Professional Maids Divulge The Things We Should All Be Cleaning Better
[rebelmouse-image 18359058 is_animated_gif=People are naturally messy and homes require a lot of maintenance. Keeping your living space clean is essential for healthy living, but a lot of areas and items often get overlooked. And yeah, guests notice and will judge you for having dirty toilets or crusty stoves.
mature-sensible-name asked, Professional house cleaners of Reddit, what do most people need to clean in their home, but don't?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
Dirty shower curtains need to be washed regularly because they're covered in your... whatever it is you washed away...
[rebelmouse-image 18359059 is_animated_gif=When I did housekeeping during college, I noticed that many people neglect to take down their shower curtains periodically for washing.
That's the accumulation of body oils, fluids, etc that has splashed off your body. You can disinfect and make a bathroom sparkle, however, the stench off the ripe curtain...ick.
What? Things can get dusty even though I'm short?
[rebelmouse-image 18359060 is_animated_gif=Coming from someone who is taller than average I'd like to mention that many people only clean to their eye level.
It's always a race between the dirt and the rust.
[rebelmouse-image 18359061 is_animated_gif=The dish drying rack. I've never seen anyone with one that wasn't horrific looking.
Years of cat food and tuna juice takes its toll.
[rebelmouse-image 18359062 is_animated_gif=The blade of their can opener.
A dirty microwave is slightly less gross than a dirty stove. Or a dirty toilet. Scrub it!
[rebelmouse-image 18359063 is_animated_gif=I cleaned houses in college...clean your microwaves people. Baseboards and windows are less disgusting, but more often neglected.
Clean your kitchen, especially if you're inviting people over to COOK FOR THEM. Gag.
[rebelmouse-image 18359064 is_animated_gif=Kitchens in general, IMO. If you're going to be messy, be messy but for the love of everything, at the very least keep the place where you eat and store food spotless.
Seriously. Kitchens are generally small, divide them into imaginary little squares and clean them up one by one in order - you'll be done before you know it and after that , you just need to maintain it bit by bit.
This is similar to the black marks on my walls where my cats incessantly rub their backs.
[rebelmouse-image 18355087 is_animated_gif=If you have toddlers/short children - the entire inside perimeter of your house at the 2.5ft mark has a layer of snot encrusted dirt that's built up over the years that you are most likely blind to by now.
A wet rag and some dish soap goes a long way, especially for white walls.
[rebelmouse-image 18359065 is_animated_gif=Not a pro, but worked housekeeping at a hotel for a bit. Wash your walls. You don't have to go all out, just if you see scuffs wipe them off. Even if you're not smoking inside or anything, so much grime builds up on walls.
They're also some of the most-used items in your home.
[rebelmouse-image 18359066 is_animated_gif=Clean your light switches and doorknobs - they are always gross and people rarely clean them.
Ceiling fans collect tons of dust. Wipe them down!
[rebelmouse-image 18359068 is_animated_gif=Their fans. People be having the DUSTIEST ceiling fans in the world. How do y'all sleep with those things spinning? It's like snow.
This is actually a great idea...
[rebelmouse-image 18359070 is_animated_gif=Here's one people NEVER do but really should: vacuum your mattress. No, I'm not kidding. When you change your sheets you should vacuum that so you can suck out whatever dead skin and crap have made their way down there. Also, we all know to wash the fitted sheet. But below that, mattresses sometimes have another removable cover, please wash that too.
Do people NOT do this? Nasty.
[rebelmouse-image 18359071 is_animated_gif=Clean the things you use to clean other things.
Replace your kitchen sponge at least twice a month. Wash your towels weekly. Leave the door to your washing machine open after each cycle so it doesn't mildew. You get the idea. If these things aren't clean, it can manifest in big ways. Ever met one of those people who has a faint musty/sour smell even after showering? Chances are they've been using the same nasty bath towel for weeks/months and don't notice the smell from it anymore.
Oh people, people. Clean. Your. Toilets.
[rebelmouse-image 18359072 is_animated_gif=I learned about this when I was being trained to clean professionally...
You really need to take the toilet seat completely off every now and again - every 6 months minimum to clean the sludge that accumulates around the screws and fittings.
It's really gross. Wear gloves.
If your stove has a hood, clean it. Oil and grease can become a fire hazard.
[rebelmouse-image 18359073 is_animated_gif=The one that always gets neglected is the extractor fan hood over your cooker. There are filters on there that need replacing (or just cleaning depending on the type) and if you don't after about 6-12 months they turn into a fire hazard because they get saturated with grease. If you put your hand onto the flat underside of your extractor hood and it feels greasy and gross, that's because it is. Clean that sh_t once in a while folks.
Window frames also collect a lot of dust, and sunlight can make it worse. Clean them!
[rebelmouse-image 18359074 is_animated_gif=I have a house cleaner and she says the most neglected spots are doors and window frames. Both get pretty gross (especially white doors around the handle) but people don't notice it until it's pointed out.
Apparently dishwashers have filters that require cleaning.
[rebelmouse-image 18359075 is_animated_gif=Garbage disposal flaps, black mold under there. Dishwasher filters, grossest things ever.
Cleaning under and around appliances is important too - food and dirt piles up.
[rebelmouse-image 18359076 is_animated_gif=People need to clean the backs, top, sides, and underneath their fridge, it gets really nasty after a while. Like super mega gross.
Definitely vacuum after your pets! No one wants to leave your house covered in hair.
[rebelmouse-image 18359077 is_animated_gif=Outside your entryways. If you keep your stoop swept and the garage floor relatively clean, you will track in a lot less crud. Also, if you have pets, vacuum your furniture once in a while. I spent over an hour once removing dog and cat hair from a living room set. Also, behind your toilet. It gets dusty there, plus urine of anyone with a penis lives there. Also, spiders like that spot for some reason.
If you have an HVAC system, replace your air filters.
[rebelmouse-image 18359078 is_animated_gif=Replace the air filters in your home about every 6 months to once a year.
This wins my award for grossest household item.
[rebelmouse-image 18359079 is_animated_gif=The toothbrush holder, your spit and saliva drip down the bottom of brushes into the cup, nasty.
People Describe The Exact Moment They Realized Their Friends Were A-Holes
Everyone has friends who you become less and less close to with each passing year.
This isn't always by choice, though, but simply by circumstance, when your lives both take different directions.
In some cases, however, we do find ourselves making a very conscious decision to stop spending time with certain friends.
Owing to the fact that these people might not be our friends after all.
In certain cases, the communication ends as the result of one specific moment.
Redditor D1Tytos was curious to hear the triggering moment when people decided to end their friendships, leading them to ask:
"What's the moment that made you realize your so called 'friends' were really just d*cks?"
Lack of Compassion
"When I got cancer and they never checked on me."- justagirlx19
Being Taken Advantage Of
"Worked with and rented a large house with my friend group after high school."
"Dumb and inexperienced with life, I didn’t know they were lying to me about bills and making me pay more/whatever they felt like until a family member asked about it."
"Eventually they all looked at moving into a new place without telling me."
"I felt guilty and confessed they would basically steal my money to shop with and planned on moving out while I was visiting family so I came back to an empty place and responsible for everything."- dylandbloom
"I found myself getting irritated whenever they called/hit me up."
"Because every time they'd only ask for something , never just to talk to hang out."- ybbetter_ratio
Happy Birthday Indeed...
"The last time I tried throwing a birthday party for myself."
"It always seemed like the ratio of people who said they'd come to people who actually showed was...lacking."
"But my final attempt."
"I had 20+ people say they'd show."
"Exactly one actually came."
"I've never had a birthday party since."
"But I'm still good friends with the one guy who showed."- Lachwen
Unkind Exclusion
"They asked to not have one of the people in our group over."
"They didn't want to tell him there was no game, they just wanted him to knock and pretend no one was there."
"I wasn't very cool with this but they didn't want to be 'confrontational' with said person."
"Before the next week rolled around they were saying 'there wasn't going to be anything going on' that Saturday."
"I knew they were full of sh*t, but went by to confirm they were all there that Saturday, and sure enough they all were."
"Just dropped them like a sack of potatoes and never spoke to them again, no reason to."- MickCollins
True Colors
"Had 3 friends."
"2 I liked and 1 I didn't really like at all."
"Turns out they had a secret group chat where they just called me slurs and talked about me behind my back."
"The guy I didn't like sent me screenshots of this and me and him have been friends 3 years now."- c_a_t2·
Blurred Perceptions
"When I stopped drinking and realized that’s all we had holding our friendship together."- BillieBoJangers·
Unreliable
"I remember I was severely depressed and I called someone I thought was my friend."
"When he realized I wanted to talk about real sh*t he made up an excuse to hang up."
"After that he kept ignoring my calls."
"What's crazy is I was there for that dude when his wife left him for another guy."
"There were times where I wanted to escape his depressing stories, but sat there and listened because he was my friend."- horsetoothjack@ss119
Ungrateful
"Couples retreat of 3 pairs, other 2 girlfriends flaked last minute, leaving mine."
"They still came, then had the nerve to tell mine the trip would’ve been better without her right to her face when I was out surfing."
"This was never established as a guys trip at any point."
"She fed them, organized the trip as a whole, etc."
"Losers."- SwingmanSealegz
Provoking Others
"Guy lies about his well-being being bad cus he loves how worried someone reacts."
"I called him out on it when he lied to someone else and he literally said 'I enjoy winding people up, I love how they react when I say x'."
"That's gross to me."- PastaNotFound
Ending a friendship is never pleasant.
But time heals everything, and over the course of a couple months, it might become evidently clear how much better off your life is without certain people in it.
We all have songs that we can't get out of our heads, resulting in our randomly humming them while walking down the street.
Among the most infectious songs are theme songs to TV shows.
Be it from tuning in every week to catch up with Friends who will always" be there for [us]", or being "stuck in the middle" of a Grace And Frankie binge, we often find ourselves humming the theme songs of our favorite shows more often than we find ourselves quoting the best lines.
Even if it means humming an infectious melody to a wordless piece of music (Will & Grace or Seinfeld anyone?)
Redditor LinksOtherUncle was curious to hear what people considered the all time greatest theme song to a TV show, leading them to ask:
"What is the greatest TV Show theme song of all-time?"
"Whoo-oo"...
"Duck Tales, of course."- Beautiful-Stranger20
"Believe It Or Not It's Just Me!"
"Greatest American Hero!"- GayHole
"Bum Bum BUM bum...bum bum BUM BUM bum bum bum..."
"Sanford and Son"- jkulpa
The Original MCU
"90s X-Men."- Ourobius
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..."
"Gilligan's Island"- Cantbetoobad1953
Bored Gilligans Island GIF by TV Land ClassicGiphy"It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights..."
"The Muppet Show theme song!"- Poorkiddonegood8541
"A World Of Criminals Who Operate Above The Law"
"Knight Rider!"- BladeBronson
"Heroes in a half-shell, TURTLE POWER!"
"The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon theme."- Petulant_Platypus
ninja turtles GIF by Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesGiphy"You want to go where everybody knows your name."
"Cheers."- Big-Significance3604
The only thing more comforting than turning on our TVs to revisit a familiar town with familiar characters, is the comforting familiar music which greets us on our return.
People Explain Which Bits Of Common Knowledge They Learned Way Too Late In Life
Who hasn't had a moment when they learned what they thought was a revelatory piece of information, ran to share it with their friends, and were then greeted by a barrage of stone faces?
Owing to the fact that what we only just learned a few minutes ago, was apparently common knowledge.
These include your favorite movie star was in fact the offspring of another movie star, what gelatin is actually made of, or little tricks and strategies which make certain experiences so much more pleasurable.
For no particular reason, some people learn these things far later than just about everyone else.
Redditor Big_Piccolo_8369 was curious to learn which bits of common knowledge people were late to the party in knowing, leading them to ask:
"What is common knowledge that you found out way too late?"
Strategic Planning
"Always eat before shopping at Costco."- mtl_jim
Sometimes Silence Is Golden
"Just because I hold an opinion on something doesn't mean that I need to share it."
"I spent WAY too much of my early adulthood inserting my viewpoint into discussions that I wasn't really a part of."- xjuggernaughtx
How To Keep Friendships Strong
"Simply asking 'how are you' once in awhile is all it takes to not fall apart from old friends."- a_burdie_from_hell
Know Your Worth
"Hard work isn’t always the answer."
"When I worked a minimum wage job, I would work hard and not take breaks, so a great job, and always finish early."
"I just then got told to pick up the slack for the employees who spent their time goofing off."
"Never got a promotion, raise, or even a 'hey, good job'."- Disco-Onion
Think Twice Before Lending Money
"That when people ask to borrow money especially if it's a friend or family just expect to never see it again."- Different-Chest-5716
Loan Borrow GIFGiphySpotting Charlatans
Being well-educated in one area doesn't mean that a person can't be a total idiot in other areas."- Red-belliedOrator
Never Make Decisions When Angry
"'Every action made in anger ends in sorrow'."
"An attorney, when I was 24."- yours121110
"Don't make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings."- Yoschnitzel
Angry Inside Out GIF by Disney PixarGiphyThe Importance Of Sleep
"Going too long without sleep can impair your ability to drive the same way as drinking too much alcohol."- SuvenPan
We're all bound to be looked down upon every now and then for just learning something everyone else already knows.
Though always remember, the wisest ones are those who never want to stop learning.
I'm a simple person when it comes to video games.
I prefer to go with nostalgia.
All of these fancy deals put me on sensory overload.
But my goodness the technology really has come a long way.
And there are actual storylines and drama.
Good for y'all gamers.
Redditor TolisKoutrowanted everyone to list their thoughts on the greatest of the great.
"What video game do you consider a masterpiece?"
I love you Ms. Pac-Man. Always and forever.
It's a Ride
video game physics jet GIFGiphy"Roller Coaster Tycoon 2."
Icy_Entrepreneur_859
"Loved RCT2. The canned child laughing sound and the chain lifts noise are permanently burned into my brain."
Career-Known
my whole childhood...
"Man I miss Valve... Their games were designed in a way many developers could only dream of, they were revolutionary in almost everything they laid their hands on."
johnbacosta
"Yeah that’s my whole childhood, still some of the best games… and actually playing HL- alyx for my very first VR experience was nuts. Loved it."
dub3ra
"They made a new game based in the Portal universe. It’s really short but it’s free and funny."
Advanced_Position_25
Better than Perfect
"Portal 2."
Natural-School5690
For real. The first one was absolutely perfect and then they somehow managed to make the second one even better."
Jack_Mackerel
"Portal 1's only fault is that it's very short. I just replayed it a decade since I last touched it and I cleared it in under 2 hours. Portal 2 had so much more room to add more mechanics, more puzzles, and more story. It's the perfect sequel."
YossarianWWII
Classic
"Half Life 2 was brilliant. After that I'd call out WoW Classic. It's hated now, but the first couple of years it was magic. It was a completely new experience exploring such a massive open world and nobody knew anything. So much fun on Ventrilo. Will remember forever. Championship manager in the early 90s. Maybe what I have played the most. I'll mention Fallout series, Witcher and Skyrim as well."
Joppe84
Simply the Best
Movie Raise The Roof GIF by Star WarsGiphy"Star Wars knights of the old Republic. KOTOR. Surprised it hasn’t been said."
gerbs650
"Absolutely! I played it as a kid and it practically taught me life lessons. KOTOR 2 is a little darker but quite good also."
Lensk
How can you even tell any of the Star Wars games apart?
FAVE!!
Episode 8 Mario GIF by Paramount+Giphy"Super Mario World. It’s perfect. I don’t think there’s a single thing about it that I would change."
AdevilSboyU
"That game is awesome. That and Mario 64. But I love the soundtrack from Yoshi’s Island."
HmGrwnSnc1984
Options
"Deus Ex the first one."
Funkyouup82
"At the time the open ended options and story presentation were both really impressive. You could really appreciate that the developer committed to that (e.g. you could physically destroy most locked doors). I think a lot of games stop short of doing that because they don’t want to allow brute force solutions in addition to more elegant ones."
NewKitchenFixtures
"Journey. Not as long and vast as many games here but an artistic masterpiece in my books. It’ll age much better than most games too because of the simplicity."
justthisones
"I absolutely love journey; the music mixed with the visual story telling is absolutely stunning. Also it has, imo, one of the most interesting multiplayer experiences of any game."
"It’s def one of my top three games, but Gris’ artwork and music are peak for me. Also if you really enjoyed the exploration of Journey, you’ll probably love Outer Wilds. Great game, it’ll leave you wishing you could forget it and play it all again."
SynnamonSunset
Play NOW!
"Chrono Trigger, if you know you know, and if you don't, go play it immediately."
sketchypoutine
"Definitely, I feel like some of the best RPGs came from the SNES and Sega era. Chrono Trigger, FF 6, Secret of Mana, super Mario RPG, Earthbound, shining force 2, Phantasy Star 4. Still some of my favorites that i try to revisit every year or so."
chrono_bound20xx
"Came here for Chrono. Time travel just makes for amazing stories, and I love how you can make the game different each play through."
anna1781
i can see your...
Master Chief Game GIF by HaloGiphy"Halo 3. Incredible story and thrilling gameplay. Hilariously fun multiplayer. Fantastic community. Nostalgia."
Current-Ad1250
Video games have surely come a long way from Atari.
What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below.