12 Details That Ruin Even the Best Interiors

There are times when you spend several hours a day cleaning, but the place still doesn’t look good in the end. Just like many other things in our lives, it’s all about the details. One little thing can simply ruin the impression of your home.

We at Bright Side decided to recall the details we saw when we visited people’s places and made a list of things that contribute to a generally messy look.

A cluttered tabletop

The very first thing you see when you enter the kitchen is the tabletop. And if there’s a lot of stuff lying on it, it makes the place look messy and dirty. Plus, it’s hard to keep the surfaces clean since you need to move all the stuff around. It’s much better to put everything you can into drawers and keep the tabletop as open as possible.

The space under the furniture

There’s a lot of dust down there. But nowadays, there are all sorts of different sweepers and brushes for narrow spaces.

A sink organizer

Even if the sink itself is clean, the organizer for the dish soap and sponges makes the place look dirty anyway. The pieces of food that almost inevitably remain on the sponge get on the surface and create an environment for bacteria to produce very fast. Sponges and sinks are not the cleanest places in a home anyway, and the food remains don’t make the situation any better.

A bathroom curtain

Bathrooms are always wet and humid, which is a great place for bacteria and fungus to appear. And while we always wash the bathtub and the tiles, we often neglect the curtain. In fact, it’s not that hard to wash. Most curtains are made of materials that can be washed in the washing machine. And it’s better not to leave the curtain folded to let it dry.

House plants

Unfortunately, house plants are great at collecting dust. So even if the pots are clean, the leaves may still be dirty. Don’t forget to clean the leaves from time to time to keep the air in the apartment fresh. Besides, dust on the leaves might disrupt the photosynthesis process.

Unpleasant smells from the fridge

Sometimes, food goes bad and leaves an unpleasant smell. And even if the fridge itself is sparkling clean, the smell ruins it all. You can start with simple methods — place some lemon pieces inside to absorb the smell. You can also use baking soda. Put some on a small plate and put it into the fridge for several hours.

Window gaps

If you’ve ever washed windows, you know how hard it is to wash all the gaps and corners. You have to fold the cloth to reach all the little nooks and crannies. But if you don’t do this, the window doesn’t look clean. But luckily for us, there are special brushes that can help you reach the narrowest spots.

Pet food plates

According to studies, there are as many bacteria on pets’ bowls as there are on dish sponges. They may be dangerous both to pets and humans. That’s why your pets’ bowls should be cleaned at least once a day to keep everyone at home healthy. Also, it’s best to disinfect these dishes at least once a week or wash the bowls at a very high temperature.

Skirting boards

These are often neglected. They’re not the floor or the windowsills, and they’re quite difficult to wash, so they often remain dusty. But you can usually see the dust on them. Plus, if you have children in the family, you can easily have them clean the skirting boards to get them interested in cleaning. It’s not hard and it may even seem fun to them.

Ventilation grates

Because there’s a constant flow of air going through the grate, there’s a lot of dust on it. Such grates are usually easy to remove, wash, and then put back. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust if the grates are hard to reach.

Not enough storage space

No matter how perfect your place looks, if surfaces like chairs, windowsills, and more are covered with clothes, there will be a mess. So you need to have a lot of storage space.

Wet towels

When wet towels just lie on top of each other, even if they’re folded, sooner or later, they start smelling quite bad. Besides, humidity is a very fertile ground for bacteria, especially in the kitchen. It’s better to hang up towels and not fold them.

Are there any flaws in your home that you just can’t ignore?