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12 Clever Cleaning Tricks for Nooks and Crannies From HGTV’s Sabrina Soto

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Sabrina Soto is known for making lucky homeowners’ design dreams come true on HGTV. And now, the beloved star of The High Low Project wants to help your clean home fantasy become a reality — well beyond the basics of washing your dishes and making your bed. But first, we all have to let go of the idea that our households are going to magically transform into sparkling abodes overnight.

“I’m a clean freak, I really am,” Sabrina spills. “I feel like all I do is clean.”

Yet Sabrina will be the first to admit that she still finds the weirdest things beneath her couch cushions. “You can’t stop it from happening,” she says. “It’s all about the maintenance.”

As it turns out, we might have more maintenance to do than we think. An online survey of 1,000 nationally representative Americans conducted by Opinion Research Corp on behalf of Affresh revealed that 28 percent of Americans don’t know that the inside of dishwashers should be cleaned and only 38 percent of participants clean the inside of their fridge regularly. Yikes!

To be sure your house doesn’t get left in the dust (literally), read on for Sabrina’s best tips she gave us for keeping the easy-to-miss, yet important-to-remember spots in your home as clean as possible.

Underneath the oven

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

All too often, crumbs from cooking and fallen leftover food ends up sitting beneath the appliance. It’s worth taking the time to vacuum beneath it about every four months.

Inside the oven

inside oven getty

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Pop on your oven’s self-cleaner at least once a month, especially if you do a lot of cooking. Sabrina recommends waiting until the day’s over to do so.

In the dishwasher

dishwasher getty

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

It’s recommended to clean your dishwasher monthly, but it depends on how often you use it in your home. Luckily, if you purchase dishwasher cleaner separately from your usual dish soap, it’s pretty easy to do — just pop it in your appliance as per the instructions and run. Most dishwasher cleaners should be used in an empty machine, but some, like the Affresh tablets, actually allow you to use them with dishes in the machine.

Outside of the windows

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Of course, you probably clean the inside of your windows as you see fit. But don’t forget the outside, which Sabrina recommends that you sparkle up every six months. “My best tip is to use rubbing alcohol,” Sabrina says.

Inside the fridge

fridge getty


(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

“I always clean my fridge at least once a month,” Sabrina says. To do this, take all the food out first. Next, wipe the shelves down with an all-purpose cleaner. Then, take the vegetable and fruit cubbies out and wash them with soap and water in the sink.

Sides of kitchen cabinets

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)


Take a peak and you might be shocked at how much dust has built up from all the wear and tear. It never hurts to take a moment to wipe it all down.

Your coffee machine

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)


“I at least do it every few months,” Sabrina says. Take a look at the cleaning instructions for the machine that makes your cup of joe at home, and polish away.

Any place you can’t see

couch getty

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

We’re talking underneath your sofa. Beneath your fridge. Under your cabinets. Fill in the blank in your home, take a peak underneath it, and go to town cleaning if you haven’t already.

PLUS: Sabrina’s tips for cleaning during autumn

sabrina soto (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sabrina Soto)

Do it little by little. You’ll be busy during the holidays, especially with unexpected guests stopping by. So do one cleaning task every week when you get home from work or during every weekend. Maybe one week you scrub the floor, and then the next week you take on the upholstery. It’ll be a lot less daunting than trying to do it all in one sitting. In short, you’re less likely to be overwhelmed.

Become a dust detective. During the spring and summer, you might leave your windows open. But during fall and winter, you’re more likely to shut all those windows. But any fabrics nearby, especially heavy fabrics like the ones on curtains, collect lots of dust. Be sure to dust them off, as well as pillows and the floor. You also want to vacuum any area rugs in your home.

Pay attention to your air filters. Take a look at your system. Since every air filter is different, the best way to maintain them depends on what specific kind it is. But no matter the brand or the make, it is super important that you follow the instructions — all year round, but especially during these months.

Try to make cleaning fun. Put on some music. Listen to a podcast. Maybe pour yourself a cup of tea or a glass of wine when you do it.

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