For any high-stakes event, be it a poker tournament or having your mother-in-law over for dinner, there is always a “tell” your adversaries can look for to see you’re bluffing or trying to hide something. When it comes to making your home look clean, baseboards are the ultimate “tell” that will scream your slovenly secrets to everyone entering your home.

It doesn’t matter how much you run around with your Swiffer or stuff all your clutter in the closets before guests arrive, your dusty, cat-hair-covered baseboards will show your losing hand every time.

If you want a truly clean home, or at least the illusion of one to fool visitors, baseboard cleaning is simply something you can’t ignore. Most people will avoid this ugly truth for years because they find baseboard cleaning so daunting they’d rather live in denial.

It’s only when their baseboards are so dingy and dog hair covered they could use a leash that people start Googling for a solution.

If you’re one of those desperate souls looking for an easier way to get your baseboards back under control, you’re in luck, as you’ve found the ultimate guide written by me, Melissa Homer, an expert with over 20 years of professional cleaning experience. I’ll reveal the tricks of the trade the pros use to restore neglected baseboards and keep them clean quickly and easily without destroying your knees and back.

How to Keep Your Baseboards Clean

Rather than throw you into the deep end of the pool without teaching you how to swim, I am going to start at the shallow end by showing you how to properly maintenance-clean your baseboards. Once you see how quick and easy it is to keep your baseboards looking great, it’ll make finding the energy and motivation to deep clean your baseboards into a maintainable state so much easier. Baseboards should be cleaned every time you clean your floors—at least twice a month.

1. The Mucho Mop Method

The microfiber chenille fingers of the mucho mop make it perfect for reaching out and dusting every undulation of even the most complicated moldings.

1. 1. Attach your mop frame to your telescoping pole and extend the pole to standing height. Use Microfiber Wholesale’s exclusive swivel lock to lock your mop frame at a 45° angle.

   2. Place the mop pad on the frame, with the pad slightly overhanging the edge on one side.

   3. Place the mop vertically against the baseboard.

   4. If the floor is hard flooring, you can rest the frame edge on the floor as you glide (the overhanging pad will protect the floor from scratching). If it is carpeted, hover above the carpet to avoid friction.

   5. Walking behind the pole, push the pole with moderate pressure to glide the mop along the baseboard.

   6. Bonus Tip: If the baseboard is thick, insert a drawing marker horizontally behind the mop pad at the height of the top of the baseboard, to push out the pad all the way to the wall.

   7. For typical homes, the mop pad should be used dry, but if you have a lot of foot traffic or pets, you can use the same method to wet clean. Simply spray down the baseboard with your favorite all purpose cleaner before you begin.

2. The Duster Method

Whether you own a chenille microfiber duster or a fluffy microfiber duster, you can use either to maintain your baseboards, so long as you have a telescoping pole.

1. 1. Attach your duster to your extension pole. If you are using the chenille microfiber duster, fold the duster in half so it has more strength.

   2. While walking ahead of the pole, push the pole with moderate pressure to drag the duster along the baseboard, riding the top of the baseboard like a rail.

   3. For typical homes, the duster should be used dry, but if you have a lot of foot traffic or pets, you can use the same method to wet clean. Simply spray down the baseboard with all purpose cleaner before you begin. (wet cleaning is best done with the chenille microfiber duster).

3. The Vacuum Hose Method

If you have a canister vacuum, or an upright vacuum with detachable hose, you can use your vacuum to maintain your baseboards.

1. 1. Attach the vacuum extension wand to the vacuum hose, so you can work at standing height.

   2. Attach a vacuum head attachment that has soft bristles to the wand, such as a dust cup or horsehair floor brush (never use a spinning brush attachment).

   3. While walking behind the pole, push the pole with gentle pressure to glide the brush head along the baseboard, riding the top of the baseboard like a rail.

   4. Gently rub the brush back and forth when needed to loosen stuck on debris.

How to Restore Neglected Baseboards

Now that you know how quick and easy maintaining clean baseboards can be, let’s dive into the deep end of restoring filthy baseboards. Whether you never remember to clean your baseboards, or you have an unintentionally ignored stretch hiding behind a piece of furniture that’s now come to light, everyone has at least one gross section of baseboard in their home, so don’t be ashamed.  

The good news is that restoring baseboards can be faster and easier than you think with the right tools.

1. The Mucho Mop & Oxi Method

Even when deep cleaning, the microfiber chenille fingers of the mucho mop make it perfect to reach out and dust every undulation of even the most complicated moldings. By adding the stain fighting power of OxiClean spray, there isn’t a dingy baseboard you can’t show who’s boss!

1. 1. Attach your mop frame to your telescoping pole and extend the pole to standing height. Use Microfiber Wholesale’s exclusive swivel lock to lock your mop frame at a 45° angle.

   2. Place the mop pad on the frame, with the pad slightly overhanging the edge on one side.

   3. Place the mop vertically against the baseboard.

   4. If the floor is hard flooring, you can rest the frame edge on the floor (the overhanging pad will protect the floor from scratching). If it is carpeted, hover above the carpet to avoid friction.

   5. Starting dry, walk behind the pole, pushing the pole with moderate pressure, to glide the mop along the baseboard to wipe off as much lose dust and debris as possible

   6. Spray the baseboard down with OxiClean and allow to sit three minutes (usually the time it takes to spray around the entire room).

   7. Glide the mop along the baseboard a second time, wiping off the Oxi and the grime. Rub back and forth gently as needed to loosen debris.

   8. Bonus Trick: If the baseboard is thick, insert a drawing marker horizontally behind the mop pad at the height of the top of the baseboard, to push out the pad all the way to the wall.

   9. If stains persist, see Magic Eraser Method below.

2. The Duster & Oxi Method

A chenille microfiber duster can also be used to deep clean baseboards, so long as you have a telescoping pole. By adding the stain fighting power of OxiClean spray, you can transform your delicate duster into a deep cleaning powerhouse!

1. 1. Attach your telescoping pole to your chenille microfiber duster. Fold the chenille duster in half so it has more strength.

   2. Starting dry, walk ahead of the pole, pressing the pole with moderate pressure to drag the duster along the baseboard, riding the top of the baseboard like a rail, to remove as much lose dust and debris as possible.

   3. Spray the baseboard down with OxiClean and allow to sit three minutes (usually the time it takes to spray around the entire room).

   4. Glide the duster along the baseboard a second time, wiping off the Oxi and the grime. Rub back and forth gently as needed to loosen debris.

   5. If stains persist, see Magic Eraser Method below.

3. LAST RESORT: The Magic Eraser Method

If the mucho mop or chenille microfiber duster and OxiClean spray have cleaned most of the dirt, but some scuffs and stains still remain, the Magic Eraser is here to save the day. While this method works best on hands and knees, if your knees aren’t up to it, you can buy magic erasers with scrubby backs*, so you can attach three of them to your microfiber flat mop frame.

1. 1. Be sure you have dry and wet cleaned the baseboard with one of the restoration methods above first, so you only have to magic erase final trouble spots.

   2. Make up a bowl of warm soapy water with dish soap.

   3. Use knee pads, a gardening kneel pad, or even a folded up bath towel to protect your knees and kneel on the floor.

   4. Dip and squeeze out the Magic Eraser and use it to gently scrub off the remaining stains and scuffs on the baseboard.  

   5. Be careful not to scrub too long in one spot, as the magic eraser can remove paint after excessive use.

   6. If the appearance is too far gone, it may be necessary to scrub till some paint is removed to eliminate truly unsightly scuffs and touch up paint those spots after they dry.

   7. If your baseboards are wood stained instead of painted and in need of a touch up after deep cleaning, Howard Restor-A-Finish can revive the appearance of dulled and scratched finished wood without a full strip and refinishing. Just buff the product in with an old microfiber towel (the product is staining, so don’t use a new cleaning cloth).

   8. *If you have back or knee problems:

      • Dampen and squeeze out three magic erasers with scrubby backs and attach them to your mop frame and telescoping pole.

      • Use the swivel lock to lock the mop frame, so it won’t wiggle from side to side.

      • Standing straight, apply the mop frame horizontally to the baseboards. Trick - You can use your foot to nudge the frame up or lower the frame and catch the baseboard on the way down to flip the frame up without bending over.

      • Scrub back and forth with the pole to rub the erasers against the stained spots on the baseboards. Trick - Use upper hand to pull back and lower hand to press forward on the pole to press the frame against the boards firmly.