You might clean your floors, wash your windows, and dust your furniture; however, dirty baseboards will make your house look untidy and uncared for. Additionally, if you look closely at your tainted baseboards, you will often find scratches, grime, and scuff marks all along with them. All the buildup can leave your baseboards looking yellow, dingy, and undesirable.

Although cleaning baseboards isn’t an exciting task, doing it makes your home look and feel better. Here are some easy ways to clean your baseboards.

How Often Should You Clean Baseboards?

It will help if you clean your baseboards at least once a month because they tend to collect a lot of dirt and dust. Most homeowners don’t prioritize cleaning baseboards; however, cleaning them once a month will make the task less time-consuming.

You can use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean the top edge where a lot of dust usually settles. If there are any spills or scuffs, you can wipe them away easily using an erasing sponge.

How to Deep-Clean Baseboards

If you haven’t cleaned your baseboards in a while, they probably need a deep cleaning to get them looking bright and clean. Here is how you can deep-clean your filthy baseboards:

What You Need

• Duster
• Vacuum cleaner
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Warm water
• Vegetable oil
• Distilled white vinegar
• Dryer sheets
• Microfiber cloths
• Cotton swabs

These tips will help you during the deep cleaning process:

• Clean baseboards last when you’re cleaning your home to prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt from above.
• Clean the baseboards in one area or room at a time to see progress and motivate yourself to keep going.

Check this too: How to Clean Garage Floor Mats

How to Deep Clean Stained Wood Baseboards

Stained wood baseboards require special attention to maintain the wood’s natural glow. Here is how to deep clean them:

1. Use your vacuum cleaner brush attachment to vacuum along the length of the baseboards, paying extra attention to where the trim meets the floor and corners. After you’ve finished vacuuming, wipe down the baseboards using a clean and dry microfiber cloth to eliminate stray dirt and dust. Wipe carefully to ensure that you don’t leave any fibers behind, which might get caught in splintered wood or sticking nails.
2. Make a baseboard cleaning solution by mixing a tablespoon of vegetable oil and ¼ cup of dish soap in a bucket of warm water. The solution is excellent for many types of wood because the vegetable oil polishes the wood, while the soap is mild enough and doesn’t cause any damage.
3. Dip the sponge into the baseboard cleaning solution and start scrubbing. Ensure that you only use a little cleaner at a time to avoid creating a mess.
4. Dip a cotton swab into your cleaning solution and use the cotton ends to clean corners and other tight spots to remove all the dirt.
5. Rinse the sponge thoroughly using hot water, wring it out, and wipe down the baseboards to eliminate any cleaning solution residue.
6. Use a clean and dry microfiber cloth to buff your baseboards. Finally, wipe them down with a dryer sheet to repel dust and dirt and prevent them from being sticky.

How to Deep Clean Painted Baseboards

If you have painted baseboards, you should clean them at least once a month to keep away dust and dirt. Here is how to do it:

1. Use the vacuum cleaner brush attachment and vacuum along the baseboards’ length, the top edge, and the top of the trim on the floor. Pay additional attention to where the trim meets the floor and crevices like corners.
2. After that, eliminate buildup and stains. Dip a sponge into warm water and dish soap solution and start scrubbing away scuffs. You might have to clean harder to eliminate stains and other grime.
3. Use a cotton swab to clean hard-to-reach spots. Dip the swab in the soapy solution and twist it in the corners and other hard-to-reach spaces to remove dirt.
4. Dampen a clean microfiber cloth with warm water and wipe the baseboards to remove any soap residue.
5. Use a fresh dryer sheet to rub down your baseboards. This final step creates a barrier that repels dirt and dust, keeping your baseboards looking beautiful and clean for longer.

Easy Methods of Cleaning Baseboards

Deep cleaning your baseboards as described above will get them back in shape; however, you should clean them regularly to keep them sparkling. Here are some cleaning tips to get you started if you are looking for the easiest way to clean baseboards.

The Magic Eraser Method

Magic erasers can clean several things around your home, and they might be the easiest option to help you clean baseboards regularly. So get a stack of your preferred brand of magic erasers and a bucket of warm water and start the cleaning process.

If you have painted baseboards, you can add a few squirts of dish soap to the warm water. If you’re cleaning stained wood baseboards, add a ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar to the warm water. Proceed to dip the magic eraser into the bucket, wring it out, and then wipe down the baseboards.

Use Cleaning Wipes

If you have a small home or don’t have much time, you can use cleaning wipes on your baseboards. All you have to do is to grab a box of cleaning wipes and start wiping your baseboards. The disadvantage of this method is that using disposable products is more wasteful than using recyclable ones.

Can You Clean Baseboards With Clorox Wipes?

Clorox wipes are perfectly okay for your dirty baseboards. In addition, you can use Clorox disinfecting wipes with micro-scrubbers to clean your baseboards if they’re full of grime and dirt.

Use Broom and Brushes

If your baseboards aren’t filthy, a little dusting might be perfect, especially if you use the proper cleaning tools for the job. You can use a mini handheld broom or a clean paintbrush to get you started.  If you use this method to clean your baseboards, you might want to do it before you vacuum the floors to ensure that you pick up any dust and hair that gets swept off.

Use a Vacuum Cleaner

Using a handheld vacuum cleaner is a quick and convenient method of cleaning your baseboards; however, a vacuum cleaner with wand and brush attachments will likely pick up more dust and dirt. You can start the cleaning process using your vacuum’s brush attachment and clean the baseboards from top to bottom.

The vacuum wand attachment will help you get into crannies and nooks.

Do Dryer Sheets Clean Baseboards?

You can simplify the baseboards cleaning process by using dryer sheets instead of rags, regular dusters, or a soapy solution. The best thing is that you can use a dryer sheet in the dryer before reusing it to clean your baseboards. One dryer sheet can keep clothes soft and clean your baseboards.

 You can ensure that dryer sheets last longer by cutting them in half before using them in the dryer and for cleaning. You can use a dryer sheet to clean your baseboards by following this procedure:

• First, swipe the used dryer sheets over your dusty baseboards.
• The sheet attracts, holds buildup, and coats the baseboards with its anti-static residue that repels pet hair and dust.

You can use a dryer sheet to clean your baseboards whenever you notice massive dust buildup. You can use this method for regular cleaning maintenance, especially if you have pets.

• The Sock Method

You don’t have to throw your old socks out yet; you can use them to clean your baseboards. Here is how to do it:

• First, get an old sock and place a disposable toilet wand into it.
• Spray the sock with a cleaning liquid of your choice and swipe. The cleaning liquid can be wood cleaner, vinegar, and water solution, or a mild soap.

How to Clean Baseboards Without Kneeling

Cleaning baseboards with a bad back and knee is a recipe to take you straight to the hospital. However, if your baseboards are dirty, you’ll have to clean them to ensure that your house is sparkling. Here is how you can clean baseboards without kneeling:

What You Need

• Large microfiber cloth
• Broom
• Rubber bands

Procedure

1. Place two rubber bands on the slim part of the broom. If you have a small broom, ensure the broom runs through the bands. If your broom is larger, turn it upside down and put a large microfiber cloth over it. Ensure that both sides are equal.
2. The microfiber cloth won’t fully cover the broom part that sweeps the floor; therefore, you can use three rubber bands to hold the cloth down. Proceed by placing the microfiber cloth flat on the ground and putting the broom on it. Ensure that the end of the broom doesn’t go past half of the microfiber cloth.
3. Fold the end of the microfiber cloth that is left out over the broom. You can use one of the rubber bands and wrap them around the slim section.
4. Place the broom on the baseboard at a 30⁰ angle and move it left to right when you clean the top of the baseboard.
5. You can use the sides of the broom to clean the sides and bottom of the baseboards. Some dust may be on the ground because the microfiber cloth didn’t catch all of it. You can use a vacuum cleaner to clean it up.
6. You’ll have to use the extreme edge of the broom to clean the corners of the baseboards so that you can prevent dust buildup on them. If the microfiber cloth on the broom prevents you from going that far, you can shift it by an inch or two and then continue the process.

You can also clean baseboards while standing up using the following methods:

• Use a damp sock or cloth attached to a yardstick using a rubber band.
• A clean sponge mop or a microfiber mop.
• A Swiffer with a wet pad.

Baseboards’ heights and styles vary; therefore, you might have to try a few methods above to clean yours without kneeling until you find one that’s perfect for your needs.

How to Keep Baseboards Clean With Dogs

Baseboards are magnets for dog hair; therefore, you should clean them regularly to keep your house looking clean. Dedicating a few minutes of your time after a couple of days should keep your baseboards clean and free of dog hair. Here is how to do it:

What You Need

• Rag
• Dryer sheets
• Telescoping feather duster
• Vacuum cleaner
• Warm water
• Liquid dish detergent

Procedure

1. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum dog hair from your baseboards. If you’re allergic to pet dander, ensure that your vacuum has a built-in HEPA filter.
2. Dampen a rag and use it to wipe away any dog hair that was missed by the vacuum. The rag should be damp and not wet; however, avoid using a dry rag as it might stir dust and pet hair instead of catching it.
3. Rinse the rag and repeat the process as necessary.
4. Reach behind furniture and into corners using a telescoping feather duster. The duster helps in eliminating dog hair from baseboards underneath your couch and behind large appliances.
5.  Scrub dirty or sticky baseboards using a solution of warm water and liquid dish detergent. Sometimes dog hair might get trapped on your baseboards due to the accumulation of dust and dirt that creates a grimy coating that traps dog hair.
6. Run a dryer sheet along the baseboards to remove any remaining dog hair. Additionally, the sheet has an anti-static residue that repels dust and pet hair; therefore, it helps to keep your baseboards clean for longer.

Check this too: How Do You Remove Pollen from a Deck

Preventing messes is always easier than cleaning them up; therefore, endeavor to include baseboards deep-cleaning as part of your spring cleaning. After deep-cleaning the baseboards, you should clean them at least once a month to ensure they are dirt and dust-free.