How Often Do You Really Clean These Neglected Spaces?

You sweep your floor and scrub your toilet, but more likely than not, there are a few other places in your home that might not get the attention they deserve. A new survey by ImproveNet shows exactly how often the average American tidies up a few specific household features—and the findings might be enough to inspire you to break out those paper towels.

A quarter of respondents cleaned the inside of their refrigerator in the past one to three months, 23 percent in the past month, and just 11 percent in the past year. Shower walls, however, get a little more love: 31 percent scrubbed them in the past month and 26 percent in the past week. It’s the little things—doorknobs and light switches—that need more attention: 30 percent wipe them down every couple of months, and 20 percent do so just once or twice a year.

So how often should you clean these spots? According to Merry Maids, you should spray down your shower once a week, and author Courtenay Hartford recommends going through your fridge every three days. And those light switches and doorknobs, according to the Cleaning Institute, should be disinfected twice a week. Just remember that you don’t need to spend hours at a time making your home spotless—a few minutes every day go a long way.

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