Let’s start with something you use every day but you probably never think twice about: the refrigerator door handle. Think about how many hands have touched that... and where they were before they got out an afternoon snack. Let’s just say that handle is probably the last thing you want to touch before you handle food. The Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner + Bleach is a tough-acting sanitizer that disinfects and cleans a variety of surfaces.

Next up is a spot that's easier to spiff up than you'd think, and it's the inside of your trash can. To get rid of any lingering smells, no matter how slight, try giving your garbage can a thorough scrub-down. Follow up with a disinfecting spray — like Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner + Bleach that kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria — et voilá: a clean(er) trash can.

Moving on to less-obvious pastures: Have you cleaned your pots and pans lately? No, not the ones you used for dinner last night. I’m talking about the giant roasting pans or stock pots that slowly get shuffled to the back of your cabinet or middle of your pot rack. Even if you aren’t using them daily (or even weekly…or monthly…) it’s still a good idea to give them a good scrub down. Their hard surfaces are magnets for airborne grease, which makes them an excellent landing pad for dust and germs. Dunk those bad boys in hot, soapy water every few months. You’ll thank yourself next time you pull one out!

If your household is like mine, your kids love taking over the TV whenever they get the chance. And if your kids also happen to be like mine, they may fail to adhere to basic norms of hygiene from time to time. Combine grubby, germy hands with the remote control that the entire family uses and… well, you can see where I’m going. It’s probably not a great idea to douse a remote with spray cleaner (I’m no electrician), so instead I wipe it down with a disinfecting cloth or wipe that can easily work around weird curves and crevices

When it comes to those cute-but-dusty trusty living room lamp shapes, here's a handy method for getting them like-new: First, make sure you’re using your vacuum's hose attachments to the best of your ability. Your lampshades can harbor plenty of dust and dander, giving airborne allergens the perfect opportunity to spread. Use one of your vacuum attachments to gently remove dust, then follow up with a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water and a few drops of mild soap to pick up the last of those dust bunnies.

And don’t put that vacuum away yet! Make sure to remove your sofa and chair cushions, if possible, and vacuum them thoroughly. If your cushions aren’t removable, use a small hose attachment to get in every nook and cranny. You never know what treasures you’ll find (likely broken crayons, bobby pins, and a small fortune's worth of pennies).

You may have a minimalist decor scheme (read: no decor) in your bathroom, but even so you may have an over-the-toilet cabinet, a small print, or a knick-knack or two. If you haven’t dedicated some time to cleaning those in a while, put it at the top of your list. Who knows what's hanging out on them.

Next, move onto your shower liner. That piece of plastic hangs in your tub, gets wet every single day, and protects your bathroom floors from soapy horrors. Give it the respect it deserves with a bath of its own with Clorox® Regular Bleach with CLOROMAX® in your washing machine. If your shower has glass doors, you aren’t exempt from the shower cleaning. Focus on the oft-forgotten bottom of your shower door and the grime hidden in door hinges or track.

I certainly hope you clean the inside of your toilet bowl with some regularity (hello Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaner!), but don’t stop there. Surfaces surrounding the family throne like the floor, the adjacent walls, and even the outside of the bowl can get quite dirty — and though you may not be able to see those germs, it's entirely possible that you may one day smell it. Use a disinfecting spray and a clean cloth for the outside of the bowl and the surrounding walls, and tackle grimy floors with a germ-killing floor cleaner.

If you have central air and heating, it's a good idea to be regularly cleaning the registers. With so much air going in and out of the vents and returns, it’s the perfect place for dust to accumulate. Luckily, cleaning them out is a fairly simple process; just turn off your heat or air conditioning system, remove the vent covers, and use your vacuum to clear the ducts and a broom to clean up the actual grates.

Next, move on to light switches. Like the refrigerator door handle and remote, your family uses these every day so they’re likely covered in germs. Wipe it down with a disinfecting cloth or wipe, and you're good to go.

It feels great to look around at a clean room, admiring your job well done. But if you forget to look up, you’re forgetting one major issue: the ceiling fan. The blades of ceiling fans seem to be dust bunnies’ #1 spot to hang out. Combat allergy issues by placing a pillowcase over each blade and wiping the dust off — the pillowcase catches all the dust for you!

This post is sponsored by Clorox.