You know your home inside and out. You wipe down counters, scrub the floors and pick up trash. Your house might even look pretty spotless. But even with your best efforts, there’s always something that falls by the wayside in your cleaning routine. Throughout our years in the cleaning business, we’ve noticed some of the most commonly forgotten items during the cleaning process.

1. Washing Machines

Clean clothes are one of your top priorities, so shouldn’t a clean washer be a priority as well? Yet we often forget to take care of the machine that works day after day to keep our clothes fresh.

The washing machine’s damp environment can quickly become home to germs, bacteria and mold. The growth of these unwanted pests can cause odors and affect the cleanliness of your clothes. Maintain this critical part of your home by periodically cleaning the gaskets, seals and drum with vinegar or a hydrogen peroxide solution.

2. Refrigerators

We might regularly clean the outside of the refrigerator and freezer by wiping off dirty handprints and sticky spills, but the inside often goes unchecked.

Expired, rotting food creates the perfect breeding grounds for mold and dangerous bacteria. Check the expiration date of each item while emptying your fridge, and throw out any old food. Then, wipe down all inner surfaces with cleaning wipes or a mixture of dish soap and water.

3. Shower Curtains

It might seem like the shower curtain should be one of the cleanest items in your home. After all, it’s exposed to soap and water every day. But soap scum and stains can quickly make your curtain gross and unsanitary.

Many people don’t know that cleaning a shower curtain is as simple as sticking it in the washing machine every couple of months. Just add baking soda and laundry detergent to make it look and smell as good as new.

4. Pillows

Even with a pillowcase, your pillows are exposed to dirt, dust and dead skin cells that live on your hair and face. And if you don’t wash your hair every day, cleaning the pillows becomes an even more important chore.

Like with shower curtains, many people don’t realize that they can wash most synthetic or foam pillows in the washing machine. Check the instructions on the tag for proper care. Often, a little laundry detergent and a gentle wash cycle could be what your pillows need to keep you healthy and germ-free.

At Thai Cleaning Service, we’re dedicated to taking care of your entire home — even the items you miss when cleaning. We’re a locally owned and operated green maid service that provides safe, no-commitment services, with a lower price and more reliable work than expensive franchises offer.

If you live in the Baltimore area or surrounding communities and want to see the difference a thorough cleaning job can make, contact us today for a free estimate. We look forward to getting to know you and serving your home.

Some tricks we learned from running a Baltimore cleaning service for 14 years

Room Freshener
Put lavender packets inside clothes and linen drawers to stop moths and keep contents smelling fresh.
Place a drop of your essential oil directly onto the wood in dresser drawers. The wood absorbs the oil and releases the scent gradually.
Hang packs of aromatic herbs from door handlers or in a sunny window.
Pack a pillow with pine needles, then put it among the sofa pillows to freshen the den. Place a porous pottery jar filled with essential oil near a sunny window. The heat will dissipate the oil, releasing the scent. Replace oil often.
Simmer a blend of cloves, cinnamon sticks, and dried orange peel in 4 cups of water to give a warm scent to your home on winter days.
Top a light bulb with a drop of your favorite essential oil. The heat from the bulb will release the aroma for hours and hours.

Pine Floors
Washing soda,  is an inexpensive and effective cleansing agent that quickly cuts grease and removes stubborn stains. Mix with soap and salt, to make an excellent cleanser for hard floor surfaces. •
½ cup soap flakes • ¼ cup washing soda (sodium carbonate, look into bulk purchases) • 1 cup salt • 2 cups water • 2 tsp pine essential oil
1. In a saucepan, place the soap, washing soda, salt, and water and heat gently, stirring until soap, soda, and salt have dissolved.
2. Cool mixture to lukewarm, then add the essential oil. Stir well and pour into a jar.
3. Pour two to three tablespoons of the mixture into half a bucket of hot water, stirring well. For large areas, you may need to double the amount.
4. After cleaning, rinse the floor with half a bucket of water into which you have poured a cup of white vinegar.

Oven Cleaner
For rough, baked-on grease, use this remedy. •
1 Baking soda 16 oz • ¼ cup washing soda
1. Mix the ingredients.
2. Wet the floor and walls of the oven and generously sprinkle the mixture on the surface. Repeat and let sit overnight.
3. In the morning, wipe the mixture and the grease away, rinsing to remove any filmy residue.
4. For stubborn, burned-on stains, scour with salt and an abrasive pad.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Clean your toilet bowl without harmful chlorine! For no-scrub convenience, simply pour in and leave overnight. •
1 cup borax • ½ cup white vinegar
1. Flush the toilet to wet the bowl.
2. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, and drizzle with the vinegar. Leave for several hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

Glass Cleanser
Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results. • ¼ cup white vinegar • 1 tablespoon cornstarch • 2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well to dissolve cornstarch. Spray onto glass surface. Wipe dry with a clean cloth or newspapers, buff to a streak-free finish.