How to Clean Baseboards and Door Frames the Right Way

That Cleaning Girl · Deep Cleaning

Baseboards are the detail that separates a tidy house from a clean one. Nobody notices them when they're clean, but everybody notices a gray line of dust along the bottom of the wall. After working on fixtures in How to Remove Hard Water Buildup From Faucets and Showerheads, baseboards and door frames are the next big detail job, and they're in every room of the house.

Why baseboards get so dusty

Dust settles down, and baseboards are at the bottom of every wall. They also sit right where vacuum and mop water hit, so a little grime gets pushed onto them every time the floors get cleaned. Kids, pets and furniture leave scuffs. In North Texas, spring pollen and fall dust coat every horizontal surface, and the top edge of a baseboard is a long, skinny horizontal surface.

Door frames get a different kind of dirt: hand prints, especially at the latch side and around the light switches next to doors.

Here's the short list of what you'll need:

• A vacuum with a brush attachment.
• A bucket of warm water with a few drops of dish soap.
• Microfiber cloths, more than you think.
• A melamine sponge for scuffs, used gently.
• A kneeling pad, or a short stool if kneeling is hard on you.
• Dryer sheets, if you like the trick at the end of this article.

Step 1: Vacuum first

Always vacuum before you wipe. If you go straight to a damp cloth, dust turns into a gray paste that smears along the board and into the corners. Run the brush attachment along the top edge and the face of each baseboard, then the corners where the board meets the floor. Do door frames the same way, starting at the top.

This step alone makes a visible difference, and it makes the wiping step go much faster.

Step 2: Wipe in sections

Dip a microfiber cloth in the soapy water and wring it out well. You want damp, not wet; too much water can soak into painted wood and the caulk line. Wipe a few feet at a time, top edge first and then the face. Rinse the cloth often. Change the water when it gets cloudy, which in a dusty house might be every room.

Go room by room, working your way around in one direction so you don't miss a section. Behind doors and under windows are the spots people skip the most. So are the short pieces of baseboard inside closets and behind the toilet, which are easy to forget and almost always dusty.

Step 3: Scuffs and marks

Shoe scuffs, toy marks and the black line from a vacuum bumper usually come off with a slightly damp melamine sponge. Use light pressure. Melamine is very fine abrasive, and pressing hard on flat or eggshell paint can leave a shiny patch. Test on a hidden spot first, and stop once the mark is gone.

For sticky spots, a little dish soap on the cloth works. For crayon, a dab of baking soda on a damp cloth usually does it.

Step 4: Door frames, doors and switch plates

Door frames get the same vacuum-then-wipe treatment, but pay attention to the latch side and the area around the knob, where hands land all day. While you're there, wipe the door itself, especially near the handle, and the light switch plate beside it. In homes with kids, there's often a band of fingerprints at exactly their height on every door.

Don't forget the top of the door frame. It's above eye level, so nobody looks, but it collects as much dust as a bookshelf.

Step 5: Dry and protect

Go back over each section with a dry cloth. That prevents water spots, keeps moisture away from the paint and caulk, and gives a nice finish. Some people swear by wiping baseboards with a used dryer sheet afterward. It leaves a light coating that seems to make dust cling less. It's not a miracle, but it's a cheap trick worth trying.

How often to do them

A good rhythm for most homes:

• Quick dust: every couple of weeks with a mop or a duster.
• Full wipe: every few months, and at every deep clean.
• Door frames and switch plates: a quick wipe whenever you clean a room.

Homes with pets that shed, lots of foot traffic or a dusty construction site nearby, which describes plenty of the newer neighborhoods around Waxahachie, Midlothian and Red Oak, need it more often.

If you find gaps or cracks in the caulk between the baseboard and the wall while you clean, note them. A fresh bead of paintable caulk makes the board look new and gives dust one less place to hide.

The detail that makes the room

Clean baseboards and door frames make a room look freshly painted, even when it isn't. It's tedious work, but it's also one of the most satisfying parts of a deep clean. If your knees would rather sit this one out, our deep cleaning services take care of every board in the house.