Windows, window coverings, ceiling fans, sliding doors, and cabinets are among the items that are regularly on your list of spring cleaning chores. As you are spring cleaning in your apartment, however, you may be overlooking many areas. After all, it’s the little details that can turn your home from clean into immaculate. Here are a few things to remember to clean this time around.

1. Shower head

While you’re cleaning your bathtub and overall bathroom, take a look at your shower head. The nozzle is probably clogged full of debris. Try scrubbing it gently with soap and water or other environmentally friendly cleanser first, and if that doesn’t work, use an old toothbrush. The bristles should clear it up nicely.

2. Oven fan

As you’re scouring the inside of your oven and the top of the stove, remember to clean the fan and filter as well. Removing the grease trapped in and around the range hood filter can be difficult, however, so you may need to use a degreaser. Kitchn.com recommends soaking the filter in a blend of hot water, baking soda, and dish soap. 

In fact, you should change your filter at least once a year, so this is a good time to do so. Contact your local apartment community manager to see if it’s something they would prefer to handle for you.

3. Overhead shelves inside of closets

You’ll probably already be planning to clear out your closets and then donate unneeded clothing, coats, and shoes. As you do that, don’t forget about those overhead shelves that you rarely use. Safely use a step ladder to remove items you have stored on them and then clean the shelf.

As you put the items back on the shelves, it’s the perfect opportunity to toss any you will not use, or simply make the shelf appear neater by refolding or reorganizing the items. 

(When cleaning shelves, walls, ceilings, or any other area of your home, consider the type of material before choosing a cleaning agent. Water or other cleansers can damage some paints, for example, so test a small area first with whatever cleanser you choose to use. Use an appropriate cleanser for each surface.)

4. Bins inside of your garage

You know you have to powerwash your garage floor, and also clear out some of the clutter throughout the garage. One thing you might be overlooking is the cleanliness of the storage compartments. After you clear out the old, rusty tools and other “junk” that has collected in your garage, remember to clean the actual cabinets, baskets, toolboxes, and shelves.

5. Ceiling corners

Don’t forget about general dusting of your walls and ceilings, especially the corners. Spiders love to hide in corners, but there’s a good chance you rarely look up to see them, especially in the lesser used rooms of your home. A cobweb duster will do the trick. Just make sure the handle is long enough or extendable so that you can safely reach each corner.

6. Washer and dryer

You regularly clear the lint tray in your dryer, but there’s more to washer and dryer maintenance than just that. For the most part, the more intense work on your washer and dryer should be handled by the apartment community maintenance staff or a qualified HVAC technician. However, you can visually inspect the hoses and other parts of the washer and dryer for clogs or breaks in order to inform a member of the maintenance staff if any repairs are needed. 

You also can clean rubber gaskets and drums with water and vinegar, or fill cosmetic cracks with touch-up paint. Review your apartment lease documents or ask an apartment manager for specific rules regarding washer and dryer maintenance.

7. The other side of your mattress

Most likely, you are washing your pillowcases and sheets once a week or so, but as you are doing your spring cleaning in your apartment, it’s a good time to flip over the mattress. Start with vacuuming the side you have been using, and then flip it over and vacuum the fresh side. If you do this every time you spring clean, and then again clean for the fall, you can ensure that you are using both sides of your mattress equally and also keeping it clean of germs, dust, and living organisms that are invisible to the naked eye.

8. Under appliances

As you are scrubbing the inside and outside of your refrigerator, microwave, oven, coffeemaker, and all your other appliances, don’t forget to get underneath them with a broom. If you live in an apartment but want to get behind these appliances in order to clean them, consult with a member of the maintenance staff to help you. If you move them alone, you will risk scratching the floors, damaging the appliances, or hurting yourself.

9. Trash cans

You take out the trash nearly every day, but do you remember to clean the trash can itself? This is something you should do more frequently than once or twice a year, but it’s a good thing to remember to do as you are spring cleaning in your apartment.

10. House plants

House plants can be a treasure trove for dust, as well as spiders and other bugs, some of which can harm or kill the plant. Take the time to dust your house plants, and then gently wash them under lukewarm water. If you cannot move the plants to a sink or bathtub, gently wipe the leaves and stems with a cloth that has been moistened with water. You should maintain your house plants in such a manner more regularly, but remembering to do so as you are spring cleaning will add a nice finishing touch to your work.