Like anything else in your home, your skirting boards also require some basic maintenance from time to time. Whether it’s a new coat of paint, a touch up here and there, or a simple clean and dust.
You probably don’t need to clean them as often as some other items in your home, however, they can’t be neglected completely!
Due to the location of your skirting board, they will always be a magnet for dust, especially in high-traffic areas, if you have pets, or they are in areas such as a utility room where clothing fibres easily drop off. However, if you make it a regular part of your cleaning routine, not too much dust should build up.
In this article we will share with you a few simple tips on how to clean and dust your skirting boards in the most effective way. However if you simply need to replace your old looking skirting boards then Skirting World has a great selection to choose from.
Dusting
Before you start to clean your skirting boards, you must first give them a good dusting off. This will make cleaning them easier as well, so it’s worth doing.
Dust your skirting boards with a damp cloth, or a microfibre cloth sprayed with a little dust remover.
If your skirting boards are flat, or pretty basic, dusting them will be much easier as you don’t have to worry about trying to get the dust out of the intricate detailing.
However, if you do have skirting boards with patterns on them, you can use a damp cotton bud to get into the smaller areas.
Vacuuming
However, if you don’t have a cloth you can use, or find vacuuming your skirting boards just as effective, then simply use a smaller attachment on your vacuum to get the majority of the dust off your skirting boards.
Your vacuum should come with an attachment with soft bristles on it – this is perfect for gathering up the dust left on your skirting boards.
Again, if you have detailed skirting boards, you may need to get in there with your cotton bud still but only every now and again.
How To Clean Your Skirting Boards
After you’ve given your skirting boards a good dusting and/or vacuuming, you can clean them with warm water and a little soap.
Something like washing up liquid would work well to get rid of any scuffs or light stains, or simply to give them a quick clean.
However, make sure your cloth isn’t too damp as skirting boards are generally only water or moisture resistant. Getting them too wet could end up damaging them.
Removing Difficult Stains
If after cleaning with your washing up liquid, the stain still remains, you will need something a little stronger to finish the job.
To do this there are a few things you can use. A very small amount of bleach on your damp cloth can work – although don’t do this too often or it can damage your skirting boards.
If you don’t want to use bleach, you could also try using some vinegar in your warm water solution. Simply wipe your cloth over the stained area and it should start to come off.
Another way to clean stand is by using bicarb of soda and vinegar. Simply sprinkle a teaspoon of bicarb into your vinegar and warm water solution and clean over the area.
Once you have got rid of the stain, wipe over the area again with just warm water to remove any excess vinegar.
Here is how I clean my skirting boards, how do you clean yours?
