7 time-wasting places at home you do not need to clean regularly – professional cleaners reveal the spots to skip in your chore schedule

There are so many things we have to clean to keep our homes sanitized and our families healthy, that sometimes, chores can feel like an uphill battle. Social media doesn’t help, making a mission out of pointing out every nook and cranny you might be forgetting.

But what about all the places you do not need to clean? Or at least, don't need to clean regularly. Contrary to popular belief, they do exist around your home, and cutting them out of your cleaning regime could save you quite a bit of time and energy, according to our professional cleaners.

These are the seven spots our experts recommend skipping regularly, and why these anti-cleaning tips can be a godsend for your schedule.

7 places in your home do not need to clean regularly

Cutting out some of these cleaning tasks certainly helped me to find the right cleaning balance in my home – and it could just do the same for you.

1. Inside sealed storage

Although we still highly recommend decluttering your storage ideas semi-regularly, Delah Gomasi, professional cleaner, operating manager, and CEO of MaidForYou assures us you do not need to deep clean them while you are at it.

He says, ‘Surfaces or spaces protected from dust, such as the insides of drawers, cabinets, and cupboards, generally stay clean. Unless you notice crumbs, spills, or other residues, these areas can be cleaned every few months or even seasonally.'

2. The tops of cabinets

If you do end up cleaning kitchen cabinets, Delah Gomasi assures you that you can usually skip the tops.

He says, ‘While these surfaces collect dust over time, the dust tends to settle and remain undisturbed because of their height and lack of regular contact. Since these spots are also rarely visible, cleaning them once every few months [or even once a year as part of spring cleaning] is usually sufficient.

Lining the tops of your cabinets with old newspapers means you can gather up the grease and dust quickly to clean them without actually having to clean anything.

3. Window tracks

Unlike cleaning windows, which can boost natural light in your home, when it comes to cleaning window tracks, Delah Gomasi, says, ‘They don't need constant attention unless debris or dirt starts obstructing their functionality. Regular maintenance every few months is adequate for most homes unless you're located in a dusty area or experience frequent storms.’

Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden cleans her windows tracks seasonally. She explains, 'My home doesn't have air conditionining so in the summer, our windows are opened and closed a lot. When I noticed the tracks are dirty, I clean them using a DIY cleaning solution of 1:1 water and vinegar, along with a microfiber cloth from Amazon or scrubbing brush. Usually once every eight weeks or so between June-September. After that, I usually leave them untouched till summer rolls around again as they don't see much action or accumulate dust or grime from outside.'

4. Baseboards and molding

No one wants to crawl around on their hands and knees to clean baseboards, so you will likely be relieved to hear you can skip it most of the time.

Delah Gomasi, adds, ‘Dust on lower surfaces like baseboards is rarely unsettled nor is it easy to spot. You can definitely leave these two things out during your regular cleaning routine and, instead, add them to your deep cleaning checklist.

‘Similarly, dust tends to accumulate in the crevices of intricately designed decor pieces, but it’s not always noticeable. You can save time by cleaning these items only when the dust becomes really visible. A small brush or toothbrush works well for this.'

You can also do what our home tech editor Dan Fauzi does, and use a dryer cloth hack to easily clean your baseboards without having to bend down. That way, you don't need to get on your hands and knees to clean low down areas that are covered with dust.

5. Blinds

Although you can clean blinds while hanging up, they are still a pain to dust completely. Ryan Knoll, cleaning expert and founder of Tidy Casa says, ‘Dust builds up slowly on blinds, so unless you’re in the middle of a desert dust storm (which, in Phoenix, is a real possibility), cleaning them a couple of times a year is fine. A damp cloth or a dusting mitt will do the trick.’

We love the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster for dusting awkward spots such as blinds as they squash down to fit in small gaps with ease.

6. Walls

Ryan Knoll continues, ‘Unless you are preparing walls for painting, or have kids or pets, walls don’t get dirty quickly. A light dusting every so often is plenty, and a full wipe-down every year or two keeps them looking fresh. Over-washing can actually wear down the paint, so less is more here.’

Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved, has both pets and kids. She found a workaround that reduces the frequency of wall cleaning down even further. She says, 'When I decorate a room in my house, I use wipeable paint on the walls. This means if there little grubby mark appears on the wall, I can spot clean it. That reduces the need to clean walls in their entirety regularly.'

7. Outdoor lights

There are a few front porch cleaning tips that can help to prevent slipping hazards and maintain wooden structures, but generally speaking, you can skip these areas – especially any outdoor lights.

Delah Gomasi says, ‘Outdoor lighting is exposed to dirt, bugs, and the elements, which means it does get dirty, but not enough to warrant frequent cleaning. Wiping them down every couple of months or as part of a larger outdoor cleaning project is perfect for maintenance.’

A prime time to clean any outdoor solar lighting is February, when the days start to get noticeably longer and there is more chance your solar lights come back to life with the increased hours of sunshine.

FAQs

How long should it take for one person to clean a house?

When you are cleaning the main dirt hotspots in a house (including the kitchen, and bathrooms, dusting, and changing bed linens), it should take one person around two and a half hours a week. This increases a little when you are deep cleaning and tackling appliances and floors, or if you have a very large home with lots of bedrooms and bathrooms.

How can I spend less time cleaning?

Developing some smart habits to spend less time cleaning can help you reclaim some of your free time. This can include automating your tasks with smart tools like robot vacuums, developing a schedule such as the ‘different-day-different-room’ housekeeping schedule, or delegating tasks to other family members to help spread the load.

Cutting back on cleaning these less-important spots around your home is a quick and easy way to enjoy a chore-free weekend, just remember to give them a quick once over when you start spring cleaning to avoid serious build-up over the years.