fbpx Skip to Content

How To Clean Baseboards: 5 EASY Ways

How To Clean Baseboards: 5 EASY Ways

Sharing is caring!

Discover 5 easy ways to clean your baseboards with these cleaning hacks and methods…


Some more cleaning hacks coming your way!

With spring cleaning in full swing right now, I wanted to write a post specifically for BASEBOARDS.

When we moved into our new home last year, I was thrilled with the beautiful white baseboards throughout the house.

The way they framed the flooring and walls made my heart do a little jig.

But, we have three kids,

The older two are boys, and they love to play rough.

This means my baseboards take a beating sometimes when they slide across the room or tackle each other coming in through the mudroom.

I’m talking scuff marks GALORE.

Not doing a jig about that, but that’s the season of life that we’re in, and I’m happy for that.

One day, they’ll be all grown up and gone and I won’t have scuff marks anywhere to remind me of all the fun times and giggles we’ve had in this house.

Ugh, enough of that sad stuff, and onto the cleaning!

Instagram messages have been geared towards cleaning baseboards lately, and I’m here for it, seeing as how I need to deep clean mine as well.

This post is a mixture of cleaning tips and hacks I’ve used in our home and those I’ve discovered on apps like TikTok and Pinterest.

P.S. I have a 25 day Spring Cleaning E-mail Challenge going on that you can join for free – I’ll send you an e-mail once a day with a cleaning task, how-to, or tip/hack for you to complete, as well as 3 free printables to help you deep clean your house in your busy schedule!

Here are 5 easy ways to clean your baseboards…

This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions are my own, as always.

How To Prep Baseboards For Cleaning

vacuuming baseboards

*Not my picture 🙂

I know, I see you on the other side of this screen ITCHING to get going…

But trust me, this step is worth it and will make cleaning your baseboards EASY.

Before scrubbing your baseboards, you’ll need to remove excess dirt and dust.

This can be done with your vacuum (use that handy hose and detail attachment), a handheld duster, or with a broom.

Move any furniture blocking your baseboards – be sure to ask for help from your partner, spouse, roommate, neighbor, etc. before attempting to move heavy furniture.

If you choose to use a broom, sweep the bristles along the top of your baseboards, then along the face to get into any grooves and work your way down to the floor.

Then, you can sweep the dust and dirt into your dustpan and toss it in the trash.

If vacuuming, use the detail attachment with soft bristles.

*If you have a thick layer of dust and dirt on your baseboards and they need a DEEP cleaning, first run your vacuum attachment along them to pick up any loose dirt and dust, then follow up with wiping them down with a wet washcloth. You may need to rinse the rag off multiple times to get the layer of dust off the rag.

For deep corners, use a moistened cotton swab to grab trapped dust and dirt from corners or edges.

Now that the dust and dirt have been removed from the baseboards, you can clean them.

There are multiple ways to clean your baseboards, and I’ve even included some different ones I’ve discovered on TikTok and tried out for you…

*This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions are my own, as always. 

How To Clean Baseboards: 5 Easy Ways

Clean Baseboards with Dryer Sheets

I’ve seen this method on Pinterest for years now.

Moisten a dryer sheet and scrub your baseboards with it (you can even use a used dryer sheet from your dryer – it doesn’t have to be fresh out of the box).

The dryer sheet, for whatever reason, works well in removing scuff marks and smudges, leaving your baseboards sparkling and smelling good.

It can also help repel dust from accumulating around your baseboards for longer – although I haven’t tested this theory out yet.

Use A Toilet Wand To Deep Clean Baseboards

I discovered this method on TikTok and tried it – see the Instagram video here and follow me there for more cleaning hacks!

If you have a toilet wand, use it to lightly scrub your dirty baseboards.

The same way the toilet wand helps clean a dirty toilet bowl, it can work to deep clean your baseboards.

Follow up with a quick wet rag wipe down.

*When I tried this, I scrubbed with serious pressure, and ended up taking off some of the paint along our baseboards – so if you try this, be sure to be gentle with it and allow the cleaner to do the work for you. Painted baseboards may not be best for this method. 

Clean Baseboards With A Magic Eraser

One of my absolute favorite cleaning tools to the rescue – the Magic Eraser!

This is perhaps what I consider to be the best way to clean baseboards.

I use them to clean my oven glass and they work amazingly.

Wet a magic eraser, gently squeeze out excess water, and scrub along your baseboards.

Ta-da!

Dilute Powdered Laundry Detergent To Deep Clean Baseboards

I recently tried this method to clean my deep clean my baseboards and textured tile floor in our kitchen and WOW.

In a gallon bucket of HOT water, sprinkle in a teaspoon of powdered laundry detergent (this is the one I use for cleaning floors).

Wearing gloves, dip a rag into the homemade cleaner and lightly scrub along baseboards.

Run a wet warm washcloth with plain water after cleaning.

Regarding the scent, if you are sensitive to strong smells, this can be done with the windows open.

When I cleaned my floors and baseboards I noticed the smell lingered for an entire day but disappeared the next morning. 

Use Regular Dish Soap To Wash Baseboards

When it comes to cleaning, there’s nothing more tried and true for removing scuffs and making baseboards shine like dish soap.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together a few drops of your favorite dish soap and warm water.

Using a clean rag, dip the rag into the solution and gently scrub your baseboards.

Follow up with a clean wet rag using plain water to rinse them and allow them to air dry.

How To Clean Natural Wood or Stained Baseboards

For natural wood or stained wood baseboards, you’re best off cleaning with a wood cleaner and soft microfiber cloth (after removing dust and dirt first).

Here’s the one I’ve been using with great success….

This helps prevent any accidental stripping of the wood or stain on your baseboards.

Be sure to dry your baseboards after cleaning.

I also use this cleaner on our door frames and molding throughout the house.

This method is also great for cleaning painted baseboards!


Thanks so much for reading! Which method is your favorite for cleaning baseboards? Let me know the comments below.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Jessica Stoddard

Friday 16th of September 2022

Thank you so much โค๏ธ

Dorothy Marek

Friday 1st of April 2022

How to clean baseboards when you have a bad back and knees without having to bend over or down? That would be great to post as well.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.