Is This Baseboard Cleaning Hack Genius Or Junk?

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Baseboards may be the best and the most annoying inventions for your home interior. On the one hand, they make a room seem finished and more aesthetically pleasing, but cleaning them is a pain everywhere because getting down and scrubbing them can be painful. If you are always trying to find ways to get your baseboards sparkling without putting in the extreme effort it usually takes, there are hacks out there for you. While some of the easiest ways to clean baseboards include dryer sheets and a broom, one TikTok trick seems too good to be true. According to several of the platform's users, spraying foaming window cleaner on the baseboards can help remove dirt and grime in a snap. While this method certainly gives your boards a clean finish, the wood could be exposed to damage that will be more costly than a temporary sore back from using other, more primitive methods.

When watching any of these TikTok videos, you can scroll down and see people commenting on how much they like using foaming glass cleaner on their baseboards. Many say they swear by this hack, but a deeper search online explains why this might not be ideal for your wood materials. Glass cleaners contain very potent and harsh chemicals like ammonia, which is not a good combination with the wood in your baseboards.

Not only will ammonia dry out the wood, but it can also cause damage that breaks down and corrodes the boards, eventually causing them to need replacing. The ingredients in your glass cleaner might also strip away the paint layer, creating an expensive situation that could have been avoided by simply using a sponge and soap or other wood-friendly cleaner. Using the foaming glass cleaner once or even a few times might not cause this degree of damage, but as the paint or sealant wears down, and ultimately the wood itself, you will likely have to remove them.

Even the cleaning product giant SG Johnson notes that people should not use window cleaner on finished wood surfaces, which means while TikTok may have found this helpful, it's not sustainable for long-term use on your baseboards. The alcohol in these products is also extremely drying, so combined with the other ingredients, you could be asking for expensive refittings that otherwise would not be necessary. To save a little elbow grease, it could be worth trying the TikTok cleaning hack that is the easiest way to clean walls and baseboards, which uses a short string mop to help grab all the dirt. This trick is efficient and means you don't have to get on your hands and knees to scrub or bend over in an uncomfortable position for an extended time. 

So what should you use to get an efficient clean and leave baseboards fresh without any lasting damage? Start by using a vacuum to suck up all the dust on and around them, as these can make it trickier to wash the boards if you don't. If you don't have a vacuum or attachment that can really get into the nooks and crannies, you can also use a broom to pull out the dirt from the crevices between the baseboard and your flooring, as well as the corners where a lot can accumulate. The biggest mistake you can make when cleaning your baseboards is using the wrong products, so ensure you have the correct supplies before applying them. 

Next, use a clean towel or cloth and a warm water-dish soap mixture to wipe down all of your surfaces, swapping a cloth for a sponge if you need something more abrasive to scrub off any stuck-on grime or scuffs, and bring in an old toothbrush to help again with those nooks and crannies the sponge or towel doesn't reach. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are meant for this kind of cleaning, so use them for those marks that won't come off as easily. Dry your baseboards so the water doesn't penetrate any cracks or warp your paint. Consider finishing up with that dryer sheet hack to prevent immediate dust accumulation after all your not-so-hard work.