Wood baseboards primarily protect the wall from scuffs and kicks, but they also provide a decorative trim and finished look to the room. Dirt from mopping the floor, dust, and everyday grime eventually make the baseboards look dull and dirty. It doesn’t matter how much you scrub your floors; if the baseboards are grungy, the room will never look clean.
The truth is, baseboard cleaning doesn’t have to be so daunting. Frequent touch-ups and preventive maintenance are the keys to avoiding a big job down the road. Here’s how to tidy up these dirt magnets without breaking your back:
– Sweep the floor along the baseboards, removing all dust and dirt in the area you are cleaning. You can use a simple dust broom for this (the kind with the dust pan) or a vacuum with a brush attachment. The baseboards should be totally free of hair, dust and any loose dirt before you wash them. Pay particular attention to the floor around the baseboards, which is where most of the floor’s dirt tends to accumulate.
– Wipe down the baseboard with a lightly moistened cleaning cloth. Wipe the baseboards dry immediately. Water left on wood baseboards and trim can soak into the grain and cause the wood to swell.
– Open a window in the room to provide ventilation if you are cleaning unfinished or stained baseboards. Dampen a cleaning rag with mineral spirits. Rub the mineral spirits onto the baseboards to remove heavy dirt and grease buildup. The mineral spirits dissolves heavy dirt buildup, but it may also remove the top layer of the wood finish, so use a bit of caution when doing this. Use the mineral spirits on a well concealed part of the baseboards first to make sure no damage will occur.
– Once your baseboards are clean and dry, take a new dryer sheet and wipe it over the wood. The anti-static properties of the dryer sheet will cut the amount of dust that sticks to baseboards. In fact, each time you sweep and vacuum, go over the baseboards quickly with a dryer sheet. If you have shedding pets, you’ll want to do this regularly. This preventative maintenance will go a long way.
To cut your baseboard cleaning time in half, use our Rabbit-3 with TroubleGone baseboard cleaner. The application is easy and using the Rabbit-3 means you’ll be done in no time.