There’s More than One Way to Clean Your Baseboards: 6 Methods to Try
Baseboards protect the bottom of your walls from scuffs and damage while adding decorative detail to your room. But they’re also a prime spot for dust and dirt to gather, which can make your room look grimy.
The problem is that getting on your hands and knees to scrub baseboards can feel like back-breaking work, especially if they haven’t been cleaned in a while. If you want to simplify the process and relieve some pressure from your back, it’s time to try a different strategy (like baseboard cleaning method #3 on our list.)
6 Ways to Clean Your Baseboards
Use these strategies to conquer dust, scuff marks, and mud.
Easiest Method: Wash Your Baseboards with Soap and Water
Dish soap and water are pH neutral and safe for all types of baseboards, making this mixture the safest and most reliable cleaning method.
Fill a bucket with warm water and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Swirl the mixture with a wooden spoon or your hand. Dip a microfiber cloth into the solution, wring out the excess moisture, and wipe your baseboards. Rinse the rag in your bucket whenever it becomes dry or too dirty.
Banish Scuff Marks: Use a Magic Eraser
After wiping dust and dirt from your baseboards, tackle scuff marks with a Magic Eraser or other brand of melamine sponge. Dampen the sponge in water and use light strokes to scrub away the scuffs.
If you have painted baseboards, do a test spot first. In rare cases, the Magic Eraser can wipe away your paint.
Save your Back: Attach a Microfiber Cloth to a Broom
Use this back-saving technique if you don’t want to bend over or get on the floor to clean your baseboards.
Grab your broom and secure a large microfiber cloth over the bristles with a rubber band. Dampen the cloth with soap and water or a mild all-purpose clean spray. Then, drag the broom over the baseboard to remove dust and grime.
Replace the microfiber cloth when it accumulates visible dirt.
Go All Natural: Mix Vinegar and Water
Are you looking for the best all-natural baseboard cleaner? Fill a bucket or spray bottle with half-white distilled vinegar and half water.
If you’re using a spray, mist the baseboard and wipe it clean with a cloth. If using a bucket, dip your rag into the solution, wring out excess moisture, and wipe your baseboards. When your rag becomes dirty, rinse it in your solution.
Tackle Nooks and Crannies: Clean with a Q-Tip
If your baseboards have a lot of dust between their edge and the wall, and you can’t remove it with your rag, dampen the edge of a Q-tip and wipe it away. Q-tips are excellent at absorbing dirt and are ideal for hard-to-reach areas.
For Major Dust Build-Up: Rely on Your Vacuum
If it’s been months (or years) since you’ve cleaned baseboards in certain areas of your homes, reach for your vacuum and hose attachments. Suction up the dust before using another method to wipe your baseboards clean.
Prevent Your Baseboards from Getting Dirty with a Dryer Sheet
One of the best ways to repel dust from your baseboards is to wipe them with a fabric softener sheet after they’re clean and dry. The fabric softener leaves an anti-static coat that repels dirt and pet hair from clinging to the baseboards.
You can also keep baseboards dust-free by running a broom over them once per week before you sweep the floor. The broom will knock off any dust, and you can vacuum it up.