How Often Should You Be Cleaning Under Your Furniture?
Cleaning is probably not on most people's list of fun activities, yet most of us can agree that having cleaned is a good feeling. When our homes are clean, we feel more comfortable and at ease. We can find things more easily and live more peacefully. Keeping your living space free from clutter is a sign of good mental health and cleaning isn't as bad as you may think.
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Dawn Potter, says of the habit, "For a lot of people, having a clean and organized home can help them feel in control. It can help them with their day-to-day routine. They know where everything is. Everything is straightforward. And there's also just a peace of mind from having an aesthetically pleasing place to wake up in," (via Cleveland Clinic).
It's been documented that people who live in clean homes are healthier than people who don't (via Verywell Mind). Cleaning can also boost your mood and sense of calm because it helps you have control over your environment while at the same time causing you to do repeated, often mechanical movements, which are naturally soothing.
Weekends are a time when people regularly clean up, vacuum, do laundry, and run the dishwasher, but sometimes there are tasks that don't need to be done frequently, like cleaning behind your furniture.
In the kitchen
Since the kitchen is one of the most highly trafficked and bacteria-laden rooms in your home, it requires daily cleaning (via Home Made Simple). Yet while you may need to scrub down the sink, counters, and stove top on a daily basis simply because those surfaces are being regularly contaminated with raw and cooked food, cleaning under the table and the kitchen appliances is a little different.
Believe it or not, you can keep a clean kitchen and only clean underneath the stove and refrigerator once every couple of months (via Taste of Home). First, you'll have to carefully pull the appliances out a few feet forward so you can get to the floor. Then give a good sweep and a thorough mopping and drying before pushing it back into place. If you haven't done this in a while, you may find caked-on gunk so a rigorous mopping may be required.
When it comes to the table and chairs, it's a different story. If you have kids, you'll often find crumbs and bits of food dropped under the table, so a quick nightly sweep will keep the floors clean.
In the living room and bedroom
In your living room, the biggest things to clean under are likely the couches along with any storage units or entertainment centers you may have. How often you do it depends on who is living in your home. If you live alone, you can get away with cleaning underneath the furniture about every two weeks and doing regular vacuuming once a week (via Life Savvy). However, if you have pets, a home that is highly dusty, or live with multiple people, it's wise to vacuum and clean underneath living room furniture once a week.
When it comes to your bedroom, you'll want to vacuum under your bed at least once a week (via Apartment Therapy). Bedrooms typically have carpets which can trap dust and dust mites, yet even hardwood floors can acquire pockets of dust. Since you sleep right over the area, you may breathe in whatever stays in your carpet so it's worth vacuuming weekly to remove all dust, hair, and other particles. This is especially true if you have pets, allergies, or asthma.
Lastly, dusting regularly can help prevent more dust (and dust mites) from seeping into carpets and under furniture. Dusting should also be done once a week throughout your entire home, using a wet cloth to trap the dust.