How to Clean Hard to Reach Places

Discover how to clean hard to reach places with the right tips and tools outlined in this guide.

The average American spends just over half an hour on household cleaning every day. That adds up. Over the course of a year, you’d spend nearly 200 hours cleaning.

Even with all the time spent on cleaning, there are always those hard to reach places. We gathered up these tips on how to clean them. We hope they’ll help you clean every nook and cranny faster.

A Long-Handled Duster Is a Great Investment

There are plenty of surfaces that get dusty, but you may not wipe them off very often because they’re so high up. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

It’s still a good idea to dust these surfaces every once in a while. Dust can build up and cause irritation and allergies.

Consider a long-handled duster or other cleaning tools for hard to reach places. Cleaning cupboard tops, ceiling fan blades, and more has never been easier. Best of all, you don’t need to use a ladder.

Clean Hard to Reach Places with Cloths

You may not have the spare cash for new cleaning tools, but you probably have one versatile tool at home already.

Cloths can be used in many different ways to clean different surfaces. Wrap them around the end of a pair of tongs to clean blinds. You can also wrap one around a knife and slide it through your air vents to dust them too.

How to Clean Behind the Toilet

The space behind the toilet is an infamously hard to clean place. There’s not usually much room between the toilet and the wall. Most cleaning tools just don’t fit.

If you’re able, the best thing to do is get down on your hands and knees and give the area a good scrub. If this isn’t possible for you, it may be time to ask for help or hire a professional cleaning service.

Vacuums Are for More Than Floors

Another versatile tool you likely have in your house is your vacuum. Most people think of the vacuum cleaner for cleaning floors, and it’s great at that.

It’s also helpful in cleaning plenty of hard to reach spots in your house. For example, you can use it to dust corners and crown molding. Use the right attachment and vacuum the ceiling.

The right attachment can also help you clean the tracks of sliding windows and doors. You can even use the upholstery attachment to clean mattresses and more.

Natural Cleaning for Showers and Faucets

If you have hard water, you may spend hours trying to scale lime and other deposits off your faucets. These spots can be tricky to clean because of limited space.

For your shower head, fill a plastic bag with baking soda and plastic. Then tie it around the shower head. Let it soak for a few hours.

For hard to reach spots in the shower itself, apply lemon juice and baking soda. Let it sit for five minutes, and scrub clean.

For faucets, apply baking soda with an old toothbrush. The toothbrush is the perfect size for this task, and the baking soda will lift off those hard water deposits.

Get Help from the Experts

The good news about these hard to reach spots is that you don’t need to clean them every day. That’s why it often makes sense to hire a helping hand to deal with these tricky spots.

If you’re wondering how to clean your house even more thoroughly, take a look around the blog. We have plenty of expert advice to help you get that sparkle.

The Most Overlooked Spots in Your Home

Even dedicated cleaners tend to focus on the obvious surfaces — countertops, floors, toilets — while overlooking areas that accumulate just as much (or more) grime. Here’s a comprehensive list of spots that need your attention:

Above Your Reach

• Top of the refrigerator: Out of sight and out of mind, this flat surface collects a thick layer of greasy dust. In Waco kitchens, cooking grease combines with airborne dust to create a sticky film that attracts more buildup.
• Door frame tops: Run a finger along the top of any door frame in your home and you’ll find a layer of dust. A damp microfiber cloth on a step stool handles this in seconds.
• Crown molding and picture rails: Decorative trim in many older Waco homes creates ledges that trap dust. A long-handled duster or microfiber-wrapped paint roller reaches these without a ladder.

Below Your Sight Line

• Under furniture: Dust bunnies under beds, sofas, and dressers don’t stay hidden — they contribute to poor air quality as your HVAC system circulates air at floor level.
• Behind toilets: The space between the toilet and the wall is a magnet for dust, hair, and moisture. It’s also prime territory for mold growth in Waco’s humid bathrooms.
• Under appliances: Pull out your stove and refrigerator at least twice a year. You’ll find crumbs, spills, and occasionally pest evidence that needs addressing.

The Things You Touch Daily

• Light switches and doorknobs: These high-touch surfaces carry more bacteria than many toilet seats, yet most people never clean them. Wipe with a disinfectant weekly.
• Remote controls and phone screens: Studies show cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Clean electronics with an alcohol wipe weekly.
• Cabinet pulls and drawer handles: Especially in the kitchen, where hands transfer grease and food residue with every touch.

Professional cleaners from Sally’s Maid Service know exactly where to look. Our detailed cleaning checklists cover every overlooked spot in your Waco home — so nothing gets missed, even the places you’d never think to check.