How to Clean Baseboards – Hacks You Need in Your Life

Cleaning baseboards isn’t fun. It’s probably pretty safe to say that it’s a job that no one wants to do. But in all reality, figuring out how to clean baseboards doesn’t have to be all that hard. With just a few of these cleaning hacks, you just might have the cleanest ones in your entire neighborhood! 

The biggest secret to remember after you read through all these hacks is not to let the dust and grime accumulate.  It is easier to stay on top of it and include these in your cleaning schedule. Once you make the effort to clean, the dust will be easier to remove time and time again. 

Hacks for the Easiest Way to Clean Baseboards 

If you’re looking for some super simple cleaning hacks that take no time at all, check out these simple ideas and tips that you can implement today.

Gather Up All Your Cleaning Tools Before You Get Started

While you don’t need a ton of cleaning supplies and tools, you’ll want to gather the ones that you do need before you get started (and you just might be surprised at a few that are on the list!)

I keep my tools in a portable cleaning caddy, so it is easy to grab and go. It makes preparing to clean so much easier!

• Yoga Mat – You’ll need this to save your knees! Cleaning baseboards can take a bit of time at first. To spare your knees, grab a yoga mat to kneel on.  You’ll thank me later!
• Microfiber Cloth – Microfiber cloth is great to clean with because it grabs and holds the dust particles better than other rags. Plus, it doesn’t scratch the surfaces that you’re cleaning.  That is especially important for hardwood baseboards.
• Dryer Sheets – Dryer sheets grab dust and will help to make the house smell great from the ground up. 
• Spray Bottle – Use this to wet the baseboards so that the dirt and grime can be wiped off a little bit easier. 
• Tool Caddy – Grab a tool caddy to carry around all your cleaning supplies. It is a great way to save time and stress. It keeps everything organized perfectly as well.
• Magic Eraser – This little cleaning tool is a fast and easy way to get rid of scuffs and marks quickly without having to repaint or worry about redoing the entire baseboard. In my high traffic areas, I will get shoe scuffs on the painted baseboards, and it removes them extremely fast.

Use Your Vacuum Every Time

If you’re worried that your cleaning methods aren’t going to get rid of all the debris, then start off by vacuuming to remove the loose dust and debris. There are even some great vacuum attachments that you can get that can do a lot of the dirty work for you when cleaning. I recommend the attachment with the soft bristles. These will gently lift the dust and debris from the baseboard, and then the vacuum sucks it away.

A long attachment for your vacuum is a great way to not stress out your body and your back. That way you can easily clean your baseboards without having to bend down. 

Make certain that you don’t forget to clean on the top of the baseboard and around all the shoe molding areas as well. Spend some extra time with the vacuum to clean between the baseboard and the flooring, too. Dirt and grime will hide in all the little crevices. 

Grab a Spray Bottle and Keep it for Baseboard Cleaning

Spray bottles are cheap so make certain that you grab one and fill it with warm soapy water. That way you can easily spray down the baseboard area that you’re currently working. It doesn’t take much soapy water.  Make sure to wipe it off quickly to minimize dripping on your flooring. 

For the crevices, nooks and crannies, use a Q-Tip dipped in soapy water.  I’ll be honest, I very seldom go to this extreme unless my OCD REALLY kicks in, but it does work very well!

I only use the spray bottle if the baseboards are extremely dirty and I haven’t been keeping up with the cleaning.  Using water is extremely effective, but it takes some extra effort to not make a mess.

The Longer You Wait To Clean The Baseboards, The Harder It Will Be

This is just a fact. It’s common sense, right? If you let years go by, the build up on your baseboards will require some elbow grease and scrub to get them clean. It’s so much easier to keep them clean each month. 

Dryer Sheet Hacks

Dryer sheets are great because they release a coating on your baseboard that helps to repel dust. After the baseboard is cleaned and dry, rub the dryer sheet or Swiffer duster sheet over the area a few times.  

Painted vs Vinyl vs Stained Baseboards

There are different types of baseboards to think about. 

• A painted baseboard should be easy to wipe down.  Just make sure that you’re not using any type of chemical cleaner that might damage the paint. Soapy water works great.
• Since a vinyl baseboard is flat and slick, a little bit of water should really be able to do the trick. It is the most forgiving material, so you can scrub these pretty hard.
• A stained baseboard just might be the most difficult because dust particles get caught in the grain of the wood. I would definitely stay away from any chemicals while cleaning these as it may damage the finish.  

Now that you know some of these simple baseboard cleaning hacks, you should be able to clean your baseboards with ease and keep them clean!

Related Posts