by Patrick Sills

Created on: May 16, 2009

When it comes to cleaning, the difference between a regularly-maintained household and one that is neglected can become quite obvious. Those who follow a regular regimen of not only cleaning, but also putting items back where they belong once they have been used will not only benefit from a better-looking house on the inside, but a healthier environment as well. Staying on top of keeping the interior rooms of our houses reasonably presentable becomes plain common sense. Should you happen to step inside the dwelling of someone who fails to keep this task up, it's a safe bet that you will be able to tell immediately.

With that said, most of us know the routine. The bathtubs, shower stalls, sinks, and floors are cleaned in the bathrooms. We wash and dry our dirty clothes and then return them to their respective closets or chests of drawers. We dust and vacuum the bedrooms and living room. Finally, we keep dishes washed and stored in their respective cupboards and drawers and regularly clean the countertops in the kitchen. We sweep and mop all applicable flooring. When we perform these duties about once weekly, a feeling of satisfaction is realized. But there is one thing that even the most disclipined of homemakers can overlook. And what is that? Cobwebs and dust can easily become collected in ceiling areas; particularly in the corners where walls meet. Regardless of how well your house is sealed from the outdoor elements, spiders will find a way to enter from time to time. When they do, they like to construct webs, and ceilings are a favored spot. Here's another culprit: If you happen to have a ceiling fan or two, you will eventually devlelop a nice collection of dust in a surrounding area that can stretch out to a radius of ten feet or more.

This presents a problem; for the average ceiling is about eight feet in height. Vaulted ceilings are even higher, so unless you play center for the Los Angeles Lakers or Chicago Bulls or regularly walk on stilts, such areas can be difficult to reach. So how do we resolve this dilemma? There are featherdusters with extended handles. Then there is your standard broom. These tools both work quite well, but there is still a problem. Even with the longest of these items, you will still have to stand on a chair, stool, or ladder to reach the high areas. This should be done wisely to ensure avoiding injury from falling. For instance, don't try to stand on the arms of that recliner or sofa! Pick a solid dining-room chair or stool instead. Even with these at your disposal, never attempt to lean over a stairwell; especially if it goes downward to a basement or lower level. Even if you have railing on the sides, this isn't the time to learn that the structural integrity of such protection isn't as sound as you expected.

By far, the best tool one can utilize to clean cobwebs and dust from hard-to-reach areas is a simple shop-vac with extension pipes. These types of vacuums are usually reserved for garages, but are ideal for removing collections of dust from walls and ceilings indoors. They can be found in just about any hardware store and come with extensions and attachments. Choose one with adequate suction; which will be in the 4-5 horsepower range or even higher. Even if the vacuum only comes with a couple of tubes, extra pipes can be purchased separately as accessories. Once you have three or four such extensions, any household ceiling can be reached; even without the aid of chairs, stools, or ladders.

Use a brush attachment at first to loosen and break up the dust and/or cobwebs, and then switch to the universal skinny, cylindical attachment to finish the job. Your ceilings will look brand new with a minimal amount of effort.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.