Various Ways to Clean Baseboards

Various Ways to Clean Baseboards

Baseboards provide any area with a lovely aesthetic touch while protecting the drywall. If washing baseboards were never on your weekly cleaning plan, you’re not alone. Most of us don’t pay attention to the tainted baseboards and perhaps other decors. However, a quick check reveals dust, scrapes, and scuff marks everywhere down your baseboards. All of this accumulation can turn your white baseboards yellow and drab. Cleaning sections near the floor often requires bending over for longer timeframes. That’s why some people try to avoid cleaning baseboards entirely.

ways to clean baseboards

They are untouched by vacuum cleaners, brooms, or mops. Baseboards occupy the hard middle ground. Your family or friends may rarely comment on how clean your baseboards are, but their impact on the appearance of your home is clear. If you haven’t cleaned your baseboards in a while, they are likely in need of a thorough cleaning.

Baseboard Cleaning Guidelines 

  • Clean your baseboards for last when trying to clean your house. Cleaning will prevent dirt and dust from gathering from above. Know how to clean house walls to seem as nice and spotless as your baseboards if you truly like to have a cleaning statement.
  • Clean your baseboards in one room or section at a time to make your cleaning task simple. You can track your progress on a room-by-room basis, encouraging you to keep moving!
  • Invite family members to assist you with the baseboard cleaning. Make this cleaning duty a team effort by teaching youngsters how to clean the baseboards with our simple guide. You may need to tempt them with goodies, but the activity might become a bonding thing. Give each family member to a specific area or room, provide them with their equipment, and play some upbeat music. Whoever finishes first and makes the best effort wins!
  • When vacuuming, provide your baseboards with a good scrub using the hose’s brush attachment. The brush eliminates dust, debris, and pet hair, avoiding accumulation.
  • Another suggestion is to clean your baseboards using dryer sheets. They not only attract dirt, but they also leave a dust-repellent shine on the boards, preventing them from becoming unclean in the future. 
  • No cleaning supplies? No worries! Rub down your baseboards with an old sock covering your hand. You may use the sock even without floor cleaner. Ensure the cleaning solution is suitable for your skin or wear gloves underneath.

baseboard cleaning guidelines

How often should baseboards be cleaned?

Cleaning baseboards depends on your way of life. If your pets lose a bunch of hair, you need to clean it more frequently than most people. Clean your baseboards once every month, but I f you realize they’re quite dirty after cleaning them, clean them every two weeks. If your baseboards remain clean, you may only have to clean them every few months.

First, Clean the Walls

The first thing you should clean is your walls. You might not know it, but walls, like any other element of your home, acquire dust and filth, especially if they’re textured. Examine high-traffic areas for scuffs and smudges in locations where people commonly touch. The regions around stairwells and doorways are frequently the worst offenders.

Dust that adheres to your walls falls eventually to your baseboards, where it gathers. So, to thoroughly clean your baseboards, you must first handle the dust that has accumulated above them. You can utilize a simple soapy water solution to clean your walls. To eliminate as much debris as possible, dust it first. You can use the brush component on your vacuum. Keep a close eye on the corners as well as around light fixtures.

Then mix a combination of water and dishwashing soap with the same amount as you would for dishwashing. Dampen a clean sponge or microfiber towel with water. You don’t want to saturate it since it will affect your paint or drywall. To cover your floor, place rags around the area where you’re working, but don’t spill over a few drips.

Test it in a small area to ensure the soap won’t react on your paint or wallpaper. Then, using circular motions, begin at the top part, then work your way down. Make sure to give gentle press only as this may leave marks. Some areas may require special attention, but a drop of white vinegar or a few concentrated liquid soaps should suffice to eliminate common filth.

wall cleaning

Wipe up any drips that have run down the walls and wring off the sponge or cloth. You only need a little water to grab dust and take it off the surface. After cleaning the wall, rinse the towel or sponge with clean water, then wipe down the walls to eliminate soap residue.

Now that the walls are all clean, move on to the baseboards. While basically, any light cleanser like brushes, microfiber towels, and a bit of elbow grease will suffice, some suggestions are notably efficient for various types of baseboards.

Cleaning Painted Baseboards

Baseboards and other woodwork in many homes are painted with formulas intended for the wear and tear certain materials endure. Some trim paints are more lasting and less likely to expose dirt than the others, so keep that in mind when painting your baseboards. Paints with a glossy finish, such as repel dirt and grime, are more durable and stand out more than flat paints. Getting your baseboards clean again isn’t difficult, whatever the kind of paint used, but it does require monthly care.

Cleaning painted baseboards

STEP1. Vacuum the length of the baseboards along the top ledge and then the top of the trims at the floor with the vacuum cleaner brush attachment. You should pay extra attention to crevices such as corners and the point where the trim contacts the floor.

STEP2. It’s time to start working on stains and accumulations upon removing all loose debris and dust. Scrub scuffs with a sponge dipped in a water solution and dishwashing soap. Stains and other filth may require extra elbow grease to remove.

STEP3. Cotton swabs are the perfect fit for those difficult-to-reach areas. To eliminate dirt, dip the swab in the cleaner and press and twist it into corners and other tight spots.

STEP4. Thoroughly clean your baseboards with a clean microfiber towel soaked with warm water to eliminate the baseboard cleaning residue.

STEP5. Using a fresh dryer sheet, wipe off your baseboards. This final step acts as a layer that repels dirt and grime, extending the life of your baseboards.

Cleaning Stained Wood Baseboards

Your home’s stained wood floors and trim provide warmth, elegance, and charm. Stained wood baseboards require specific care to keep the wood’s natural brilliance, but don’t just go for any commercial cleaner. There are safe, economic baseboard cleaner alternatives available directly in your home that are just as effective.

Cleaning wood baseboards

STEP1. Vacuum the stained wood baseboards as you would with the painted ones, and then wipe them down using a clean, clean microfiber towel to remove any stray dust or grime. Make sure there are no fibers left in the shattered wood.

STEP2. Your unpainted wood baseboard cleaner is a bit different. In a pail of water, combine 1/4 cup dish soap and a spoonful of vegetable oil. This DIY cleaner works perfectly on a variety of wood kinds. The soap is gentle enough not to harm the wood, while the vegetable oil refreshes and polishes it. Scrub your baseboards with your cleaning sponge dipped in the cleaning solution. To keep things from getting filthy, only use a small amount of cleaning at a time.

STEP3. A cotton swab is an excellent cleaning tool because it can reach into tight areas and collect dirt and moisture. Dip a cotton swab into your cleanser and slide the cotton tips into nooks and other tight locations to eliminate filth.

STEP4. To eliminate any cleaning residue, thoroughly rinse the cleaning sponge using hot water, dry it, and gently wipe the baseboards. Rinse the soap and apply vegetable oil to safeguard the wood in this manner.

STEP5. Wipe off the stained wood baseboards with a dryer sheet after buffing them dry using a clean, dry microfiber towel. Dryer sheets will keep dirt and dust at bay.

Easy Ways to Clean Baseboards

Although it is a cliché, it is true. Once you’ve restored your baseboard, it’s easy to maintain clean using the cleaning tips above. If the baseboard cleaning procedures above don’t make your baseboards seem nice, it’s time to seal or repaint them. We all know what a new coat of paint could do, but check out whatever trim paint is ideal for your baseboards before undertaking all that work.

Magic Eraser

These multi-purpose cleaning sponges could clean various surfaces throughout the house, yet they may be the most convenient for cleaning baseboards regularly. You’ll need a pail of warm water and a couple of Magic Erasers. Add dish soap if you’re working on painted baseboards. Put distilled white vinegar if your baseboards are stained. Wipe down your baseboards with an eraser dipped in the bucket and wrung out.

Brushes and Brooms

Using a broom, sweeping dust and debris from baseboards is simple and prevents you from bending or squatting. Sweep the dust off your baseboards before sweeping or vacuuming the floor beneath them. Utilize a new brush for baseboards and surrounding trim for a more detailed dusting.

Vacuum

A portable vacuum that can reach your baseboards is easy and quick, but a normal vacuum with a brush and tip attachments can grab more dirt and dust. Start from the top part of the baseboards and work your way down using the brush attachment on your vacuum. Use the wand attached to the vacuum to get into tight spaces.

Wipes for babies

Baby wipes are not just one of the best baby care products ever, but they also make cleaning up a breeze. Disposable wipes could be the answer when you have to clean up quickly. While there are more environmentally friendly choices, you can use these disposable wet wipes on baseboards, frames, and other surfaces in a situation.

Sheets for Dryers

Fabric softener sheets have a pleasant scent and effectively remove dirt, grime, and pet hair from baseboards. They also leave a dust-repellent film on your baseboards to prevent further accumulation. This simple baseboard cleaning approach is an excellent choice for routine cleaning, particularly if you have pets.

 

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