There are certain areas inside and outside of your home that get all the attention. These areas typically include your front yard, entranceway, living room, kitchen room, and any other publicly visible areas. The reasons we prioritize these areas are because we spend the majority of our time in them and they’re the most visible to visitors.
These reasons are perfectly legitimate, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with prioritizing these areas, but there are other areas around our homes that are often neglected and deserve just as much attention.
To understand what these areas are and why they’re worthy of just as much attention, keep reading below!
Under the Patio
When was the last time you checked under your front or back patio? It’s probably been a while — if you’ve ever checked at all. While you may not need to go under your patio on a daily basis, neglecting to give it a solid cleaning every once in a while can lead to all sorts of problems.
For example, that pesky animal that’s eating all of your garden crops may be living under your patio. You may have given up years ago and chalked it up to an unsolvable problem, but by simply checking under your patio, seeing the animal, and shooing it away (or having it professionally removed), you can return to having a fully-functioning garden.
In this scenario, not routinely checking and cleaning under your deck might result in your losing out on countless crops that would otherwise be fine — costing you dearly not just on the dinner table, but also in your wallet.
To avoid such scenarios, check under your patio a few times a year — that’s all it takes. You don’t have to squish yourself under there every day — just enough to make sure everything is fine and dandy. You can also look into stores offering deck coatings in Jacksonville for added protection.
The Back Shed
You might only think of your back shed as where you toss all of your after-thought belongings, but it deserves as much attention as anywhere else around your home. A back shed is a precious asset and can increase a property’s market value, helping you to get more for your home should you decide to sell later down the road.
With this in mind, you want to keep your back shed in tip-top shape. Other than keeping it clean and organized, there are a few added protective measures you can explore. For example, if you live in Florida, you can consider industrial floor coatings in Jacksonville, which can reduce the chances of your back shed’s flooring rotting away from excessive moisture or spilled chemicals. You can apply this coating yourself, but it’s often better to opt for professional floor coatings in Jacksonville. This is because of the types of items typically stored in back sheds, including acidic chemicals and wet pool materials — both of which can cause serious damage without high-quality protection.
Speaking of pools, while you’re in the mindset of cleaning and damage-proofing neglected areas around the home, you might also want to look into pool coatings in Jacksonville. A quick look at your pool’s lining will let you know if it’s in need of some TLC.
In the Laundry Room
In most homes, the laundry room serves two purposes: to house your clothing’s cleaning equipment and to house your cats’ litter boxes. Neither of these things warrants a lot of excitement, which means that people try to get in and out of their laundry rooms as quickly as possible. While completely understandable, such haste can result in you missing signs of damage, grime, and other things that could be improved inside your laundry room.
In fact, due to what’s often inside of it — dirty litter boxes and moisture-producing machines — your laundry room deserves more attention than nearly any other room in your entire house. Left unchecked, spillover litter can cause stains on your floor (not to mention a long-lasting smell), and the moisture from your machines can cause mold to develop.
Fortunately, both of these things can be nipped in the bud if tended to early on. If you see spillover litter, clean it up immediately with a scooper and a plastic bag. Similarly, if you see mold beginning to develop anywhere, wipe it away with some strong cleaning solution.
If you’re really serious about preventing mold from developing, you can also consult a specialist to see how you can improve ventilation in your laundry room. With the proper ventilation, you don’t have to worry about moisture sticking around long enough to produce mold. While professional consultation might be more expensive upfront, it could save you a fortune in cleaning and repairs down the road.
In Your Attic/Cellar
The attic and the cellar are the two most neglected rooms in just about every household. However, you want to be regularly checking both for many of the same reasons you want to be checking under your patio, such as for any signs of infestation.
Critters like dark and moist places, making attics and cellars particularly susceptible to infestation. However, if you catch on early enough, you can take the proper measures to clear out any existing critters and deter any more from coming in.
As a general rule, try to check up on your attic and/or cellar at least two or three times a year. This consistency will help you catch any problems early on before they have time to develop into something more serious (and costly).
Takeaway
If you only take care to clean the most visible areas of your home, you’re potentially endangering the more hidden and neglected areas. These areas may not be what you or visitors see on a regular basis, but they’re still very much important parts of your home — and deserve to be treated as such.
To make sure your home is taken care of in its entirety, in addition to your regular cleaning, be sure to also dedicate some time to tend to under your patios, your back shed, your laundry room, and your attic/cellar.