How to Clean Baseboards

If you think baseboards are not an essential part of your house’s cleaning routine, then you’re wrong. If you don’t act now, the accumulating dirt, stains, markings, and grime on your baseboards will be very noticeable. Yes, doing it may be time-consuming and tedious, not when done, they can really elevate the decor of your entire room. 

To help you get started, here’s what you should do:

1. Prep Your Baseboards for Washing

Baseboards attract dust and dirt from the floor, the walls and/or surfaces. So it’s best you get to them after cleaning every other room in your house like the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen to prevent any accidental mishaps to everything you’ve done. 

Starting taking care of the basic dust now instead of leaving it after you’re done the cleaning. If there’s furniture in front of the baseboards, then you’ll need to move them aside. Also, get rid of any dust that’s been collected on the top edge of the baseboards.

Use a vacuum hose with a brush attachment to clean the baseboards as well as a long, pointed attachment to get to the corners. Clean about 6 to 8 inches out in front of the baseboard using the brush attachment. After that, quickly run over the edge to where the baseboards and the wall meet. 

With that out of the way, you’re ready to start cleaning your baseboards.

2. Vinegar

Vinegar is a powerful cleaning agent and is one of the most sought-after DIY home remedies that you can get your hands on. The fact that vinegar can be used for about surface from wood to metal makes this an excellent baseboard cleaner as well. 

If you’re unaware of the cleaning properties of vinegar, don’t worry as we’ll fill you in on it. Vinegar consists of acetic acid that is natural and safe to use around children and animals. 

Materials Required

• 1 cup of vinegar
• Sponge
• 5 cups of warm water
• Gloves
• Bucket
• Paper towel or microfiber cloth. 

To clean with this, you’ll need to combine 1 cup of vinegar and 5 cups of warm water. Then soak the solution with a sponge and then use that sponge to start wiping down your baseboards. But make sure you use light pressure. 

Let the mixture settle in for a couple of minutes and then use a microfiber cloth to wipe it off. Keep doing this until the baseboards are all clean.

3. Soapy Water

Soapy water is a staple when it comes to cleaning household items. Dishwashing liquid, for instance, is an excellently versatile solution in that it not only washes dishes, but it also washes clothes and is a natural remedy for ridding your house of cockroaches. 

With that in mind, dirty and scuffed baseboards can benefit tremendously with a bit of dishwashing liquid.

Materials Required

• Gloves
• 1 bucket of warm water
• 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid
• Cotton swabs
• Paper towel or microfiber cloth
• Sponge
• Spray bottle of clean water

Take a bucket of water and mix some dishwashing liquid in it. Use the sponge to soak it in the cleaning solution and then gently rub the baseboards until you no longer see any stains. Wet the spine m sponge over and over to get the job done. 

To get the corners and other hard-to-reach places, use cotton swabs. Once the area is cleaned, spray clean water on the baseboard and then use the cloth for wiping.

4. Magic Erasers

If all else fails, turn to Magic Erasers. These are melamine foam erasers that clean spotlessly most surfaces. 

Rub the Magic Eraser using gentle, consistent pressure on your baseboard. Clean any of the residue left behind by the Magic Erasers with a microfiber cloth. Be careful not to apply too much pressure to these erasers as they can strip away paint as well as other surfaces.