Here's Exactly How Often You Should Be Cleaning Baseboards

Cleaning baseboards is an easily overlooked and often annoying home maintenance task. You have to get down low, vacuum, remove dust, and sometimes scrub using soap and water. Even if you use some of the best tools to make cleaning baseboards a breeze, the process can be annoying, especially when you time it incorrectly. However, the difference that tidy baseboards can make in your home is incredible. Whether you have the ever-popular white baseboards or more traditional dark baseboards, dirt, dust, and even stains can start to show up over time and ruin the crisp lines that baseboards can otherwise create. So, for a fresh-looking home, it is important to regularly clean them. You can always rely on the method of simply scrubbing them when they look dirty, but if you frequently find yourself forgetting to check on them, then it is useful to know exactly how often you should clean your baseboards.

The general recommendation is to clean your baseboards once per month, but this might vary based on your specific situation. In older homes, where dust tends to be a bigger problem, you should clean your baseboards more frequently. Not only will the dust visibly build up and look bad, but it can also aggravate allergies and asthma. Pets, particularly ones that shed, can also contribute to messy baseboards. If this sounds like your home, you may want to clean your baseboards weekly. If you live in a newer home or just notice that your baseboards are not visibly dirty often, you may only need to clean every few months.

Another way to tackle this cleaning project is to approach it by room. Some rooms will accumulate more dust or dirt than others, and they should be cleaned more often. Entryways, for example, get a lot of dirt from outside and dust from the frequent movement, so they may need to be cleaned more regularly. Pet areas, living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens are also all areas that can quickly accumulate dust, so the baseboards in these rooms may need to be cleaned more often than, say, a bathroom or hallway. Finally, if you spill something or otherwise make a mess, you should immediately clean it from the baseboards to prevent damage. Just make sure you also avoid the biggest mistake you can make when cleaning your baseboards as you do so.

If you feel like you are needing to clean your baseboards too often, there are a few things you can try to reduce the need. Take off your shoes immediately when you enter your house, use an air purifier, and make sure your windows, floors, and carpets stay nice and clean.  To improve the aesthetic and potentially reduce the frequency of cleaning, you can also repaint your baseboards. Choose a color that will display less dirt and stains, such as a darker color, and make sure you use a semi-gloss or satin finish to make the baseboards easier to maintain. If you do decide to refresh your baseboards, try out these hacks for painting your baseboards like a pro.