing up liquid and plenty of elbow grease to remove scum. If you live in an area with particularly hard water, spray with a limescale remover first and leave for 5 mins before scrubbing.

4. Light bulbs

Similarly to photo frames and mirrors, light bulbs are another hot spot that often gets neglected during the weekly clean.

Just because they're predominantly covered in a shade, it doesn't mean dust can't get in. Turn the lights off at the switch and swipe your fingertips over the bulb.

Dust? Looks like you're not as thorough as you thought! You can use a dryer sheet to get them clean. Take a look at these dryer sheet alternatives next.

5. Are you forgetting to clean buttons and knobs?

Light switches; oven knobs; tv controls - are you skipping smaller surfaces in your cleaning routine?

They may be small, but they come into contact with hands more than most other things. If they're sticky, bumpy or grimy to the touch, you're not cleaning them enough.

A wipe with multi-purpose cleaning spray is all it takes to keep them dirt-free.

Check these hot-spots with your eyes

6. Food stains & splashes

Time to head to the kitchen. Looks pretty clean, right? Kneel down and look a little closer.

Whilst most of us clean the tops of cabinets, the fronts rarely get a look in. Although you'd presume they'd stay pretty clean, a surprising amount of food and drink can end up splattering onto cabinets and cupboards.

If you see stains, you should schedule in a deep clean, making sure to wipe each and every cabinet down thoroughly with a cloth dampened in hot, soapy water.

7. Cobwebs

Cobwebs have this habit of making even the most spotless home look uncared for. It's totally unfair, but that's just the way it is!

Are there any cobwebs lurking around your home? Check the ceilings, corners of the room and around windows too. Going around your home with a feather duster and removing them takes just minutes, but will make such a difference to the overall appearance of your home.

8. Is your grout clean?

Whether it be between your floor tiles or shower tiles, all grout gets dirty over time. It's a slow process, so you may not notice the discolouration happening, and have probably grown used to grey-ish grout.

However, this isn't what it's meant to look like! Remember, once upon a time, your grout was pearly white, and it can be again.

9. Don't forget the bins

Bins can be pretty icky places. Sticky hands, food spillages and those unfortunate split bin bags can result in some unpleasant situations, which many of us put off dealing with!

Sound like you? Take a look at your bin and take note of any food stains. You'll be surprised where these can end up - there might even be marks on the floor.

Dirty bins are not only unhygienic but look pretty grimy too. You should disinfect yours weekly to keep it tip-top.

10. Are you cleaning your toilet thoroughly

There's toilet cleaning, and then there's toilet cleaning - which are you doing?

The cleanest of people get every inch of the toilet spotless, including around the metal toilet seat hinges and all around the pedestal too.

Go take a look at your toilet - a real look. Is it clean, everywhere, or have you just skimmed the surface?

Take proper care of your loo, and find out if you can flush hair down the toilet in our other article. 

11. Windows

Similarly to cobwebs, dirty windows have the ability to make even the cleanest home look in need of TLC.

Rain spots and debris on the outside panes and dust and grime on the inside will block light, and distract from the clean surfaces within your house.

If you want a house that looks as clean as it is, make the windows a priority.

So, how clean are you? Let us know how you got on with out hot spots in the comments below.