Cleaning your baseboards will make your house sparkle

Everybody tries to vacuum the floors and dust the furniture when they clean house but, somehow, the baseboards are neglected.

This despite the fact that the baseboards in an Arizona home are one of the biggest dust and dirt catchers of all.

Yet, cleaning and touching up baseboards is a fix you can do at your house with minimal time and money. Here are a few tips on doing the job right:

Step by step

After you’ve vacuumed or mopped the flooring in your house, you can tackle the baseboards.

Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to pick up as much dirt and dust as you can from the top of the baseboards and the area where the boards touch the flooring.

Get it clean

Next, wipe down the baseboards with a bucket of warm water mixed with mild dish soap, if you have painted baseboards, or with wood soap if you have natural wooden baseboards. Use a sponge or soft cloth for washing and drying.

If you’re fussy, use cotton swabs to clean up in the cracks and corners. Make baseboards are totally dry afterward.

Timing

This is probably a process you’ll go through once a year, but after you see the results, you might do it more often.

Get it all

Occasionally, when doing this, pull some of the furniture away from the walls so you can wash areas of baseboards that are otherwise unreachable.

You’ll be amazed at how much dirt sits on those baseboards behind a bookcase.

Patch it up

If baseboards are seriously scuffed, you might want to repaint dirty or nicked spots. In fact, you may decide to repaint all the baseboards in some rooms.

Use two coats of semi-gloss or a satin finish paint so baseboards will be easier to clean afterward.

You will probably need to sand the baseboards before painting, then vacuum and wipe them with a wet cloth to get rid of the dust.

Use painter’s tape and a drop cloth to keep paint off the floor. The same tape can be used on the wall above the baseboard to protect it from paint.

For more homeowner advice, DIY tips and videos, and information about all the projects around your house, home, castle or cabin, visit Arizona’s largest collection of homeowner DIY advice and information at RosieontheHouse.com.

And if you are in need of a quality contractor you know you can trust, visit our list of Arizona’s very best contractors or service providers for your home improvement projects at RosieontheHouse.com – Arizona’s most-trusted referral network.

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