Taking pride in our homes comes naturally to most of us and when it comes to keeping our homes clean, it is often a daily or weekly task that we have to endure. Cleaning skirting boards is not something we often spend too much time on, but paying a little more attention to them can really help to put the sparkle back in to your home.
It can be tricky knowing how to clean skirting boards and depending on the materials used in the manufacturing of your skirting it can impact on how best to clean them.
Depending on the current state of the skirting boards, it is most likely that they will be able to be restored to their former glory – and fear not, the process of cleaning and restoring them is not as difficult as you might imagine – but we do have a few tips for skirting board cleaning that you might want to follow.
Before you go any further you should look to ascertain the type of wood your skirting is made from. If they are natural wood (such as oak, pine or Tulip) then they will need to have been painted or treated prior to applying any kind of liquid cleaning agents on them. The same applies to MDF skirting boards, although these are almost always going to have been painted.
If you have natural wood skirting that has not been treated and you don’t want to treat it then you should apply only the dry cleaning techniques mentioned here.
Skirting Board Cleaning Tips
Here are our top tips for cleaning skirting boards safely and how often you should realistically have to carry out the cleaning method.
Removing Dust and Vacuuming
Most of us vacuum our rooms on a weekly basis at the very least but the skirting boards can often be overlooked. The style of skirting board you have will partly determine how much dust accumulates. Even simple styles of skirting can attract plenty of dust particles and the more intricate the design the more opportunity there is for dust to be trapped.
Luckily, dust is one of the easiest things to deal with when it comes to skirting boards and usually a dry cloth can be used to remove it or a vacuum cleaner with a soft duster attachment.
Skirting boards are generally pretty hard wearing but even so you should take care not to damage the woodwork when using a vacuum – that being said, the vacuum is our preferred method as it removes the dust rather than just moving it around.
This is a simple task and can be carried out once per week as part of your standard cleaning regime. The difference will be quite staggering if you have not dusted your skirting board for a while.
Cleaning With Soap and Water
The tried and tested method of cleaning skirting is to use warm soapy water and a cloth. The key here is to ensure you do not use too much water as you do not want any excess moisture to penetrate behind the boards.
You should use a clean cloth to start with that is free from debris. If the cloth picks up any debris then clean it so as not to scratch the skirting board. The process of cleaning in this way should be fairly straight forward as you move from one end of the board to the other – ensuring that you only apply the cloth when damp and not soaking wet. If water is dripping down the skirting then you have too much moisture in your cloth.
This is a task than can be carried out monthly in high traffic areas and bi-monthly in lower traffic areas.
Cleaning Agents and Bleach
It is best to avoid using harsh chemicals on your skirting boards on a regular basis but using sprays or bleaches on more stubborn stains and markings can help when doing a deep clean.
If using a certain product for the first time then you should test it on a small area of skirting, preferably one that is out of sight (such as behind a sofa) and wait 24 hours to check for any complications.
Again, you do not want to saturate your skirting boards so use sparingly. It is always a good idea to clean with soap and warm water after using a stronger detergent as this will help prevent any damage and will also help to give a perfect finish.
Baseboard Cleaners
Baseboard mops are a great option for anyone with limited mobility or for those who simply do not want to get down on their hands and knees to clean their skirting.
This is our least favoured option of cleaning as it gives a little less control over the amount of water you are applying to the boards, but for those who struggle with getting down low it is a suitable option. Again, just be sure to use soap and warm water for regular cleans and if using stronger cleaning agents be sure to wipe down with warm water.
Baseboard cleaners are easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive.
There are other methods of cleaning skirting boards but these are the tried and tested ones. If you cannot get your skirting clean using these methods or you are simply looking for a revamp then why not take a look at our extensive range of skirting boards here at Metres Direct.
We have over 65 styles of skirting in a range of materials including oak and moisture resistant MDF. Feel free to browse the website or call us on our free phone number to discuss your options.
