All the Stuff You Should Clean on the First of the Month

The first day of every month should be for planning and getting your shit together, but most of us aren’t planner-toting wunderkinds. Still, there are a few things that most of us can do to keep the month going smoothly: Specifically, household items that need to be cleaned once per month. Clean them on the first of the month (or some time close to it) so you always remember to do them.

Household items that need to be cleaned every month

These appliances need monthly cleanings, according to Family Handyman:

• Your dryer and washing machine
• Your air conditioners
• Your dishwasher filter
• Your refrigerator
• Your drains
• Your range hood filter
• Your microwave
• Your ceiling fans

Lucky for you, we have explainers on how to clean most of these things. They’re linked above.

Other things around the house that needs monthly cleaning

Appliances are one thing, but there are parts of your home that should be cleaned or maintained every four weeks, too. Here are ones to add to your list:

• Baseboards
• Light fixtures
• Garage doors (and lube them up monthly, too)
• Air vent covers
• Windows

Again, the specific how-tos are listed above so you’ll be well-equipped to handle your household cleaning tasks on schedule. All that’s left to do is challenge yourself to get them out of the way around the first each month so you can get back to doing more fun stuff, as intended.