As a child, I always remember growing up in new homes. We would live in each one for no longer than two years. While we lived in one, my father would build another, sell the one we were in, and move us into the new house. Living in new homes was quite the luxury, but I will never forget how picky my dad could be about the baseboards. He always said dirty baseboards were like having dirty fingernails. You might think no one notices, but really, they do. Needless to say, every Saturday morning I spent my time cleaning the baseboards along with the rest of the house. Along the way, I picked up the easy way to clean baseboards without spending my whole morning on it. Here is a quick look at the tricks that, for me, added up to the best way to clean baseboards and keep them that way.
Sometimes You Need a Shoe
Growing up, I played softball all summer. I would run through the house getting ready for my games, and more than a few times I left a scuff or two on the baseboards with my cleats. To get them off, I would take a clean tennis shoe and rub the scuff away, the same way you do a scuff mark on the floor. It sounds odd, but it works, and you do not need any chemicals to do it. A pencil eraser handles the smaller marks, too.
You’re Going to Need Some Q-tips
Our baseboards never got very dirty, mostly because I was cleaning them every weekend. But sometimes enough dust and debris would cling to the spot where the baseboard corners met, and I would have to grab a Q-tip to get all of it out. It is a little thing, but those corners are exactly where a regular cloth just pushes the dust around instead of picking it up.
Water Is Your Best Friend
Honestly, I never cleaned the baseboards with anything but water. If I had gone several weeks without cleaning them, though, I can imagine needing something a little more aggressive. From what I have found since, these are the cleaners most people recommend for baseboards:
- A mixture of one cup vinegar to two cups water, about enough for a 1,600-square-foot home
- A glass cleaner for quick spots
- A squirt or two of dish liquid in a medium bowl of water
Whatever you use, wring your cloth out well. Too much water can work its way into the seams and, over time, damage the wood or paint. I like to follow with a quick dry wipe so they look crisp.
Take Advantage of Today’s Best Cleaning Tools
When I was little, I went around cleaning the baseboards on my knees. I never thought much of it back then, but if I tried that today, I would be stiff as a board and unable to move after a single room. Thankfully, there are tools now that make baseboard cleaning simple. An extendable microfiber duster or a long-handled baseboard cleaner lets you do the whole job standing up, nestling right into the curves of the baseboard and any crown molding. You can use whatever cleaner you like on the pads. It takes all the back-work out of the chore.
When It’s Not Worth Your Saturday
Here is the truth I learned. If you stay on top of your baseboards every week, the job takes twenty minutes tops, and you never have to do any hard scrubbing. But I also know life gets busy. Weeks slip by, and baseboards are the first thing to get skipped, until a move-out day, a holiday with family coming over, or a deep clean when all that built-up grime finally has to go.
That is where we can help. Baseboards are one of those details that separate a quick wipe-down from a real deep clean, so they are always part of our top-to-bottom deluxe cleaning. Whether you need a one-time reset, routine maintenance to keep the little things handled all year, or a move-in or move-out clean, we treat the overlooked spots as part of the job, never an extra.
Right here in Montgomery County: We Clean 4 You cleans homes in Conroe, The Woodlands, and the surrounding area. If baseboards are not how you want to spend your Saturday, we would love to take them off your hands.
Enjoy Your Clean Baseboards
Even though I was never thrilled about getting up every Saturday to clean, I will admit the house never got all that dirty, and that kept my cleaning time short and easy. Clean baseboards really do make a whole home look brighter and better cared for. But you do not have to be the one on your knees to get there. Request a free quote from We Clean 4 You, and let us handle the details that make a home sparkle, baseboards and all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to clean baseboards?
The easy way to clean baseboards is regular upkeep with a microfiber cloth or an extendable duster and plain warm water. For set-in grime, a mix of one cup vinegar to two cups water, or a little dish liquid in warm water, works on most painted baseboards. Just wring the cloth out well so water does not seep into the seams.
What is the best way to clean baseboards without hurting your back?
The best way to clean baseboards without bending or kneeling is to use a long-handled, extendable duster or baseboard tool so you can work standing up. Pair it with light weekly upkeep, and you avoid both the sore back and the hard scrubbing that built-up grime requires.
How do you get scuff marks off baseboards?
A clean tennis shoe rubbed gently over the scuff usually lifts it right off, the same way it works on a hardwood floor. A pencil eraser works for smaller marks. Both skip the harsh chemicals.
How often should you clean baseboards?
About once a week keeps it quick, twenty minutes tops for a whole home, and saves you from the hard scrubbing that built-up grime needs. Folding baseboards into a weekly routine is far easier than tackling them all at once.
Are baseboards included in a deep cleaning service?
Yes. At We Clean 4 You, baseboards are a standard part of our top-to-bottom deluxe cleaning and our move-in / move-out cleaning, because they are one of the details that turn a surface clean into a true deep clean.
Does We Clean 4 You clean baseboards in Conroe and The Woodlands?
Yes. We serve Conroe, The Woodlands, and the greater Montgomery County area, and baseboards are part of our detail-focused approach to every home we clean.
