5 places you should clean but probably don't

Every house has its nooks and crannies – areas prone to gathering dust, grime and germs. Here are five places you should clean (but probably don't) to turn your property into the home it deserves to be.

Thoroughly cleaning your house can take up a lot of time, so if you're trying to speed things up, you may overlook key areas. The following is a list of places prone to gathering dust, grime and germs that you should look into cleaning sooner rather than later.

The tops of ceiling fans are a simple place to forget since they're out of sight and we can't – perhaps thankfully – see what their surface looks like.

• It's important to make a point to dust the blades at least biweekly. If neglected too long, these cooling appliances can become whirling, swirling, dust-spreading machines.

Similar to the ceiling fan philosophy, just because an area is out of sight and mind doesn't mean it's not collecting sneeze-inducing allergens.

• Invest in a step stool and dust off the tops of your furniture on occasion.

While you're looking up for places to clean, don't forget to look down, too.

• Baseboards are usually white, which shows off grime and dirt.
• Dust bunnies, shoe scuffs and pet hair are all culprits that lead to dirty baseboards.
• Grab a cloth or sponge and wipe them down every week or two.

If you've got a central heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, you've got air vents in the floor or ceiling.

• The vents in the floor become especially clogged as dust, dirt, fur and all kinds of things filter into them.
• The ones in the ceiling are full of dust, too, as the HVAC system sucks dirty air through them and pushes the ambient air out.
• If you've never cleaned your vents, you'll want to wear a mask and perhaps pop an allergy pill before you tackle the job.

You open and close the fridge multiple times per day, so you notice when the interior is dirty. But the top of the refrigerator often goes unnoticed. You don't know what's up there because you don't have to look.

• Cooking oils and grease, bugs and the like may be resting on your fridge right now. Grab your bleach spray and get to work.

Out of sight may be out of mind, but what you can't see can hurt you, especially if you or someone in your family has dust allergies or asthma. Keep a steady eye on these five dust magnets and your house should be much cleaner as a result.