The hidden secrets of spring- cleaning

The 7 places we bet you didn’t spring clean — but should have!

t’s spring- cleaning season, and you’re probably looking forward to getting your house all spruced up and shiny! However, there are many spots in the average home that urgently need a cleaning, but remain hidden from us at first glance.

Luckily, Helpling, the online platform for booking cleaners in UAE, listed these hidden places and reveals the seven most frequent areas at home that go overlooked by us. Make sure that, this time, they won’t be forgotten! Oven hoods absorb odours and are also a magnet for fat. If we don’t remove the stained fat on it, it will get clogged and make the cleaning effort a lot more difficult ( not to mention, a dangerous fire hazard). You can clean it in the dishwasher: place the filters horizontally in the top compartment and run it empty to get rid of food residue in the filters.

If you have to clean the hood manually: place the filters in the sink, filled with a double dose of washing liquid. Leave to soak, then scrub with a brush and then clean again. Don’t forget the inside of the cooker hood: get rid of the fat and dry with a cloth. Use 100 per cent cotton towels to dry it, as they will be lint- free. Two- thirds of all food poisoning originate from the fridge or the freezer’s walls, when most bacteria only ‘ hibernate’ but don’t die at low temperatures. Therefore, sort all your food in insulated bags when stocking your freezer, as a precautionary measure.

To clean it: turn it off, remove the bottom shelf, place some towels inside to soak up the water, close the door and let it defrost overnight. You can then sterilise the freezer with a cloth soaked in a vinegar- based cleaner to get at the dormant bacteria.