The Forgotten Ones – Part Three
On this final day of this mini series, I encourage you to take note on all that has been brought to light. I, in no way, by writing these, am insinuating that I am perfect and have these “Forgotten Ones” clean and tidy at all times. This works as a reminder to myself as well. We can all use this mini series as a resource, a checklist, a guide in some ways, to get our butts in gear and get sh*t done!
Home Cleaning that is Easily Neglected – Personal Items
Cosmetic Brushes and Bags – Makeup brushes go directly onto our faces and tend to be one of the last tools we consider cleaning. When you Google how often you should be cleaning your brushes, it will tell you every 7-10 days. Let’s be real, that is not likely to happen with our busy lives. If possible, once a month would be ideal. Giving your makeup bag a nice wipe down can also make it feel like new. Doing this as you notice it getting messy or even once or twice a year should be plenty.
Bath Toys – We should be cleaning our kids bath toys at least once a month. But after every use, make sure the water has been drained from them completely. The toys with the little holes in them for draining can collect black mold inside of them, which is actually terrifying, because we can’t see this. These should be replaced every year if possible, or not used at all, but realistically, if your kids enjoy playing with them, just don’t let them drink the water that comes out of them.
Smart Watch Bands – This is something I never think of until I see how gross it is starting to look. We tend to wear these all day, every day, even as we sleep. Giving them a little clean off will keep them looking new and preventing any skin irritations. Try for once a week if possible, set a reminder on your phone if it helps!
Tooth Brush Cups & Rinse Cups – Once a week, clean out your tooth brush holder cups and any reusable rinsing cups. It is shockingly gross what gunk and dust can form in these and we are putting items into these that go into our mouths. Let that sink in for a moment, gross huh?
Diffusers – To maintain the usage and efficiency of our oil diffusers, try to give these a cleaning at least once a month.
Under Shoe Racks – Whatever dirt and mess is dragged in from the outside with our shoes, is likely collecting beneath our shoe racks. Aim for once a week or once every other week to pull this out and give it a vacuum or sweep underneath. Especially with changing seasons, sometimes it can be much worse than others.
Closet Floors – Specifically within coat closets, much like our shoe racks, these areas can gather seasonal messes. While we use these spots as a toss-in for coats and boots and whatever else, they can get messy quite quickly. Giving our bedroom closets, storage closets or linen closets a quick vacuum beneath the shelving or hanging racks can not only freshen them up and prevent dust build up, but also reveal fallen items that can either be removed or put in their rightful places.
Hair Brushes – Ladies and gentlemen, clean the hair out of your brushes. Simple as that. Hair can build up so quickly and when placed into drawers or wherever else, that fallen hair is now creating larger messes in other places. Once a week should help with this constant battle.
There we have it, the forgotten personal items we need to clean. No one is perfect and we can all strive to do better with our cleaning. These reminders of the spots and spaces we tend to look past are meant to be helpful and get you thinking about all the other areas that could use some attention. Life is so busy, especially with kids and activities, it is so easy to not notice until things have gotten a little out of control. By maintaining a schedule or attempting to stay on top of the “Forgotten Ones” we are already doing better.
Where are some places you tend to look past? Did any of these reminders open your eyes? I’ll be honest, I shocked myself with a lot of these throughout this mini series. Let’s get cleaning!
Melanie xoxox