As a professional house cleaner, I’ve spent countless hours battling grime, scrubbing stubborn buildup, and trying to reach the most awkward corners of people’s homes. Over time, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for smart, clean-friendly design choices—and a running list of household features I’d never want in my own home. If you’re building, renovating, or just curious to know which feature in your home your cleaners like the least, here are the top items that may look beautiful but are secretly a nightmare and incredibly hard to clean.
1. Intricate Light Fixtures
Sure, those crystal chandeliers and ornate pendants are stunning—until it’s time to dust them. Intricate light fixtures with tiny crevices collect dust and grime fast, and require meticulous, delicate cleaning that often means climbing on ladders and wiping each piece by hand. These are among the most hard to clean items in any home.
Cleaner’s Tip: Opt for simple, smooth-surfaced lighting with minimal detailing for easier upkeep.
2. Lots of Grout
Tile is beautiful and durable, but all that grout? Not so fun. Grout is porous and easily traps dirt, moisture, mildew, and stains — especially in bathrooms and kitchens. Deep-cleaning grout lines is labor-intensive and definitely hard to clean without the right tools.
Cleaner’s Tip: Choose large-format tiles with thin grout lines, or consider grout-free alternatives like slab backsplashes or wall panels.
3. Glossy Cabinets
Glossy cabinet finishes show everything – fingerprints, smudges, water spots, and dust. What’s worse, they often require special cleaners or microfiber cloths to avoid streaking or damaging the finish, making them one of the hard to clean design choices.
Cleaner’s Tip: Matte or satin finishes hide more and clean up faster. If you love gloss, limit it to less-touched areas like upper cabinetry.
4. Showers Without a Handheld Showerhead
Fixed showerheads may look sleek, but they make cleaning your shower a hassle. A handheld showerhead allows you to rinse down walls and corners easily, which cuts down significantly on soap scum and mildew buildup—areas that are especially hard to clean without proper reach.
Cleaner’s Tip: Always install a handheld sprayer in showers and tubs—it makes both bathing and cleaning easier.
5. Intricate or Excessive Millwork
Crown molding, chair rails, decorative trim—they add beautiful architectural interest, but they also attract dust like magnets. The more grooves and details, the more effort required to keep them looking sharp, and the more hard to clean they become. Don’t even start to mention raw wood paneling. The rough surface is nearly impossible to wipe down to remove the inevitable dust and debris.
Cleaner’s Tip: If you love the look of millwork, choose simpler profiles and keep it to a minimum in high-traffic or dust-prone areas.
6. Open Shelving in Kitchens
Open shelving may be trendy, but it comes at a cost: constant dusting. In a kitchen, grease from cooking combines with dust, forming a sticky layer on everything from dishes to decor. That makes them not just a design trend, but a hard to clean feature.
Cleaner’s Tip: Stick to closed cabinets for everyday storage and limit open shelves to display pieces you’re okay with regularly wiping down.
7. High Gloss Floors
Just like glossy cabinets, high gloss floors are beautiful—and a total time sink. They show every footprint, streak, and piece of lint. They’re especially hard to clean in homes with pets or kids.
Cleaner’s Tip: Opt for satin or matte-finish flooring with some texture to camouflage day-to-day mess.
8. Frameless Glass Showers Without Coatings
Frameless glass showers can look spa-worthy, but they spot and streak easily, especially if the glass isn’t treated with a protective coating. Water spots and soap scum build up fast, making them one of the hardest to clean features in any bathroom.
Cleaner’s Tip: If you want a frameless look, invest in treated glass and squeegee after every shower. Or, go with patterned or frosted glass to help hide water marks.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to home design, beauty doesn’t have to come at the cost of hours of maintenance. As a cleaner who’s seen it all, I know that a thoughtfully designed home with easy-to-clean materials can save so much time and effort. Not to mention, your home will stay looking nicer much longer!
Whether you’re renovating or just reevaluating your space, consider how your design choices impact your cleaning routine. Even if you outsource your cleaning to someone like us it’s great to consider these things as the easier you home is to clean the better the price your likely to get. Avoid the hard to clean features that add unnecessary stress—and your future self (and your cleaning crew) will thank you!
Need help tackling any of these hard to clean features? Clean Arrival Home Services is here to help. Contact us today to book your cleaning!
📞 Call (503) 567-5404
💻 cleanarrivalhomeservices.com
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