How to Clean Your Baseboards

Although cleaning seems like a simple chore, albeit sometimes a necessary evil, there are those tasks that you just keep putting off. Either they are especially annoying to you, or you just don’t know the best way to tackle the project. Cleaning your baseboards can definitely fall into both of those categories! While cleaning baseboards is something that our HouseMaids crew do on each cleaning visit, it’s a task that’s often neglected on a regular basis. It’s easy to add this to your quick cleaning repertoire, just follow our easy steps on how to clean your baseboards.

Step 1: Break it Down

Even though it’s often over looked, cleaning your baseboards can go a long way in making your entire home look clean and feel fresh. Clean baseboards actually make the walls and floors look cleaner, too. But the thought of getting on your hands and knees to clean the entire perimeter of each room of your house can seem daunting. Since this task does not need to be done as regularly as other cleaning tasks, aim to tackle one room each time you break out the cleaning supplies. Be sure to make baseboards the last task of your cleaning checklist, too, as other house cleaning can add dust to the baseboards.

Chip Away at the Dust

First you’ll need a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, a handheld broom or a new paintbrush in a pinch. Vacuum or sweep along the tops of the baseboards to remove the dust, especially important if you haven’t touched the baseboards for a while and there are a few layers of dust to remove. Since you are there with the brush, might as well give the tops of electrical outlets a little sweep, too!

Wipe Down

Next, wipe the baseboards down with a cloth rag and an easy home solution of warm water and dish soap (not dishwasher detergent). Give the cloth a good wring out before you wipe the baseboards so that you don’t get too much moisture building up. For tricky areas like corners, cotton swabs dipped in the cleaning solution work wonders. If your baseboards are wood with no paint, you may want to use a wood cleaner, like what you would use to clean and polish wood furniture.

Protect the Boards

After all that elbow grease, you’ll want to protect your bright and shiny baseboards. Use a fresh dryer sheet and rub it along the boards. The anti-static properties of the dryer sheet will repel dust, plus you’ll be left with a fresh scent for a few days.

Back to Basics with HouseMaids

Are more than your baseboards overdue for a cleaning? Do you feel like there are just not enough hours in the day to keep up with your family, your job and your free time (if there’s any left)? HouseMaids is here to help! Whether you just need a one-time, seasonal cleaning or regularly scheduled cleanings, we’ve got you covered. We’re available Monday through Friday and offer a 24-hour cleaning guarantee. Just call us at (941) 953-4300 to get started or request a free estimate online.