We all have places in our homes that we might forget to clean. For me, it’s the space underneath any heavy furniture. While my boyfriend and I vacuum our living room every week, the floorboards underneath the sofa are often left untouched. We recently realized the amount of dust that had piled up.

I asked CR writers and editors—who have written about how to clean the different corners of your home—what places can be surprisingly dirty. Here’s what they told me. Brace yourselves.

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Food residue can gum up the splash guard and walls of the garbage disposal, which can make your sink stink.

Use ice cubes, baking soda, lemon slices, and bleach to clean your disposal once a week. (Check here to see the exact steps.) You can also try this TikTok hack, which requires nothing but ice, according to former staff writer Perry Santanachote, who can attest that it works. 

Also, don’t use commercial garbage disposal cleaners, because some can be too corrosive.

There are lots of nooks and crannies in it where crumbs collect.

Use a damp polyester or nylon scrubber to remove any burnt food inside a toaster oven. But make sure that you don’t touch the heating elements and that all parts are dry before you use the appliance again. To clean other parts of the oven, read this.

Grime can get caught in the door gaskets. Dust might collect on the condenser coils, which can affect the fridge’s ability to cool. And minerals can build up in the water and ice dispenser.

Clean the gaskets with a damp cloth, then run a dry cloth over the folds to eliminate the moisture. Vacuum the coils with a soft brush attachment. Wipe the dispenser using a sponge and a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. And if your fridge smells, here’s what to do.

Bits of food can be left behind in the microwave, which might absorb some of the microwave’s energy and create a hot spot that can damage the interior when you turn it on the next time. As for the dishwasher, residue can collect in the seal of the door, which can lead to odor and mold.

To remove stains in the microwave, wipe them up with a hot, damp cloth, being careful not to scratch the protective mesh inside the door. And use a cloth to clean the seal around the dishwasher door.

It can get clogged by hair and soap. And if you use your shower infrequently, larvae can develop in the drain, which can lead to flies in your bathroom, says CR home writer Keith Flamer, who dealt with this mysterious insect phenomenon while awaiting a shower renovation.

For clogs, you can try using a plunger first, and if that doesn’t work, give enzymatic cleaners a go. They’re usually a gentler alternative to the harsh chemicals found in many drain cleaning products. Here are two you might want to try.

For drain flies, you can try pouring hot water down the drain as a temporary fix. To eliminate them, use a foaming enzyme cleaner, which is more effective than bleach and less harmful to your pipes, says Ian Williams, technical service manager at the pest control company Orkin.

If you don’t clean your showerhead regularly with a cleanser, deposits can build up and clog it.

For a metal showerhead, put it in a pot filled with one part vinegar to eight parts water, bring it to a boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes. For a plastic showerhead, soak it in equal parts vinegar and hot water. 

Scrub grout in your shower with a toothbrush dipped in a half-cup of bleach and a gallon of water, says Mary Farrell, a former CR home writer who has written about how to clean every surface in your bathroom.

Don’t forget those dreaded dust mites that can get on your pillows and mattress, Farrell says. Over time, dead skin cells can build up on both, which will attract mites and could cause an allergic reaction. 

Air out your pillows, and if they can be machine-washed (read the label to check), wash them at least twice a year. (Consult these directions on how types of pillow fills should be washed.)

For mattresses, vacuum the entire surface after you’ve stripped it of sheets and bedding. Sprinkle baking soda to get rid of any odors. And if you find any stains on the mattress, here’s how to treat them.

A few more general areas to pay attention to include filters, fans, and the inside of windows. You should regularly clean the filters of dishwashers, dryers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and more so that they don’t get clogged or dirty, which affects the performance of the appliance.

Box fans, pedestal fans, and the top of ceiling fans can get very dusty. Use these tips to clean every type of fan in your home. Be sure that liquid doesn’t get into the motor and that the blades don’t get bent when you’re cleaning.

Dirt, debris, and flies can get stuck inside windows over time, says CR home writer Tanya Christian, who faithfully follows her mother’s cleaning advice: She cleans window sills seasonally using a solution of hot soapy water with a splash of Pine-Sol to get the grime off. For window glass, she uses hot soapy water and distilled white vinegar.