We often think of the kitchen as the heart of the home and certainly, it's where your festive feasts will be prepared and lovingly cooked. But it's the dining room where your guests will spend hours enjoying the fruits of your labor.
That's why it's a key area I urge you to deep clean before hosting, as these five things I always notice in people's dining rooms may put an unceremonious dampener on your occasion. Worse still, pet hair and sticky floors may distract your guests from all the effort you've put in to host them and be the thing they remember.
The good news is my cleaning tips will help you spruce up these problem spots that can be easily missed in your dining room, and keep attention firmly on the feast, and not any sneaky filth.
Five dirty things I always notice in dining rooms
I've been a professional cleaner and operations manager at Spekless for years. Even when I'm off duty, I can't help but spot dirty areas in homes that many people miss. Here are my top five to watch out for in your dining room and what to do to get them sparkling ahead of your festivities.
1. Sticky floors under the table
Food and drink spills that aren’t cleaned right away dry and leave behind sticky residues. The area under the table is most often overlooked during regular cleaning of hard floors.
High foot traffic in this area can also grind spills further into the floor, making them harder to remove. Sticky floors are immediately noticeable, especially if guests accidentally step on the mess and feel their shoes grip to the floor or worse still, have kicked off their footwear and been met with an unpleasant sensation underfoot.
To fix it:
- Take daily care: Spot-clean spills as soon as they happen using a damp cloth or paper towel and a spray of mild dish soap such as Dawn, from Walmart, or an all-purpose cleaner.
- Deep clean: Use a mop with a gentle cleaning solution to address the entire dining area after meals. I like the O-Cedar RinseClean Spin Mop & Bucket System. For especially sticky spots, pre-treat with a degreasing cleaner or warm water mixed with white vinegar, available at Amazon.
- Use preventive measures: Consider placing a washable dining rug or floor mat under the table to catch crumbs and absorb spills, making cleanup easier. Ruggable's wide range of gorgeous rugs can be easily machine washed.
All prices correct at time of publication.
Method’s Almond product is a firm fave for our writer Becks Sheperd and smells luxurious. It's also easy to use; just squirt over sealed hardwood or laminate flooring and mop away. No need to dilute.
H&G content editor Chiana swears by the Swiffer and found it lifted a decade of stubborn floor grime in 30 seconds. This starter kit comes with the mop, batteries, and everything you to need to get quickly set up and cleaning.
Ruggable has a great range but delivery can take up to two weeks on some designs. This classic-style rug from Amazon is available in six sizes, five colors and if you're a Prime member, can be delivered the same day or next day.
2. Crumb-filled chair cushions
Chair cushions and upholstered seating can often trap food debris in crevices, especially when crumbs fall from plates or napkins. People may sit on the debris unknowingly, further embedding it into the fabric or seams.
Over time, the buildup becomes unsightly and can attract pests like ants or even rodents. Without regular attention and cleaning of couch cushions or dining chair crumbs, seats can also develop stains or odors.
To clean upholstered dining chairs and keep them that way:
- Vacuum weekly: Use one of the best handheld vacuums or the crevice tool of your vacuum cleaner to suck up crumbs from seams and corners. I recommend the BISSELL AeroSlim Lithium Ion Cordless Handheld Vacuum For tighter crevices, try using a soft-bristled cleaning brush, available at Walmart, to loosen debris before vacuuming.
- Spot-clean spills: Apply an upholstery cleaner like Resolve to any visible stains and blot gently with a clean, damp cloth. Avoid rubbing, as it could spread the stain.
- Deep cleaning: If they are removable, wash cushion covers without damaging them by following their care instructions every few months. For non-removable cushions, consider hiring a professional upholstery cleaner periodically, or use a Black & Decker 7-in-1 steam cleaner available on Amazon to freshen them up.
3. Food stains on rugs or carpets
Dining areas with rugs or carpets are prone to food stains due to inevitable spills or dropped food. Stains occur when spills aren’t treated immediately, allowing liquids to seep into fibers.
Sticky or greasy foods are particularly difficult to tackle, as they bind to carpet fibers, making them harder to clean. The lack of a protective coating on some rugs can further complicate the issue.
To fix it:
- Take immediate action: Blot spills right away with a paper towel or clean cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. Avoid rubbing, as this can spread the stain.
- Spot treatment: Use a carpet spray like Folex, a bestseller on Amazon, on the affected area, working it in gently with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse lightly with water and blot dry.
- Preventive steps: Choose stain-resistant or machine-washable rugs for dining areas. These can be tossed into the washing machine, while stain-resistant ones repel liquids, giving you more time to clean up spills before they stain. Amazon has wide range of machine washable rugs and if you're a Prime member, many have same day or next day delivery. You can also try a free trial of Prime to benefit from two-day shipping.
It's Amazon's Choice and mine too. This portable cleaner is lightweight, great for spot cleaning spills and odors from rugs, upholstery, and carpets. The retractable handle makes it easy to move around the home to spot treat stains.
4. Grimy cabinet knobs and handles
High-touch cabinet hardware quickly collects grease, food residue, and dust from frequent use. These small areas are easy to overlook during regular cleaning but bacteria and grime build up over time, especially in grooves or corners.
It's not the sort of high-traffic area you want to leave uncleaned as your guests will no doubt want to help you and it's likely they'll be in and out of cabinets.
To clean your cabinet door handles and knobs ahead of guests arriving:
- Weekly wipe-downs: Use disinfectant wipes such as CloroxPro Disinfecting Wipes from Amazon or a damp cloth with mild dish soap to clean knobs and handles, removing both grime and germs. Focus on scrubbing around edges and corners where dirt accumulates most.
- Deep cleaning: For stubborn grime, soak the hardware in warm, soapy water (if removable) or scrub gently with a toothbrush dipped in dish soap or an all-purpose cleaner. A small cleaning crevice brush from Amazon may come in handy for those small gaps.
- Prevent buildup: Encourage family members to clean their hands before meals, and consider handles with smooth surfaces that are easier to wipe clean.
5. Pet hair in dining areas
As any dog or cat owner may know, our furry little friends love to be where we are, or better yet, where there might be a morsel to devour at the dining-table. Cats often curl up on dining chairs to nap, feeling safe from the cover overhead.
However, this leaves the dining room prone to pet hair and dander. Learn how to keep your home clean when you have cats or dogs in depth in our dedicated guide.
In the mean time, sweep or vacuum before hosting meals, use a lint roller on chair cushions and keep pets out during meal times if preferred and possible.
Head of Solved at H&G Punteha has two cats and swears by these pet hair lint rollers. She says, 'I keep at least one in every room of my home and use them multiple times a day. One sticky sheet will easily clean two dining chairs or one seat and back of a sofa. It also negates the need to get my vacuum out.'
If you're in the market for a pet hair cordless hand vacuum, this is my recommendation. It weighs only 3 lbs and is battery powered so you can whiz around quickly and easy before guests arrive for a final spruce up.
If your dining room is carpeted and you're always dealing with stuck-on pet hair, this carpet rake pulls up pretty much everything. We even use it to test how much fur a vacuum's cleaned from a carpet.
There you have it: the five dirty areas I always spot in people's dining rooms and how to tackle them preventatively, and ahead of hosting.
Next, learn about the dirty areas of the home I always notice and the pre-Christmas cleaning tasks you should tick off.
