How To Clean Skirting Boards (Stop The Dust From Settling!)

Are you house proud? Do you want your home to wow guests when they walk through the door? If the answer is yes, keeping every part of your home clean is a top priority. However, once you’ve dusted the sides, polished the furniture, and vacuumed the floor, there may be one annoying thing making the place look a mess. Yes, your skirting boards.

Learning how to clean your skirting boards is a rite of passage for everyone. Whether you are an everyday Mrs Hinch or don’t know your duster from the mop, you need to get this right. Let’s face it — it doesn’t matter how clean your home is if the skirting boards look messy. Think of them like a frame, and your home is the picture. If the frame is dusty and grimy, no one will pay attention to the beautiful work of art inside it.

If you’ve tried cleaning skirting boards in the past and got nowhere, don’t panic. The truth is that there’s a knack for getting this right. We’ve got you covered! This guide will take a look at how to clean skirting boards, the best product to clean skirting boards, and how you can get rid of those annoying scuffs and stains. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Get your duster out

First, you need to grab your duster and get to work. Before you apply any liquid to your skirting boards, you need to get rid of any excess dust that has gathered on them. If it’s been a while since the last time you cleaned your skirting boards, chances are you will be facing a real build-up here. Go over the boards with the duster once or twice.

The key is not to push too hard. If you do that, you may end up coating the skirting boards with dust and making matters worse. So don’t make that mistake. While some people will tell you that you need a fancy-pants skirting board cleaner tool, that is not the case. Instead, when you have finished dusting, look at the boards and ensure they are clean.

Step 2: Vacuum the area

We won’t lie to you — step one may make more mess than you expect. When removing dust from your skirting board, you might find that some of it ends on your floors or carpets. It’s time to grab your vacuum cleaner and get to work. You should clean the edges of the skirting boards and pick up any excess that has landed there.

It doesn’t end there. You should also turn the vacuum cleaner onto your skirting boards too. This little-known skirting board cleaning hack will help you to make sure that the surfaces look as good as new. If your vacuum has an adapter with bristles, it may be perfect for this particular job. If not, you don’t have to worry. You can always use a thin adapter instead. But, again, make sure you don’t scratch the skirting board when you use it.

Step 3: Use soap and water

Sometimes, the most straightforward solutions are the best. That is the case when it comes to this easy skirting board cleaning hack. First, grab a bucket and fill it with warm water. Next, you want to add in some gentle soap. You can use washing-up liquid, hand soap, or even some fabric softener for this part of the job. Pick whichever product suits your needs.

When you have made the mixture, you need a clean, dry cloth. Dip the cloth in the warm water solution and then ring it well. Next, wipe the skirting boards and get rid of any noticeable marks. You can go over the boards a few times until you start to see some actual results. The longer you spend on this job, the cleaner the skirting boards will be.

Of course, if you are cleaning skirting boards in more than one room, you may need to change the water. When you notice that your cleaning solution is starting to look a little murky, refresh it. You can chuck it away and then make a new solution from scratch. Be sure to quickly dry your skirting boards with a cloth when you finish this step.

Step 4: Wipe with tumble dryer sheets

Okay, let’s say you’ve done all the above and still have grime on your skirting boards. Then, it’s time to bring out the big guns. First, using tumble dryer sheets is the best way to clean skirting boards on a budget. These thin sheets can be bought in any local supermarket or household shop. Since they are made of fragile fibres, the sheets are almost magnetic when picking up dust and hairs.

Grab a sheet and get to work. First, brush the sheet across the skirting boards for the best results. You may not see any significant changes on the boards when you first start. However, this is where the magic happens. Take a peek at the sheet, and you will see that it has picked up a load of dust you might not have seen. This affordable cleaning tool means cleaning your skirting boards is a cinch.

Next, check out dryer sheet alternatives in our other article. 

Step 5: Grab the Pink Stuff

You’ve ticked all of the boxes and followed steps one to four. What happens next? Sometimes, there are significant stains on skirting boards that mere soap and water won’t get out. You know the type. Perhaps you spilt coffee down the walls and didn’t clean the boards well enough. Maybe you scuffed your skirting boards with your shoes. Whatever the problem, the best product to clean skirting boards may be the Pink Stuff.

Get a tub of the Pink Stuff out and grab a damp cloth. You can dip the cloth directly into the solution and scoop some out. When you have done that, rub the cream directly into the stain on the skirting board. Use as much elbow grease as possible here. You must work the cream into the mark to get the best results. Once you have done all that, you should leave the cream to sit for between 10 and 30 minutes — the longer, the better.

Step 6: Rinse and dry!

The final step here is to rinse and dry the skirting board. Get some cool water in a bucket before you get started. You will also need another clean cloth. Apply water to the areas that have the Pink Stuff on them. You need to remove all of the solution as neatly as you can. You can use the cloth to get rid of the excess here. Keep ringing it out in between too.

When you have done that, you should dry your skirting boards. Use a dry cloth to get the job done. You should wipe the cloth directly over the skirting boards and ensure it is all clean and dry. And voila, you will find that your skirting boards look as good as new.

As you can see from our quick and straightforward guide here, this doesn’t have to be a monumental task. Armed with the right tools for cleaning your skirting board, you should be able to complete the whole thing in less than an hour. So what are you waiting for? Why not take care of this easy cleaning hack now? You may be surprised by the difference it makes to your home. If yours are beyond saving, learn how to remove skirting boards. 

For a more thorough clean, find out how to clean walls next! 

Q&A

Did we miss something? If there’s another question you want us to answer, don’t panic. Check out our frequently asked questions here:

What is the best product to clean skirting boards?

You can use soap and water to clean skirting boards at home. However, if you have tricky stains that you are struggling to remove, you might want to try using the Pink Stuff. The cream can help to remove any nasty marks that won’t budge. Simple.

How often should skirting boards be cleaned?

Can’t remember the last time you cleaned your skirting boards? That could be a problem! Experts recommend that we should clean them every three to six months.

Why do skirting boards turn yellow?

Have you noticed a yellowish tinge to your skirting boards? If your boards have been finished with oil-based paint, they may turn yellow over time. This is because the oil reacts with oxygen. To solve this, you may want to look into how to paint a skirting board.

What is the fastest way to clean skirting boards?

If you’re not looking to do a deep clean, you can use antibacterial wipes on skirting boards. Wiping down these boards between cleaning sessions will keep them looking new.

Got any questions? Leave a comment below