As most have learned through experience the little things often can make a large difference. Yet, with our busy lives it can be easy to overlook some of the little things when cleaning our homes.
Once of the most overlooked elements of cleaning is taking proper care of our home’s baseboards. However, a clean baseboard can leave your entire room looking cleaner and can result in better air quality in your home.
Not all baseboards are equal when it comes to cleaning. Kitchen baseboards collect minute particles of oil that become airborne whenever you cook resulting in them becoming a bit sticky so more dust and animal hair clings to these baseboards than those other baseboards in other parts of the home.
Whereas bathroom baseboards remain damp which can lead to increased chance of mold and mildew buildup.
For these reasons your kitchen and bathroom baseboards may need to cleaned more often the baseboards in the rest of your home.
While cleaning your baseboards can be a tedious job it isn’t really a difficult one. But these tricks and hacks can make the entire process simpler and easier.
How Often Should I Clean My Baseboards?
You should clean your baseboards at least once a month and at least twice a month for kitchens and bathrooms. Here are a few tips that can make cleaning those baseboards much easier and keep them looking their best for longer.
You should clean your baseboards after you have cleaned the rest of your room, that way any dust that is stirred up from vacuuming and dusting will not add dust to those baseboards right after you have cleaned them.
Start by Moving all Furniture to the Center of the Room
By moving all of your furniture to the center of the room before cleaning your baseboard you can clean every inch without having to stop to move pieces of furniture as you go.
By moving the furniture you also have the added benefit of being able to thoroughly clean those hard to reach areas of your carpet or floor that is often hidden under furniture.
Dust Your Baseboards First
Once all the furniture has been moved to the center of the room, use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment, a broom, or a microfiber cloth to dust your baseboards.
To save bending over or crawling on your hands and knees to dust your baseboards You can use a duster with a telescoping handle to dust your baseboards.
To remove the dust from the crevices and corners of your baseboards many experts recommend using a Q-tip however, you may want to try using canned air or a power duster to loosen and remove the dust in those hard to reach places.
Damp Wash Your Baseboards
Once your baseboards have been thoroughly dusted then you will want to damp clean them. The best way to do this is by using warm water with a few drops of dish soap in it and a soft microfiber cloth.
Make sure to wring it out so it is barely damp. Once again you are going to want to go clear around your room and clean every inch of your baseboard.
When cleaning kitchen baseboards you are going to want to use a little degreaser in your water to remove any oil or grease residue from the baseboards.
Note: For those who have knee or back problems you can purchase a tool called a Baseboard Buddy, which is a cloth on a telescoping handle that can be used wet or dry for dusting and washing baseboards. This tool is sold on Amazon.
Make sure that your baseboards air dry before returning your furniture to its place. You may want to dry your bathroom baseboards to ensure they get really dry.
Handy Hack
To help prevent dust buildup between cleanings try using a dryer sheet wrapped around a yard stick to go over your dry baseboard after cleaning. These dryer sheets leave a residue that will actually repel dust and pet hair keeping your baseboard cleaner.
Handy Hint
When doing your weekly cleaning of each room in your home, take a broom or a vacuum with a soft brush attachment and run over those parts of your baseboards that are not hidden by furniture.
Not only will that leave your room looking sparkling clean, but will make the monthly cleaning of your baseboards quicker and easier.
Related Cleaning Articles:
- How to Clean Bathroom Grout
- How to Clean Your Kitchen Floor
- 20 Easy Kitchen Cleaning Hacks
- How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen
