Clean things before dirt becomes damage.

Left long enough, dirt stops being dirt and becomes corrosion, staining, or wear that cleaning can no longer address. The window for easy attention is early and it closes quietly. This applies as much to the small resentments in a relationship as it does to a kitchen or a machine.

Attend to the thing that has been accumulating rather than waiting until it is bad enough to warrant a proper effort. Early is cheap, and late is often too late for cleaning to help at all.