I'm a hygiene expert, here’s my spring cleaning advice

SPRING CLEANING is a time-honoured tradition in many UK homes, and while it’s a great opportunity to freshen up your daily living space, it’s not just about wiping down the obvious surfaces. With Google search trends up by 79% on the topic between 1st February and 1st March 2025, it seems not only is now the time we want to blitz our homes ready for the season ahead but that people are looking for advice on how best to go about the task.

A true spring clean involves tackling the hidden and forgotten areas that are often overlooked and, as an expert in hygiene, here are my top tips for achieving a clean and healthy home environment:

High-level and hard-to-reach areas

An often-overlooked aspect of a proper deep clean is tackling high-level and hard-to-reach areas. "Out of sight, out of mind" really should not apply when it comes to hygiene, as dust and grime can easily accumulate on the tops of cupboards and behind fridges, on extractor fans, door frames, and curtain poles—areas that are often forgotten or missed during regular cleaning. 

Dust can be a respiratory irritant, potentially triggering allergies and affecting air quality, making it even more important to address these hidden build-ups. Incorporate these areas into your spring clean, and move furniture such as chairs, sofas, and cabinets away from walls so you can properly clean behind and underneath them.

Soft-furnishings

Sofas and beds can also accumulate dirt and dust. While you might regularly vacuum your floors, it’s easy to forget the areas beneath sofa cushions or along the edges of bed frames. These are prime spots where crumbs, dirt, and dust gather. Use a handheld vacuum or nozzle attachment to clean these areas thoroughly. Wipe down headboards and other hard surfaces with antibacterial spray, and wash bed linens regularly to remove dust, dead skin cells, and other debris that can gather over time.

Your furry friends

If you have pets living in your home, you should pay special attention to the areas they frequent. Pet beds, cages, toys, and feeding areas can quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria and unpleasant odours. Vacuuming under pet cages and washing pet bedding, clothing and towels with antibacterial detergent will help ensure your pets’ spaces stay fresh and hygienic. Make sure you don’t forget to clean your pet’s toys, as they’re often overlooked.

Entrance areas

Hallways and porches are another area that shouldn’t be forgotten during spring cleaning. Entryways are places where mud from the outside can often be tracked inside, so give them extra attention. Sweep or vacuum the floor area, and sanitise all surfaces with a suitable product. Pay particular attention to areas just inside doors, as these are high-traffic spots for a build-up of outdoor dirt. 

High frequency touchpoints

Also don’t forget high frequency touchpoints. Surfaces that are touched regularly, and often by multiple people provide a breeding ground for germs and bacteria if not cleaned properly. Things like light switches, door handles, appliance handles (fridge, microwave, kettle) in the kitchen, and remote controls and game controllers in the living room all fall into this category. In every room, wipe these surfaces with disinfectant spray or an antibacterial wipe to eliminate any lingering germs. However, avoid spraying water-based disinfectants directly onto electrical items like light switches, remotes, and game controllers, instead use a disinfectant wipe or spray onto a cloth first to prevent damage.

10 overlooked spots that people often forget about cleaning which should be on your spring cleaning list:

1. Behind the fridge: Dust, food particles, and even mould can accumulate.

2. Dishwasher: It's easy to neglect cleaning the interior of your dishwasher, but it's crucial to remove any build-up of food particles and to clean the filter.  (N.B. dishwasher cleaner can be easily purchased from supermarkets. Alternatively, place a cup of white vinegar on the top rack or sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and run a hot cycle to help remove odours.)

3. Microwave: Spills and splatters often go unnoticed inside and will harden over time.

4. Underneath furniture: Even when vacuuming, dirt can hide in hard-to-reach spots.

5. Vents: Dust and allergens can clog vents, affecting your air quality. If you have an extractor fan in your bathroom ceiling, use an extendable duster or vacuum cleaner fitting to remove any accumulated dust. 

6. Showerheads and taps: Hard water deposits and soap scum can easily build over time.

7. Bins: The inside of your bins should be scrubbed and left to air dry outside ideally to remove unpleasant smells and bacteria.

8. Pet toys: It's easy to forget washing pet toys but these should be washed in hot water or with pet-safe detergent to help keep them dirt and germ-free.  

9. Washing machine: Bacteria and detergent residue can build-up inside the drum, as with dishwashers you can buy specific cleaners to run on a hot cycle to clean your washing machine effectively.  

10. Door frames: Dirt can collect at the edges and corners, often unnoticed.

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but it does require attention to the often-forgotten areas that can easily harbour dirt and germs. If you’re tackling it yourself, pay special attention to hard-to-reach spots, pet areas and high-frequency touchpoints. 

While the above are DIY tips that anyone could look to implement at home, for commercial businesses looking to protect customers, staff, visitors and those within their duty of care, Rentokil Specialist Hygiene offers a wide range of specialist disinfection services, specialist cleaning services, commercial kitchen services, washroom cleaning services and hygiene products.

Jamie Woodhall is, UK technical and innovations manager at Rentokil Specialist Hygiene. 

For more information, visit Rentokil Specialist Hygiene.

www.rentokil-hygiene.co.uk